wireless charging - page 5

You’ll have to pay extra to enjoy iPhone 8’s wireless charging

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iPhone 8 wireless charging
We may have to wait for an update to activate wireless charging.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone 8 will finally bring wireless charging, according to one reliable analyst — but you’ll have to pay extra to enjoy it.

Although Qi charging technology is expected to be baked into every model as standard, iPhone 8 will not ship with the required charging pad.

The future of the iPhone

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wearable iPhone concept
Will a future iPhone replace your Apple Watch?
Photo: ConceptsiPhone

iPhone turns 10 The iPhone’s success has been nothing short of spectacular. With more than 1 billion units sold as of June 2016, rival consumer electronics companies can only dream of building a product that popular.

It’s not easy to foresee how the iPhone will evolve in the future. Some things are obvious — like faster processors, more advanced cameras, and even better displays — but we must look beyond these to get a sense of Apple’s biggest ambitions. Here’s some of the many ways the iPhone might get better, stronger and faster in the next 10 years.

Hidden sound in iOS 11 hints at new charging for iPhone 8

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iOS 11 dark mode
iOS 11 has a lot of secret features.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A new sound file hidden inside iOS 11 may hint at a major new feature coming to the iPhone 8 later this year.

Early rumors claim Apple’s next smartphone will pack inductive charging capabilities when it debuts in the fall. Now it looks like iOS 11 may have confirmed the feature with a new sound file called “engage_power.caf” that’s not being used at all.

Leaked dummy unit provides new look at iPhone 8

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iPhone 8 dummy
Is this our best look yet at the iPhone 8?
Photo: Benjamin Geskin

An iPhone 8 “dummy unit” made from leaked parts give us an early glimpse at what Apple’s next big upgrade might look like.

Its form is similar to that of recent handsets like the iPhone 7, but with a larger edge-to-edge display that will help it compete with rivals like the Galaxy S8.

‘Leaked’ iPhone 8 parts reveal big design changes

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Photos of alleged glass panels for the iPhone 8, 7s and 7s Plus.
Photos of alleged glass panels for the iPhone 8, 7s and 7s Plus.
Photo: Reddit

The internet might have just gotten its first real look at the iPhone 8, in the form of “leaked” component photos that offer hints at the possible new design of the highly anticipated device.

Pictures that allegedly show the iPhone 8’s front and rear glass panels got posted online today by a person who claims the parts come from a source in China. While we can’t verify the authenticity of the images, they look legit — and they line up with rumors regarding big changes coming to the iPhone 8.

Take a closer look at the iPhone 8 front and rear panels:

Warren Buffett stays high on Apple despite iPhone slump

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Buffett
Warren Buffet is Apple's biggest investor.
Photo: CNBC

Apple’s big pause in iPhone sales leading up to this year’s new models isn’t worrying one of the company’s biggest investors.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett says he loves what Apple is doing with its buyback program for investors and even though sales are slow, the stock is still a great buy.

Leaked iPhone 8 schematic reveals dual-lens front camera and more

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iphone
We hope the next iPhone is this beautiful.
Photo: AlHasan Husni

Another alleged iPhone 8 schematic has leaked out of China, providing new details about Apple’s upcoming handset — including the tech behind its wireless charging capability.

The supposed iPhone 8 drawing surfaced on Weibo today. Unlike the last two schematics that leaked, this one includes detailed labeling of each part, revealing a dual-lens camera in the front and wireless charging in the back.

‘Leaked’ iPhone 8 schematic reveals mysterious circle on back

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The big circle in the back might be for wireless charging.
The big circle in the back might be for wireless charging.
Photo: KKSneakLeaks

The Apple rumor mill has churned out yet another alleged schematic for the upcoming iPhone 8, only this time the drawing doesn’t depict a Touch ID sensor in the back.

In the iPhone 8 drawing that surfaced today, Apple appears to have made some big changes — including adding a big area in the back for wireless charging. According to one leaker, the feature would require iPhone 8 owners to keep the device on a charging pad to get juice.

Powermat backs off claim that next iPhone will get wireless charging

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iPhone wireless charging
2017 will be the year iPhone gets wireless charging.
Photo: Ivo Marić and Tomislav Rastovac

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a response from Powermat Technlogies.

One of the most heavily rumored features of the next iPhone was seemingly confirmed by a wireless charging accessory maker before being quickly disavowed. In a press release sent out today for something not even related to Apple, Powermat Technologies CEO Elad Dubzinski claimed wireless charging would become a “standard feature” in the 2017 iPhone lineup.

When contacted by Cult of Mac, Powermat said, basically, that the company doesn’t know what it’s talking about. “It’s all speculation at this point,” a Powermat rep said. “We have no inside information. Sorry to mislead.”

Touch ID moves to the back in new iPhone 8 renderings

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iPhone 8 rear shell mockup.
iPhone 8 rear shell mockup.
Photo: Weibo

Apple may make the surprising move of relocating the Touch ID button to the back of the iPhone this year, but based on renderings of a leaked schematic, it wouldn’t look that bad.

Several renders, based on the supposed iPhone 8 schematic that hit the internet this week, show what the device’s rear shell might look like during production. It’s not a photo of the real iPhone shell, but for now this is as close to the real deal as we’re going to get.

Here’s another angle:

Everything we think we know about the iPhone 8

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iPhone 8 concept
Same size as the iPhone 7, but with a bigger screen.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Thanks to a bevy of leaks that flooded the internet this week, we know more about the iPhone 8 than ever before. Even if only half the rumors turn out to be true, this year’s iPhone is set to be the most innovative device Apple has made in years.

Here’s what we know so far.

All 2017 iPhones may pack 3GB of RAM and faster charging

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iPhone 8 concept
Same size as the iPhone 7, but with a bigger screen.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Charging your iPhone is about to get a lot faster in 2017, according to a new report that also claims Apple plans to add 3GB of RAM to all three of its new iPhone models this year.

In a research note sent to investors, Wall Street firm Cowen and Company contradicts previous rumors that claimed only Apple’s high-end iPhone 8 would get the RAM boost. If true, the new memory chips should make the iPhone speedier than ever.

Cool iPhone 8 concept imagines iOS without a Home button

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iphone 8 concept
This is what the iPhone might look like without a home button.
Photo: MacCityNet

Apple is expected to ditch the Home button with the iPhone 8, but that could create some new problems, like, “How will you get back to the Home screen?”

Switching between apps wouldn’t be the same without a Home button to click. An interesting new iPhone 8 concept out of Italy explores how changes within iOS could provide a seamless experience if Apple removes the only navigation button on the iPhone.

Check it out:

iPhone 8 may not be as expensive as predicted

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iPhone 8 concept
Apple is already driving an OLED boom.
Photo: iDropNews

The next iPhone Apple unveils may not prove as expensive as some have speculated, according to a new research note from investment firm UBS.

Early rumors for the iPhone 8 claimed it will cost upward of $1,000. However, UBS analyst Steve Milunovich says the real price tag will most likely be a lot less than that. And fans might have Samsung to thank.

Our hardware predictions for Apple’s rumored March event, this week on The CultCast

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New Apple hardware in March on The CultCast
New Apple hardware in March? Reports say yes, indeed.
Image: Erfon Elijah/Cult of Mac

This week on The CultCast: It’s been five years of CultCasts! We’ll regale you with some of our favorite stories from past shows. Plus: Our hardware expectations from Apple’s rumored March event; why iPhone 8’s wireless charging will probably be lame; Apple has five teams working on next-generation charging tech; why iPhone 8’s camera could pump out industrial-grade slow motion; and Steve Jobs gets a beautiful new home on Apple’s new spaceship campus.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code “CultCast” at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.

Big battery could be a huge draw for iPhone 8 upgraders

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The iPhone 8 won't be cheap.
A battery boost could be a big draw for iPhone 8.
Photo: iDropNews

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty is predicting big things for iPhone 8 sales once Apple finally unveils the device this fall.

In her latest research note to clients, the Wall Street analyst predicts that the edge-to-edge OLED display and longer battery life on the iPhone 8 will accelerate upgrades from customers with iPhones that are two years old or older.

Apple has five different teams working on wireless charging

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iPhone 8 wireless charging
iPhone wireless charging is likely to arrive this year.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple may be likely to adopt the popular Qi standard when it brings wireless charging to this year’s iPhone, but it seems that Apple isn’t abandoning reports that it could use a proprietary alternative solution.

According to a new report, the company currently has not one or two, but five different groups inside Apple currently working to develop wireless charging technology for future iPhones.

iPhone 8’s wireless charging won’t be as good as we hoped

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iPhone 8 wireless charging
iPhone 8 will have wireless charging, but it won't be special.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you were hoping Apple had developed a spectacular new wireless charging system for iPhone 8, you’re going to be disappointed come September.

The latest rumor claims that Apple won’t be using range charging technology developed by Energous as previously expected, but instead one of the existing solutions already found in rival smartphones like those made by Samsung.

The big changes coming to iPhone 8, this week on The CultCast

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According to new reports, iPhone 8 is getting the big changes you've been waiting for.
According to new reports, iPhone 8 is getting the big changes you've been waiting for.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

This week on The CultCast: According to new reports, the iPhone 8 will get a huge makeover with an edge-to-edge screen, wireless charging, a huge battery and more. We’ll tell you everything we know. Plus: A 4K Apple TV is on the way; our favorite TV shows from days of yore; and the search for the perfect corn dog.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.

Get wireless charging early with this iPhone 7 case

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iPhone-7-wireless-charging
ZENS is compatible with any Qi charging pad.
Photo: ZENS

Why wait for Apple to bring wireless charging to the iPhone when you can add it yourself?

ZENS is an iPhone 7 case that adds Qi charging capabilities, allowing it to be used with almost any wireless charging pad. It’s also slim and protective, and it comes bundled with a wireless charger for under $60.

Glass iPhone 8 redesign will only be available on larger-size models

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iPhone8
Don't expect to get the new glass enclosure on Apple's smaller iPhones.
Photo: Imran Taylor

Size won’t be the only thing separating Apple’s next-gen 4.7-, 5.5-, and 5.8-inch iPhones, claims a new report.

According to sources in Apple’s supply chain, the rumored glass exterior form factor will only be available on the larger of Apple’s new iPhones. The smaller sized iPhone will meanwhile continue using an aluminum-alloy chassis, while the mid-sized 5.5-inch iPhone (the current iPhone Plus size) has yet to be determined.

Our iPhone 8 mockup brings every gorgeous rumor to life

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ceramic iPhone
A ceramic iPhone would look spectacular.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s the iPhone’s tenth anniversary this year, which means there’s no chance Apple is going to deliver another incremental upgrade with an all too familiar design. We’re expecting big things from the so-called iPhone 8 — including a complete face-lift.

Here are our gorgeous concepts for the iPhone 8 based on everything we know so far.