One feature we expected but didn’t get from the iPhone 11 lineup is two-way wireless charging. But Apple could surprise us with it later.
A new rumor claims the 2019 iPhones come with the necessary hardware, but Apple disabled the functionality in iOS. If true, Apple could activate the feature for iPhone 11 owners at a later date.
Two-way or bilateral wireless charging would allow you to charge certain devices — including other smartphones — by placing them down on the back of your iPhone.
A number of reliable sources predicted the iPhone 11 lineup would include this functionality this year. But Apple’s big iPhone 11 keynote came and went without any mention of reverse wireless charging earlier this week.
That doesn’t necessarily mean we must wait for next year’s iPhone refresh for two-way wireless charging, though.
Two-way wireless charging on its way to iPhone 11?
Tipster Sonny Dickson, citing “reliable sources,” reports that iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max do feature the hardware required for two-way wireless charging. For some reason, Apple did enabled it yet, Dickson says.
Reliable sources are saying iPhone 11 and 11 Pro do include the hardware for bilateral charging, but that it is software disabled. Uncertain whether this was removed prior to final production run.
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) September 13, 2019
If this claim is accurate, it suggests Apple could enable the feature with a software update at a later date. But why isn’t it already active?
Why would Apple disable two-way charging?
It’s not clear why or when two-way wireless charging may have been deactivated. Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently suggested the “efficiency may not meet Apple’s requirements.”
If that’s the case, Apple could iron out the kinks and deliver two-way wireless charging in a future software update. Here’s to hoping we don’t see another AirPower fiasco. (Apple totally failed to launch the wireless charging mat after showcasing it during an Apple event.)
We won’t know for sure if two-way charging is possible on the 2019 iPhone lineup until the new handsets start shipping and get torn apart by the likes of iFixit. So don’t get your hopes up just yet.
