Over the years, Apple has appeared to be “slow” when it comes to adopting certain features and technology in their products. For example it took Apple a couple of iPhone generations before front-facing cameras were included, or before LTE was available in the iPhone, and just recently with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Apple has finally brought water-resistance to the table.
So what’s next for Apple? We have heard how Apple could be seriously considering wireless charging, and thanks to a recently discovered patent by Patently Apple (via MacRumors), it would seem that Apple’s plans for wireless charging are still very much alive and well, although interestingly enough the patent isn’t specifically about wireless charging.
The patent in question talks about polishing techniques for cylindrical/contoured surfaces, but as Patently Apple has discovered, it also mentions a way for creating a space to include an inductive charging coil in said surface, which in turn could allow for wireless charging, although from what it sounds like, this isn’t really the revolutionary wireless charging tech we have been hearing about.
Most wireless chargers still require users to lay their devices on a surface that will then charge their phones. Granted there is no need to plug your phone in, but given that you need to lay your phone on a surface isn’t quite as wireless as you might think. We have seen Apple file patents for wireless charging that uses magnetic resonance/radio waves which sounds a lot more convenient.
In any case since this is a patent, there is no guarantee that what we see will be implemented, but if anything it sounds like Apple’s interest in wireless charging is still very much alive and well.
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