Ahead of the 2017 iPhone announcement, there were rumors suggesting that Apple was working on including wireless charging into the handsets. Many believed that Apple could introduce “true” wireless charging that would not require a charging mat, but unfortunately that was not the reality that many woke up to.
Instead it seems that just like many Android devices before it, the new iPhones will use the Qi wireless charging standard. However it seems that Apple could still be working towards a wireless future, thanks to a recent acquisition of a New Zealand company called PowerbyProxi that specializes in wireless charging.
The acquisition was confirmed by Apple’s SVP of Hardware Dan Riccio who said that the “team will be a great addition as Apple works to create a wireless future”. He adds, “We want to bring truly effortless charging to more places and more customers around the world.” Unsurprisingly additional details like what Apple plans to do with the company or how much it was acquired for was not shared.
So far the majority of wireless charging involves the use of charging pads, which in some ways can be a bit more restrictive compared to cables, since picking up the phone to reply messages or answer calls will halt the charging process. There have been a few companies that have been working on “true” wireless charging, but so far we haven’t really seen any released to the market yet.
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