Apple has a major change in store for the iPhone 15 when it comes to charging. That’s because Apple is all but guaranteed to change the charging port for the first time since the iPhone 5. Switching from Lightning to USB-C might not be the only charging change in store, however.
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In a left-field rumor, EverythingApplePro is reporting that Chinese accessory manufacturers believe that the iPhone 12 will include an intriguing new set of internal magnets.
The iPad Pro is packed full of magnets that aids attachment of the Magic Keyboard. For the iPhone 12, the utility is not immediately clear. As the new ring of magnets is positioned in the chassis in the same place as the wireless charging coil, it is speculated that Apple might be working on a new wireless charging mat to which the iPhone 12 could automatically snap.
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Wireless CarPlay is still rare in 2020, so it’s always great news to see new cars offer the premium version of Apple’s infotainment feature. As 9to5Mac‘s sister site Electrek reports, Chevy’s new car of the future will be equipped with Wireless CarPlay and more modern features not widely available in new cars.
Update: Wireless CarPlay unfortunately did not make release for the 2021 model as originally planned. Customers can expect wired CarPlay in the 2021 model, and wireless CarPlay in the 2022 model.
Scosche’s BaseLynx modular charger offers a compelling solution to create the exact wireless and wired charging setup you need for your pretty much all your Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and even MacBooks. Read on for our full review of BaseLynx that lets you charge over ten devices at once and easily reconfigure the setup at any time.
A wireless phone charger isn’t the most obvious product from a company best-known for SD cards. But the SanDisk iXpand isn’t just a dumb charger: it also backs up your iPhone’s photos, videos, and contacts.
You might still question the product. After all, iCloud automatically backs up all three things anyway, and you can still do an iTunes backup if you don’t want to fork out for a paid iCloud storage tier. My own view, though, is you can never have too many backups — especially fully-automatic ones — and I’ll return to this point in the conclusions…
Since Apple debuted wireless charging support in its iPhones back in 2017, the market for wireless chargers has quickly become crowded. However, options for premium wireless chargers are more limited. Ahead of the launch of Courant’s CATCH:2 today, we’ve been able to spend some time with the slick aluminum and Italian leather-clad dual wireless charger.
TwelveSouth today launched a new accessory for iPhone and AirPods owners: the Twelve South HiRise Wireless. It’s the latest incarnation of their popular HiRise vertical stand.
The vertical stand features a Qi charging pad, holding your phone upright on your desk whilst it wirelessly charges. The Qi ‘Power Disc’ is independent and can be removed from the stand if you want to take it without you on-the-go to charge your iPhone or AirPods.
Along with its recently launched AirPods 2, Apple also released a standalone Wireless Charging Case for the AirPods. The Wireless Charging Case is an $80 accessory that works with both the first and second-generation versions of Apple’s wireless earbuds.
If you own a set of first-gen AirPods, should you consider forking over more money for the privilege of wireless charging? Watch our brief hands-on video review for the details.
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With the current state of the Apple AirPods still uncertain, the HyperJuice Wireless Charger adapter presents an alternative method that lets your wirelessly charge AirPods. Yes, indeed, it’s a wireless charging case for your charging case. Absurd? Slightly, but nonetheless, it may prove to be convenient for those that have gone all in on wireless charging.
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Tesla is launching a new product today: the ‘Tesla Wireless Charger’.
Surprisingly, the product is not for your Tesla vehicle, but for your smartphone.
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After the iPhone 8 and X launched with a 5W maximum for wireless charging, Apple upped that to 7.5W shortly after with the release of iOS 11.2. However, a new report today claims that a change in the wireless charging coil in a least one of the 2018 iPhones will allow Apple to move toward 15W.
There are a wide selection of wireless chargers out there for your iPhone. They come in all different shapes and sizes to fit different tastes and uses. And one potentially untapped market when it comes to wireless charging for your iPhone, is compact, on-the-go charging.
Native Union is best known for making tech accessories that feature stand out designs with a dash of fashion. Its latest product continues that trend by mixing attractive materials and fun patterns with a low profile wireless charging pad for iPhone and Qi-compatible devices. Native Union’s Drop Wireless Charger also happens to compliment the space gray HomePod perfectly…
From 9to5Toys:
One of the interesting tidbits from yesterday’s Apple keynote is that the latest iPhones will support wireless charging for the first time. There are already a number of Qi-approved chargers available for purchase today that will fit the bill. But to no surprise, industry veterans Belkin and Mophie were prepared for yesterday’s announcement with two new wireless charging products.
Both brands will be rolling out these new accessories in Apple stores over the coming weeks as the latest iPhones begin to ship. Coincidentally, each product will be priced at $60 with varying designs.
Powermat charger installed in Starbucks
While all the signs are pointing toward Apple bringing wireless charging to all three of this year’s iPhones, there are still a lot of question marks out there – one of which is compatibility with existing charging kit.
One of the biggest suppliers of wireless charging mats for everything from cars to coffee shops is seeking to offer reassurance there, stating that it plans to support ‘whatever wireless charging protocol Apple employs’ …
With wireless charging rumored to be included in the new iPhone 8 later this year, Reuters has reported new details about the scope of Apple’s focus on wireless charging at the company. Apple already uses inductive wireless charging on the Apple Watch, but Reuters says there are multiple teams at Apple working on the technology.
Apple is rarely the first to adopt a new technology. From smartphones themselves to fingerprint readers, Apple’s usual approach is to sit back and watch what other companies do, then aim to produce a better version some way down the line.
With smartphones, Apple watched other companies launch devices which required a stylus, and then created one that could be used with your finger. With fingerprint readers, Apple looked at ones what required you to roll your finger across an optical reader and then created a far more reliable one-touch capacitive sensor. And so on.
For a long time, it looked like it was doing the same thing with wireless charging – but that now seems in some doubt …
[UPDATE: Apple statement below the fold.]
Long-running rumors that Apple will add wireless charging to the iPhone 8 have been lent additional weight with the news that the company has joined an industry group devoted to wireless power.
Apple is now listed as one of the 213 members of the Wireless Power Consortium. It was not present in a cached version of the page from a week ago …
Potential Apple partner Energous has once again further delayed the release of their wireless charging technology. In a phone call with the CEO today, Energous stated that plans changed after “key strategic partnership” was made. That doesn’t mean wireless charging is down for the count at this year’s CES though. Ossia is set to launch Cota Tile, a ceiling that can deliver wireless power to compatible devices.
WattApp technology allows multiple devices to charge up to 20 feet from a wireless charger
Either way, it seems pretty clear by now that Apple is indeed waiting for either this or some similar long-distance wireless charging tech, and it is absolutely right to do so.
When I wrote a wish-list for the iPhone 7 back in November of last year, there were five items on it. Apple delivered three of them. But a number of you wondered why wireless charging wasn’t on my list, and I wrote a follow-up piece explaining my reasoning. The tl;dr version is that Apple should hold fire until wireless charging can be done properly – and I pointed directly to the WattUp tech developed by Energous as an example of how to do it right …
According to a new report out of Bloomberg, Apple is working to develop wireless charging technology that could make its way into an iPhone by 2017. The report claims that Apple is working in conjunction with partners in the United States and Asia to develop the technology. The technology is said to allow iPhones and iPads to be powered from further away than current charging mat and inductive solutions allow.
We’re still a while away from the launch of the iPhone 7, but rumors have been running rampant recently concerning the design and features of Apple’s next flagship device. Fast Company has now published a new report in which it corroborates many earlier rumors regarding the iPhone 7, as well as offering up a few more details and tidbits.
There are absolutely no shortage of battery case offerings for iPhone 6. Even though we’ve covered the best iPhone battery cases here, it’s sometimes overwhelming sorting through them all. The real winners are the ones with maximum battery capacity and some extra features to spice things up. Recently, I came across Dyconn’s i6 Power Case and was pleasantly surprised to find that it fits most of what I was looking for, but is it enough? Well, not only does this case pack a 3,200 mAh battery inside, it also features wireless charging. It’s not a must-have feature, but I sure do appreciate the convenience…
As a founding member of the Wires Are Evil club, I’ve been waiting impatiently for wide-area wireless charging, where any device on a desk or within a certain area of a room is wirelessly charged. That still seems a way off yet.
A good halfway house would be inductive charging powerful enough to work through the thickness of a desk, so your charging pads sit out of sight on the underside of the desk and your devices charge as soon as you put them down on the right place on the desk. Sadly today’s wireless charging standards are too weedy to work through even the thinnest of desks.
If you want wireless charging today, then, you’re going to have to have a visible wire to a charging pad, and place your device on that. Apple has so far limited wireless charging to the Apple Watch, but if you want it for your iPhone, you can buy a wireless charging case that allows you to use any compatible wireless charging pad. We’ve reviewed a number of these over the years, and I thought it was about time to try one for the iPhone 6 …