Wireless charging may be finally coming to the iPhone, according to a report on DigiTimes.
The Taiwanese based publication claims that according to their sources, Samsung and Apple could add the wireless charging feature to their smartphones as early as 2013.
DigiTimes reports:
Samsung is expected to adopt Qi wireless charging technology run by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) for its next flagship model, the Galaxy S IV, the sources indicated. [..]
[..] Apple is likely to adopt the wireless charging technology developed internally, but it remains unknown if the next-generation iPhone will come with built-in wireless charging capability or with other attached accessories, said the sources.
DigiTimes doesn’t expect the wireless charging feature to come built into Samsung Galaxy S4, which is expected to be unveiled next week. The report notes that users will have to buy replacement back covers for their smartphone for the wireless charging feature.
Qi wireless charging technology is the defacto standard currently, but it doesn’t come as a surprise that Apple is working on its own proprietary wireless charging technology.
Frankly, that may not be such as bad thing as the current wireless charging systems for smartphones still need you to be plugged to a wall and you need to place the device on a charging mat or pod. Last year, Apple’s Phil Schiller had explained why iPhone 5 didn’t come with wireless charging:
Schiller notes that the wireless charging systems still have to be plugged into the wall, so it's not clear how much convenience they add. The widely-adopted USB cord, meanwhile, can charge in wall outlets, computers and even on airplanes, he said.
"Having to create another device you have to plug into the wall is actually, for most situations, more complicated," Schiller said.
So it will be interesting to see how Apple incorporates this technology into devices like the iPhone without needing another device. It’s going to be one heck of a challenge given the thickness of the iPhone 5 or lack of it.
But do I want the wireless charging feature? Yes absolutely, I wanted it yesterday.
Via: DigiTimes
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