iPhone 8 inductive charging may be a wee bit slow

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iPhone 8 wireless charging
This is what will bring wireless charging to iPhone 8.
Photo: Weibo

One of the biggest new features on Apple’s next-generation iPhone might be a bit of disappointment to buyers.

According to the latest rumor out of Asia, Apple will use an older standard for its inductive charging feature which means recharging could take longer than expected.

All three new iPhone models are expected to pick up the inductive charging feature this fall. Instead of using the full 15 watts of power supported by the Qi Ver. 1.2 standard, Macotakara claims Apple’s tech will only draw 7.5 watts.

That’s still more draw than the 5 watts Apple uses on its wired iPhone chargers, but it would mean that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7s won’t be supported by the latest Qi wireless charging accessories. The site also alleges that Apple’s devices will only be able to be charged via accessories that use the company’s “Made for iPhone” license.

iPhone 8 Inductive Charging

Numerous hardware leaks have all but confirmed that inductive charging is coming to the iPhone 8. Buyers may have to pay extra to actually use the feature though. One rumor earlier this year claimed the new iPhones won’t ship with a charging pad so you’ll have to buy one extra.

The new inductive charging feature may not even be available at launch. Some reports have suggested that the feature may be disabled at launch, similar to Portrait Mode being stuck in beta last year.

Along with inductive charging, the iPhone 8 is expected to pack new 3D sensors for facial recognition, a new all-glass body, A11 processor, better cameras, powerful AR tools and much more.

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