Wireless charging likely coming to Apple's 'iPhone 8,' but not Energous's long-range solut...

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in iPhone
A new report sheds some doubt on Apple's "iPhone 8" including Energous wireless charging at-range technology, and suggests that it will either use the Qi or the Airfuel protocols.




In a research note provided to AppleInsider, Timothy Arcuri from Cowen and Company believes that wireless charging will make an appearance in the so-called "iPhone 8." However, which solution will be utilized is not clear -- but it probably won't be Energous making an appearance.

One well-developed technology, Qi, utilizes one coil inside a compatible device phone needing rough alignment with a matching coil on a designated pad. The competing Airfuel specification supports a coil as well as magnetic resonance which does not need to be placed in the same proximity, or accuracy, as a device with a Qi coil.

Arcuri notes that there are chip sets and supporting gear intended for mobile devices that support both Qi and Airfuel, with the Galaxy S6 utilizing one such implementation. Additionally, there are already third-party charging case and pad combinations available now for the iPhone.

Energous is likely out

The often-promised Energous technology uses 5GHz radio frequency emissions coupled with beam-forming to deliver power at range. However, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has only approved an a version which delivers very low power only over a few inches.

In January, Energous CEO Steve Rizzone said that the company had signed a deal to put Energous charging solutions in a device from ""one of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world" but declined to say who it was, or what product it would end up in. However, the most recent quote from the CEO is not the first time that a connection with Apple was insinuated, with nothing ultimately developing.

A longer range version of the product has not received FCC approval as the higher power levels would likely violate FCC rules regarding unlicensed transmitters and possibly exceed delivered power regulations as well. Arcuri believes that in its current form, Energous' technology would never be approved by the regulatory agency.

The company is thought to be working on three new iPhones, including two modest "iPhone 7s" upgrades and a flagship "iPhone 8," which other than including wireless charging technology, is rumored to include a 5.2-inch curved OLED display with embedded sensors, and possibly some form of facial recognition technology.
snakyjake
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Shock horror.
    SpamSandwichdoozydozen
  • Reply 2 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    sog35 said:
    These fake wireless charging is useless.

    I'd rather just plug in and get a faster charge. Plus those 'wireless' chargers are HUGE and take up a ton of space.
    Yes Wall St.
    doozydozen
  • Reply 3 of 32
    I'm gonna keep reposting my stance on this as long we're going to keep reposting "wireless" charging articles.

    We don't need wireless charging as a primary charging method. We need solar power supplementation as a way of recharging and extending battery life dramatically. Apple already has the patent for it.
    watto_cobrawaverboy
  • Reply 4 of 32
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    sog35 said:
    These fake wireless charging is useless.

    I'd rather just plug in and get a faster charge. Plus those 'wireless' chargers are HUGE and take up a ton of space. I need to charge 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, and my Airpods. I don't have room with those big charging pads that Samdung uses.
    1) How do you know it will be huge? What in the physics of it says it must huge? Isn't Apple known for making things smaller?

    2) You'll still be able to plug in the device to charge. This isn't an either/or situation so there's no reason to complain about it.

    3) Personally, I look forward to not having to manually line up plugging in or using two hands unplug my phone. even with a weighed dock with a sticky bottom it can still require two hands to keep the dock in place. This can resolve that limitation.
  • Reply 5 of 32
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,884member
    We need solar power supplementation as a way of recharging and extending battery life dramatically. Apple already has the patent for it.
    Solar recharging for a device that is usually kept in a pocket or purse and left out in the open mostly at night?
    SoliStrangeDaysSpamSandwichireland
  • Reply 6 of 32
    tundraboy said:
    We need solar power supplementation as a way of recharging and extending battery life dramatically. Apple already has the patent for it.
    Solar recharging for a device that is usually kept in a pocket or purse and left out in the open mostly at night?
    So these devices are never used? Then what is draining the battery that everyone can't stop complaining about?

    A glass front and back, with dozens of receptors, absorbing natural and artificial light. Virtually every time you pick up and unlock your phone (the only time the battery is draining significantly) it will be recharging. The net result is a battery that could potentially last a LONG time. The potential isn't known. It could be a few more hours, or it could be days, or longer.
    watto_cobrawaverboy
  • Reply 7 of 32
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tundraboy said:
    We need solar power supplementation as a way of recharging and extending battery life dramatically. Apple already has the patent for it.
    Solar recharging for a device that is usually kept in a pocket or purse and left out in the open mostly at night?
    So these devices are never used? Then what is draining the battery that everyone can't stop complaining about?

    A glass front and back, with dozens of receptors, absorbing natural and artificial light. Virtually every time you pick up and unlock your phone (the only time the battery is draining significantly) it will be recharging. The net result is a battery that could potentially last a LONG time. The potential isn't known. It could be a few more hours, or it could be days, or longer.
    He mentioned they are used, but you haven't told us about this new solar invention that will allow limited exposure to the sun to recharge the device about 100x faster than is currently capable. You haven't even considered how a case, how your hand, how being in a building, or being overcast are hurdles that need to be overcome for this vision of yours to work, yet you claim that it would be recharging "virtually every time you pick up […] your phone." Everything says that's it's not feasible to have it charge faster than the power being drawn, so the onus is on you show evidence that this feasible.
    jbdragonJdmr1701
  • Reply 8 of 32
    I'm gonna keep reposting my stance on this as long we're going to keep reposting "wireless" charging articles.

    We don't need wireless charging as a primary charging method. We need solar power supplementation as a way of recharging and extending battery life dramatically. Apple already has the patent for it.
    Solar charging can barely keep up with my wireless keyboard, i'd be shocked if it could add significant power to a handheld computer + display. 
    edited February 2017
  • Reply 9 of 32
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    sog35 said:
    Soli said:
    sog35 said:
    These fake wireless charging is useless.

    I'd rather just plug in and get a faster charge. Plus those 'wireless' chargers are HUGE and take up a ton of space. I need to charge 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, and my Airpods. I don't have room with those big charging pads that Samdung uses.
    1) How do you know it will be huge? What in the physics of it says it must huge? Isn't Apple known for making things smaller?

    2) You'll still be able to plug in the device to charge. This isn't an either/or situation so there's no reason to complain about it.

    3) Personally, I look forward to not having to manually line up plugging in or using two hands unplug my phone. even with a weighed dock with a sticky bottom it can still require two hands to keep the dock in place. This can resolve that limitation.
    Are you willing to sacrifice a faster charge to save 1 second it takes to plug in a charger? I'm not. I have zero problem with plugging in, it takes literally 1 second.
    WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SACRIFICING?! THIS IS NOT AN EITHER/OR SITUATION. YOU DON'T GET AN INDUCTIVE CHARGER ON A PHONE AND THEN HAVE NO PHYSICAL PLUG FOR DATA.
    edited February 2017 gatorguy
  • Reply 10 of 32
    I like the idea of wireless charger for when I'm going in and out of my vehicle.  I either don't plugin at all, or have to constantly plug and unplug my device.  
  • Reply 11 of 32
    sog35 said:
    These fake wireless charging is useless.

    I'd rather just plug in and get a faster charge. Plus those 'wireless' chargers are HUGE and take up a ton of space. I need to charge 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, and my Airpods. I don't have room with those big charging pads that Samdung uses.
    None of your old devices will be able to charge wirelessly and it will be in just iPhone for some time. Everybody can decide to use it or not. To have one or more chargers. It will be convenient for heavy users to have it on work desk to extend battery life.
    edited February 2017 Soli
  • Reply 12 of 32
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    frantisek said:
    sog35 said:
    These fake wireless charging is useless.

    I'd rather just plug in and get a faster charge. Plus those 'wireless' chargers are HUGE and take up a ton of space. I need to charge 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, and my Airpods. I don't have room with those big charging pads that Samdung uses.
    None of your old devices will be able to charge wirelessly and it will be in just iPhone for some time. Everybody can decide to use it or not. To have one or more chargers. It will be convenient for heavy users to have it on work desk to extend battery life.
    With a bit of luck it won't even be a proprietary solution so that if you already have a charging mat for some other device(s) you might be able to use it with your new iPhone too.  Something uniquely Apple and Apple iPhone alone wouldn't be the greatest idea from a user standpoint IMHO. 
    edited February 2017
  • Reply 13 of 32
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    So this long range wireless charging technology is like the 1950s 100mpg carburetors that the auto industry was supposedly keeping on the shelf at the behest of the oil companies. Anybody old enough to remember that conspiracy theory? I am. Magic technology that we’ll never see in the real world because it can’t work in the real world. We already have threads in the Apple Discussion forums with people claiming the Watch causes pain on their wrists from the electronic emanations of the device. People claim sensitivity to WiFi signals and all sorts of unseen electronic actors. Imagine the reaction to actual power being transmitted through the aether. No wonder Tesla was considered an evil wizard by the masses.
    edited February 2017 Soli
  • Reply 14 of 32
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    Long range wireless charging is long way. The current form of technology may not be even approved by FCC due to side effects to human's biology. In fact, current induction method if made efficient/fast charging with charging pods available every where including car than we can live with it for few more years.
    edited February 2017
  • Reply 15 of 32
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    sog35 said:
    These fake wireless charging is useless.

    I'd rather just plug in and get a faster charge. Plus those 'wireless' chargers are HUGE and take up a ton of space. I need to charge 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, and my Airpods. I don't have room with those big charging pads that Samdung uses.
    I agree. For one thing, Wireless charging that's been advertised is NOT wireless. That so much drives me nuts. Even my Apple Watch is not wireless because the last time i checked, the puck is connect to a long cable plugged into the wall. It would be like saying Wifi only worked so long as your phone was sitting on top of the router. Would you call that Wireless? Hell no!!! It's mat charging. I just don't get it. So now I have to clear up space to sit my phone down on and I need a mat for each place I do this,, and those mats are plugged into the wall. How exactly is this wireless? It's really just a different form of a connection. Generally not the most energy efficient. And kind of hard to use your phone and charge it at the same time. Really a Mat is no faster then just using a Dock!!! We already have those. In fact I use the Dock on my iHome Alarm clock my my bed to charge up my phone. Hell I can ever easier change settings on my Alarm clock using my phone. Good luck doing that with a Mat. If I can't walk around a room and have my phone still charging, as that's WIRELESS charging, then there's really not much point in FAKE wireless charging. What's the benefit? If Apple is going to do the same dumb fake wireless charging, I'm just not going to care. That's not going to get me to buy another phone either.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 32
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    Soli said:
    sog35 said:
    These fake wireless charging is useless.

    I'd rather just plug in and get a faster charge. Plus those 'wireless' chargers are HUGE and take up a ton of space. I need to charge 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, and my Airpods. I don't have room with those big charging pads that Samdung uses.
    1) How do you know it will be huge? What in the physics of it says it must huge? Isn't Apple known for making things smaller?

    2) You'll still be able to plug in the device to charge. This isn't an either/or situation so there's no reason to complain about it.

    3) Personally, I look forward to not having to manually line up plugging in or using two hands unplug my phone. even with a weighed dock with a sticky bottom it can still require two hands to keep the dock in place. This can resolve that limitation.
    Or you use what you can already get, a DOCK. Any number of them. I use a iHome Alarm Clock. Plugs in pretty quick and easily. I can still read the screen as it's not laying flat on some dumb mat. It's a quick one hand grab on and off. I really see no benefit to fake wireless charging. Instead all we'll here is how Apple is once again lagging for this garbage that's been on Android phones for years.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 32
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    jbdragon said:
    Soli said:
    sog35 said:
    These fake wireless charging is useless.

    I'd rather just plug in and get a faster charge. Plus those 'wireless' chargers are HUGE and take up a ton of space. I need to charge 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, and my Airpods. I don't have room with those big charging pads that Samdung uses.
    1) How do you know it will be huge? What in the physics of it says it must huge? Isn't Apple known for making things smaller?

    2) You'll still be able to plug in the device to charge. This isn't an either/or situation so there's no reason to complain about it.

    3) Personally, I look forward to not having to manually line up plugging in or using two hands unplug my phone. even with a weighed dock with a sticky bottom it can still require two hands to keep the dock in place. This can resolve that limitation.
    Or you use what you can already get, a DOCK. Any number of them. I use a iHome Alarm Clock. Plugs in pretty quick and easily. I can still read the screen as it's not laying flat on some dumb mat. It's a quick one hand grab on and off. I really see no benefit to fake wireless charging. Instead all we'll here is how Apple is once again lagging for this garbage that's been on Android phones for years.
    1) Calling inductive charging "fake wireless charging" is ridiculous. Not understanding what induction is doesn't mean it's a fake technology.

    2) A dock doesn't make the connection any faster as you still need to plug it into the port and then remove it from the port with a certain amount of force.

    3) Inductive charging or a SmartConnector would simply allow for easier charging. How is that iHome Alarm Clock working out for your in your car when you drive?
  • Reply 18 of 32
    1) Calling inductive charging "fake wireless charging" is ridiculous. Not understanding what induction is doesn't mean it's a fake technology.

    2) A dock doesn't make the connection any faster as you still need to plug it into the port and then remove it from the port with a certain amount of force.

    3) Inductive charging or a SmartConnector would simply allow for easier charging. How is that iHome Alarm Clock working out for your in your car when you drive?
    How would a charging mat work in a car exactly then? You put the mat on your dashboard and then hope both the mat and the phone stay in place while you drive?
    I see the appeal of wireless charging but as long as the distance cannot exceed 10 cm I really do not see the point. All it would do is take up extra hardware space inside the iPhone (yes you need extra hardware for this) and it would drive up the cost of the phone without any real tangible gain.
    edited February 2017 watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 32
    tundraboy said:
    We need solar power supplementation as a way of recharging and extending battery life dramatically. Apple already has the patent for it.
    Solar recharging for a device that is usually kept in a pocket or purse and left out in the open mostly at night?
    So these devices are never used? Then what is draining the battery that everyone can't stop complaining about?

    A glass front and back, with dozens of receptors, absorbing natural and artificial light. Virtually every time you pick up and unlock your phone (the only time the battery is draining significantly) it will be recharging. The net result is a battery that could potentially last a LONG time. The potential isn't known. It could be a few more hours, or it could be days, or longer.
    If a reliable, practical solution existed you can bet Apple would've implemented it. Such a fantastical power solution does not exist.
  • Reply 20 of 32
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Donvermo said:
    1) Calling inductive charging "fake wireless charging" is ridiculous. Not understanding what induction is doesn't mean it's a fake technology.

    2) A dock doesn't make the connection any faster as you still need to plug it into the port and then remove it from the port with a certain amount of force.

    3) Inductive charging or a SmartConnector would simply allow for easier charging. How is that iHome Alarm Clock working out for your in your car when you drive?
    How would a charging mat work in a car exactly then? You put the mat on your dashboard and then hope both the mat and the phone stay in place while you drive?
    I see the appeal of wireless charging but as long as the distance cannot exceed 10 cm I really do not see the point. All it would do is take up extra hardware space inside the iPhone (yes you need extra hardware for this) and it would drive up the cost of the phone without any real tangible gain.
    Why are thinking of a mat? Is the Apple Watch's inductive charger a mat? What's wrong with the mounts, cubby, and cup holder solutions that have been around for years?
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