Apple has shown interest in long-distance wireless charging technology every now and then. Now Fast Company suggests that Apple supplier Dialog has entered into a partnership with a leader in wireless charging: Energous.
Dialog and Energous to impact Apple
Apple is expected to bring wireless charging technology to its 2017 iPhone (the iPhone 8). And the rumor gets more strength by the Dialog and Energous partnership.
Fast Company says, “As much as three-quarters of Dialog’s business is with Apple,” suggesting that the investment will impact the iPhone maker.
In a statement, Energous CEO Steve Rizzone said that the company will transfer its entire silicon operations to Dialog. Rizzone said that going forward, all the Energous technology will be sold under the brand name Dialog, and it will take about 90 days to do that.
Enrgous has developed Wattup RF, which offers wire-free charging technology. The technology can charge devices from up to 15 feet away with the help of a transmitter and receiver setup, notes 9to5 Mac.
Earlier this year, it was speculated that Apple would partner directly with Energous on wireless charging technology, based on SEC filings. Energous, however, denied any such partnership attributing the filing to regulatory requirement to “blankets any future anticipated testing.”
Apple is Dialog’s biggest client, and therefore, the iPhone maker stands to get a major benefit from the Dialog-Energous partnership. Also it would have been tough for Energous to sell technology to Apple on its own, but with Dialog’s backing, it can pitch its products to the U.S. firm, notes 9to5 Mac.
To become an Apple supplier, a company should have a fairly large-scale business. Additionally, any company has to understand the specific demands of the iPhone maker and the way it negotiates.
Radiative charging for iPhone 8?
The Cupertino-based company has outperformed rival Samsung in major areas. However, it is still to turn wireless charging of iPhones into reality. Samsung, on the other hand, offered wireless charging for its devices, but that technology has become old news now. So the U.S. firm will have to come up with something new
Apple could concentrate on long-range wireless charging (also called radiative charging), which Energous is developing. Radiative charging will offer state-of-the-art wireless charging, but currently, it is facing some shortcomings such as sharp drop-offs in power transfer, delivering unstable and inconsistent charge times. Apple is said to be working on a bespoke solution on its end and has apparently hired a couple of specialists from uBeam, according to Apple Insider.
