Apple iPhone 15 Could Boast Brilliant Feature, New Leak Hints

Forbes Innovation Consumer Tech Apple iPhone 15 Could Boast Brilliant Feature, New Leak Hints David Phelan Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about lifestyle tech Following Feb 12, 2023, 12:03pm EST | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: will the Apple logo on the iPhone 15 Pro be the source of reverse wireless . .

. [+] charging? David Phelan Unlike many Android phones, iPhones don’t have full-service reverse wireless charging. Yet.

But a new report, exclusive to 9to5Mac , suggests that Apple is still working on it, so it’s likely to arrive in a future iPhone. Since it was planned for the iPhone 14 series, but the deadline was missed, I’m hopeful that it could be sorted in time for this year’s iPhone 15 series—read on for why I think it’s likely. MORE FROM FORBES Apple HomePod 2nd Generation (2023) Review: Familiar Looks, Stunning Sound By David Phelan What is reverse wireless charging? Reverse wireless charging, in case you don’t know, is a highly convenient feature, something with a dash of generosity at its heart.

First brought to mainstream by Huawei, it means that you can charge a device from another device. For instance, you could place wireless-chargeable earbuds on the back of your phone and the earbuds would charge. Or, and here’s where the generosity comes in, help out a friend whose phone is almost flat by placing it against yours to share some of your battery charge to theirs.

The missed deadline The extensive report details how sources familiar with what’s going on have said that the feature “had hoped to debut the feature with the iPhone 14 Pro” but it didn’t transpire. But it looks like Apple hasn’t given up on it, with those sources saying that “Apple is continuing to work on more advanced bilateral wireless charging technology for the iPhone”. MORE FOR YOU Why The Rock’s Social Media Muscle Made Him Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actor New York State Drops Face Mask Requirements For Hospitals, Health Care Facilities ‘Unmarketable’ Kyle Busch, RCR Have Plenty Of Sponsors As NASCAR Daytona 500 Starts New Season More advanced, you say? Yes, you see there is already some wireless charging in the iPhone.

The iPhone 12, FCC filings revealed, had capabilities built in for reverse wireless charging, but the feature was never activated. Except that it was, in one specific case: the MagSafe Battery Pack. If you have the battery pack, it charges the iPhone wirelessly in the normal way (that is, not the reverse direction).

However, if you plug your iPhone in to the Lightning cable, and then attach the battery pack to the iPhone, the phone charges the battery. That’s reverse wireless charging, though Apple never referred to it as such, and it was very limited. Full-on charging would mean you could pop your AirPods Pro, for instance, on to the Apple logo on an upcoming iPhone and the buds will charge there.

Or two compatible iPhones could be placed back to back (at 90 degrees to each other, probably) so one could charge the other. So, why this year? If the rumors are right that the intention was to include this feature on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, it seems likely to me that missing that deadline puts Apple in a strong position to include it in the iPhone 15 Pro, for instance. The presence of limited reverse wireless charging in the MagSafe battery pack shows the technology is getting close.

Even so, something could hold it back. Which would be what? Thermal concerns are always key in issues like this, so Apple needs to ensure there’s no worry about overheating, for instance. And the efficiency of the charging will likely be a part of it, too.

Even so, I’m quietly confident that 2023 could be the year Apple introduces reverse wireless charging, for the iPhone 15 Pro. MORE FROM FORBES Apple Watch Ultra 2: New Leak Claims Dramatic Price Jolt By David Phelan David Phelan Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.