14 DAY TRIAL // Rumor has it that Apple will launch three different iPhone models this year, one with an OLED screen (presumably called iPhone 8) and two similar to the existing generation that would be marketed as iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Out of these three models, the iPhone 8 will be the one featuring the biggest number of upgrades, with Apple planning a fingerprint sensor under the screen, a facial recognition system, no bezels, and wireless charging.
But as far as the new wireless charging system is concerned, the CEO of Wistron, which is Apple's number one partner in Taiwan, says it's possible that other iPhones could get it too, along with waterproofing, which is already available on the existing iPhone models.
“Assembly process for the previous generations of [iPhones] have not changed much, though new features like waterproof and wireless charging now require some different testing, and waterproof function will alter the assembly process a bit,” Wistron CEO, Robert Hwang, was quoted as saying.
Interestingly, previous analyst notes indicated that Wistron and Foxconn would both be responsible for iPhone 7s Plus manufacturing, and if this is indeed accurate, there's a good chance that only the bigger model gets the new wireless charging and enhanced waterproofing.
Samsung launched wireless charging in 2013
In other words, Apple could leave the 4.7-inch iPhone behind by making some features exclusive to the bigger, so customers buying the iPhone 7s wouldn't get a dual-camera configuration, wireless charging, and possibly other features.
On the other hand, while the Apple community might see the addition of a wireless charging system as a major upgrade to their devices, such a feature has been around for years in the Android ecosystem.
Samsung, which is currently the number one Apple rival, introduced wireless charging in 2013 on the Galaxy S4 model on specific variants with a dedicated wireless charging kit.
Furthermore, all buyers were allowed to add wireless charging to their phones by manually installing the kit under the battery cover, while starting with models that no longer featured a removable battery, wireless charging was offered as built-in feature on Samsung models.
Apple was also believed to be working on a more advanced wireless charging that would work across the room, but at this point it looks like the company is actually going for a more conventional method that relies on a charging plate just like Samsung's models.