You might never have to plug a charging cable into your iPhone again.
Foxconn, the Chinese manufacturing company that builds electronics including the iPhone, is reportedly testing wireless charging modules that might make it into next year's iPhone 8, according to a report from the Nikkei Asian Review.
SEE ALSO:iPhone 8 sounds like it'll share design similarities with the iPhone 4Whether the iPhone 8 actually gets wireless charging will depend on the yield rates of the modules, a source told the Nikkei. Poor yield rates could push Apple to scrap the feature.
Prior to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch, the company was widely expected to use new displays made out of more scratch-resistant sapphire glass. But poor yield rates from sapphire glass producer GT Advanced Technologies forced Apple to ditch it for "ion-strengthened" glass.
And prior to the iPhone 7 launch, there were various leaks showing an iPhone 7 Plus model with a smart connector (much like the one on the iPad Pros) on the backside. Of course, that model never materialized.
Poor yield rates could push Apple to scrap the feature.
Low yield rates could also corner Apple into including the feature only on a high-end model, much like the dual cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus.
It's also not the first time we've heard of the iPhone 8 getting wireless charging. Back in January, a Bloombergreport claimed Apple was working on truewireless charging technology that works over a distance. Meaning an iPhone wouldn't need to be placed on a charging pad, which is then plugged into an outlet.
It's not a completely farfetched idea. Apple already has a few patents for such wireless charging tech, although implementation is challenging. And the Apple Watch already has wireless charging, although it works via MagSafe and not over a distance.
Adding wireless charging would also appease users who lament the removal of the headphone jack as they'd be able to wirelessly charge andplug in Lightning headphones at the same time.
Furthermore, wireless charging would resolve the whole "iPhone 7's included Lightning cable doesn't work with the new MacBook Pros" issue that's been irritating some customers.
Next year's iPhone marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, and Apple is reportedly planning a major overhaul. The iPhone 8 is expected to have a refreshed design that might lose the bezels, integrate the Touch ID sensor underneath the screen, and sport an OLED display.
It's still way too soon to be talking iPhone 8 rumors, so I'll just leave you with some things that are guaranteed to be true, as outlined by my former colleague Christina Warren:
It will be Apple's fastest iPhone ever.
It will have Apple's most advanced optics.
There will be at least one extra feature you can't get on any other iPhone.
It will come in rose gold.
TopicsAppleiPhone
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