Samsung has already indicated that it will include wireless charging in the Galaxy S6, and Apple is now expected to follow suit with the iPhone 7. According to some recent job listings picked up on by the media, Apple is already developing a strong interest in wireless charging technologies for its next generation smartphones.
We already had some indication that this was the case, as Apple applied for, and had approved, a patent for wireless charging technology sometime ago. Apple apply for so many patents that it is always difficult to know when or whether the indicated technology will hit the market, but it seemed inevitable in the case of wireless charging.
iPhone 7 – wireless charging
This is obviously a feature that would be greatly welcomed by fans of Apple devices, particularly as the corporation has been criticized in recent years for delivering mobiles with poor battery life. If Apple can deliver a double-whammy of an iPhone 7 with improved battery life and wireless charging, then the convenience and user-friendliness of the device will obviously be vastly improved.
Therefore, it is interesting to note that Apple is hiring for a Santa Clara-based Senior Wireless Charging Design Engineer according to the Motley Fool. This position is clearly intended to aid the corporation in producing new power management technologies. Unquestionably, power remains an incredibly important aspect of modern smartphones, and Apple clearly intends to address this issue when it releases future iPhones.
iPhone 7 – scheduling alteration
However, it is also worth remembering that Apple’s project schedule has been mooted to have altered recently. Many analysts originally expected the iPhone 7 in March this year, but recent reports have indicated that Apple will first release an iPhone 6s update in 2015. This is expected to build on the popularity of the existing iPhone 6, and provide a spec boost to the device ahead of a more revolutionary iPhone 7 in 2016.
So whether Apple would choose to include this wireless charging technology in the next iPhone it releases is actually debatable. It could be reserved for the iPhone 7, and it looks increasingly likely that this will not be the next iPhone released by Apple. However, reports have emanated this week which suggest that Apple will include wireless charging in the iPhone 6s. And it is obvious that the consumer electronics giant will want this to be a hugely successful device.
Galaxy S6 wireless charging
Therefore, it is necessary for Apple to respond directly to Samsung, which has been strongly promoting the fast charging feature of the Galaxy S6 which enables four hours of battery life to be achieved through 10 minutes of direct charging. Additionally, with the Galaxy S6 having included wireless charging for the first time in the history of the Galaxy S range, there will be pressure on Apple to respond in 2015.
But there are other factors which suggest that Apple could indeed stall wireless charging until the iPhone 7 in 2016. Firstly, when Apple released the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s, both devices retained the basic physical design of the preceding iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. This would suggest that Apple will do the same with the iPhone 6s, which raises logistical questions about wireless charging in this device.
Wireless charging circuits are extremely slim, but they would still add to the overall thickness of the design of the iPhone. This would seem to suggest that it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to cram wireless charging technology into the existing iPhone design. So obviously something has got to give.
Wireless charging timescale issues
Additionally, timescale could be a major issue. The overwhelming likelihood is that both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have probably been designed internally already by Apple, or are at least very close to being completed. The small-scale beta production run which usually precedes major smartphone releases is possibly imminent, and this also suggest that Apple would certainly be putting huge pressure on itself to include wireless charging in the iPhone 6S at this stage.
Nonetheless, it will be encouraging for many Apple fans and smartphone users in general that Apple is clearly intending to embrace this technology. The idea of placing a smartphone on a desk and having it recharge without having to bother with plugging it into the mains electricity will appeal to the more lazy among us! Ultimately, smartphones have always been about convenience, and delivering a wireless charging capability will be extremely invaluable for Apple, as it obviously enhances the convenience of the iPhone series.
As mentioned previously, Apple has also struggled with the battery life of its mobile devices, and there is no doubt that wireless charging would be an extremely popular inclusion in the range. Apple fans will have to wait a few months to find out whether it arrives with the iPhone 6s, but it is possibly more likely that it will emerge with the iPhone 7 in 2016.
