14 DAY TRIAL // Apple wants the next iPhone to be a total overhaul of the existing generation because it marks the 10th anniversary of the device, and it turns out that the company is planning significant upgrades not only in terms of looks but also as far as features as concerned.
One of the under-the-hood additions could be wireless charging, as Foxconn has reportedly started testing modules for Apple that could end up being used on the next-year iPhone.
A final decision is yet to be made and Foxconn is only working with Apple to determine whether wireless charging could be offered on the next-generation iPhone, as the two companies are trying to find out if installing such a module impacts the manufacturing process and the final costs.
What’s interesting, however, is that Apple might not offer wireless charging on all models that will be part of the iPhone 8 series, but only on select versions, Nikkei writes. This is most likely a hint that only the Plus could have it, as Apple is working to make the bigger iPhone a more compelling product with exclusive features that aren’t offered on the smaller model.
Apple and wireless charging tech
Offering wireless charging on the iPhone is harder for Apple, mostly because Cupertino isn’t willing to go for a traditional approach that’s already available on Android devices, but for a more advanced system that would provide several substantial advantages.
For example, information that leaked to the web in the last couple of years indicated that Apple was working on a long-range wireless charging system that would allow owners of its devices to charge them anywhere within the close proximity of the transmitter.
This means that an iPhone could be recharged without an actual charging pad, but by simply keeping it close to a transmitter that offers recharging functions within a specific range.
Apple is already offering inductive charging for the Apple Watch, but this system is very unlikely to be expanded to the iPhone, especially because the company is looking for a breaking technology that would make sense on a model celebrating the 10th anniversary of its flagship product.
For the moment, however, Cupertino is only considering the idea of bringing wireless charging on the next iPhone and everything can change before the actual manufacturing process starts.