Apple is anticipated to unleash its 10th anniversary edition of the iPhone — dubbed the iPhone 8 — in the second half of 2017. Rumors related to the smartphone have been emerging online and the latest buzz pertains to the alleged wireless charging technology the handset will support.
According to a new report, Apple is eyeing the implementation of a new module into the next-gen iPhone.
"The company is supposedly looking to implement some sort of module into the iPhone 8 that will connect to a transmitter that gets plugged into a wall outlet. This setup will then allow the iPhone 8 to charge as long as it's within 15 feet of the transmitter, and if this turns out to be true, it could easily be the best method of wireless charging that we've seen yet," reports PhoneArena.
Apple is reportedly working in tandem with Energous for the new technology. Energous has affirmed in the past that was collaborating with a "tier 1 manufacturer" in the smartphone space, and experts assumed the company to be Apple.
In January this year, we brought to light that the wireless charging technology Apple was preparing was far superior than the traditional charging mats available. Rumors suggested that the company was working with its partners in Asia and the United States to make the wireless tech a reality in 2017.
Earlier in February, we reported that Apple was possibly partnering with Energous, the company behind WattUp, an upcoming wireless charging tech that deploys radio frequencies. This tech could potentially enable people to charge their devices even when they would be several feet away from the charging point.
In October we shared that Apple was testing the wireless technology at Foxconn. Now the grapevine reveals that Energous has supposedly received $10 million in funding from Dialog Semiconductor, whose top customer is none other than Apple, accounting for almost 70 percent of the latter's sales.
How Will The Tech Work?
The WattUp system basically uses a Power Router, which uses radio frequency signals to emanate energy. This signal is transformed into power, which is able to charge batteries that have a WattUp receiver, the possible chip in the iPhone.
You simply have a designated charging point or base station and put the iPhone anywhere within a perimeter of 15 feet. A small chip on the iPhone would connect wirelessly to the base station and begin to charge the device's battery.
How Will It Be Useful?
If such a tech saw the light of day, then one could possibly be in the kitchen and still charge their iPhone from the charging point located in the living area, which was a maximum of 15 feet away.
Moreover, one would potentially be able to charge multiple compatible iDevices simultaneously — up to 12 thanks to this tech.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
