Apple not expected to debut wireless chargers alongside iPhone X, buyers to rely on third-...

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited September 2017
Though Apple is widely expected to introduce three new iPhone models with wireless charging capabilities at a special event on Tuesday, one industry insider believes the company will not debut its own charging accessory, leaving buyers to fend for themselves for the foreseeable future.


Supposed iPhone wireless charging coil.


Well-connected KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a note to investors seen by AppleInsider says Apple suppliers have no definitive timetable set for mass production, as the company is awaiting "technological breakthroughs" in wireless charging systems.

Specifically, Apple is in a holding pattern as technology catches up to its internal requirements for wireless charger radio frequency specifications. Like other products designed and sold by the Cupertino tech giant, this year's iPhone is expected to conform to a set of stringent standards set forth in part by Apple's research and development and quality assurance teams.

While an Apple branded wireless charging accessory may not ship with iPhone, Kuo says the new iPhone models support the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi standard, meaning buyers can use WPC-compliant accessories to juice up their new handsets.

It can be speculated that Apple might partner with a third-party manufacturer to supply its customers with a sanctioned non-branded option in an arrangement similar to Logitech's 2016 Create keyboard, one of the first to take advantage of then-new iPad Pro Smart Connector technology. Whether such a partnership is primed for announcement tomorrow is unclear.

Last month, rumors from Apple's supply chain suggested wireless charging throughput for the new iPhone models -- iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X -- will top out at 7.5 watts. If true, Apple has seemingly elected to forego integration with the latest Qi 1.2 standard, which supports 15-watt fast charging on select inductive pads.

At the time, it was suggested that Apple might require third-party wireless charger manufacturers integrate a certified control chip, potentially under the "Made for iPhone" program.

Separately, the analyst notes Apple manufacturing partner Hon Hai, better known as Foxconn, will see its allotment of 5.5-inch LCD iPhone assembly orders rise significantly to 70 to 80 percent.

The strategic move is in response to a slow production ramp on the OLED iPhone, thought to be marketed as iPhone X. By taking over 5.5-inch LCD iPhone orders from Wistron, Foxconn will be able to best utilize its manfacturing capacity, Kuo said.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,089member
    This has to be the stupidest prediction of the bunch. Unless they are going to bring other companies on stage to show off their chargers.  I just don't buy it. Apple has how many engineers?  They couldn't toss this project to a couple interns and knock it out?
    Jordanf1macplusplusavon b7ericthehalfbeehodarrazorpitrob53jbdragon
  • Reply 2 of 26
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    randominternetperson said:
    This has to be the stupidest prediction of the bunch. Unless they are going to bring other companies on stage to show off their chargers.  I just don't buy it. Apple has how many engineers?  They couldn't toss this project to a couple interns and knock it out?
    Does sound a little bit odd. 
  • Reply 3 of 26
    Jordanf1Jordanf1 Posts: 21member
    Must be Kuo trying to write down Apple again , so we get the new X phone but hey Apple says head down to Samsung and use their charging base or someone else ? Highly unlikely 
  • Reply 4 of 26
    mactoddmactodd Posts: 8member
    Ridiculous. Most likely, the Apple Watch charging cable and the "Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock" they made for the Apple Watch will ALSO work with the iPhone X. So they may not be introducing anything new, which this analyst misinterpreted. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-apple-watch-magnetic-charging-dock-white/4749904.p?skuId=4749904
    razorpit
  • Reply 5 of 26
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    I’m sorry but this guy is just making a fool out of himself now.
    anantksundaramrazorpitRayz2016
  • Reply 6 of 26
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    Apple already has its own inductive charger bundled with the Watch. If it has no plans to produce another charger that means the current charger will work with iPhone 8 and X.
    razorpit
  • Reply 7 of 26
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,642member
    It means the phone will come with a wireless charger, but Apple won't make anything else.  Apple will still sell the charger separately.  They have to.  But that's not "an accessory". 

    The watch charger will work, but the watch has a convex back that matches the concave profile of the watch charging puck.  The iPhone won't have this.  Unless magnets align it without it, it doesn't make sense.  
    williamlondonjbdragon
  • Reply 8 of 26
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,913member
    During testing of iPhone X, Apple engineers need such wireless charging accessory so wouldn't you think Apple had developed it along side iPhone X ?
    chiawilliamlondonrazorpit
  • Reply 9 of 26
    sirdirsirdir Posts: 187member
    Come on, Apple probably would have 5000% margin on a wireless charger, why would't they make one?
    Rayz2016
  • Reply 10 of 26
    razorpitrazorpit Posts: 1,796member
    wood1208 said:
    During testing of iPhone X, Apple engineers need such wireless charging accessory so wouldn't you think Apple had developed it along side iPhone X ?
    Well you know, a new iPhone with a bezel-less OLED and face recognition is easy-peezy compared to designing and building an inductive charger. ;-)
    jbdragon
  • Reply 11 of 26
    robjnrobjn Posts: 282member
    "Fend for themselves"

    Not sure about your tone in the opening sentence.

    Wireless charging is being built into cars and furniture and that's the way it should be - built in and invisible.

    However, the "iPhone X" device tree does reference a "dock, 0pin".

    I would like to think Apple could, in the future, make a wireless dock that would replace iTunes functionality for backup and recovery or that these tasks could be handled by another attached iOS device.
  • Reply 12 of 26
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,212member
    If Apple is not yet offering their own wireless charging solution, and considering some past rumors, it should be pretty easy to figure out what's probably going on. Think folks!
  • Reply 13 of 26
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,248member
    Personally, I'd rather stay with my lightning cable. I don't like these inductive charging devices. Give me a solid connection to something all the time.
    pscooter63argonaut
  • Reply 14 of 26
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Though Apple is widely expected to introduce three new iPhone models with wireless charging capabilities at a special event on Tuesday, one industry insider believes the company will not debut its own charging accessory, leaving buyers to fend for themselves for the foreseeable future.

    Simply not true. Buyers will not be left to fend for themselves even if the rumor is true. Assume for the moment that the rumor is true.

    1. Third party chargers will appear literally within hours of the release.

    2. Again, if the rumor is true and the Qi standard is used, there are already chargers on the market.

    3. If the rumor is not true Apple will be at the ready with available chargers if the Qi standard is not used.

    4. If the rumor is not true and Apple uses the Qi standard then chargers will be available from day one.

    There is no scenario in which buyers are left to fend for themselves and I find this rumor to be ridiculous.
    edited September 2017 directhacker
  • Reply 15 of 26
    vision33rvision33r Posts: 213member
    Wireless charging only good for toothbrush or anything with a small battery.  With a large battery it will take hours to charge when a cable can charge 10x faster. Much rather see Apple move to USB-C than the stupid easy to break lightning cable which isn't even lightning fast.
  • Reply 16 of 26
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    gatorguy said:
    If Apple is not yet offering their own wireless charging solution, and considering some past rumors, it should be pretty easy to figure out what's probably going on. Think folks!
    Okay, so it has something to do with Google…
    edited September 2017 StrangeDays
  • Reply 17 of 26
    anton zuykovanton zuykov Posts: 1,056member
    randominternetperson said:
    This has to be the stupidest prediction of the bunch. Unless they are going to bring other companies on stage to show off their chargers.  I just don't buy it. Apple has how many engineers?  They couldn't toss this project to a couple interns and knock it out?
    Couple of interns, eh? New tech, especially implemented good enough for Apple to put in 100+M devices, requires s bit more than just a couple of interns. But, in all the fairness, that is exactly how Samsung implemented features, at least judging by the quality of final results.
  • Reply 18 of 26
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    vision33r said:
    Wireless charging only good for toothbrush or anything with a small battery.  With a large battery it will take hours to charge when a cable can charge 10x faster. Much rather see Apple move to USB-C than the stupid easy to break lightning cable which isn't even lightning fast.
    I've read that Qi is 7.5W, which is 50% more than the iPhone's included PSU. Are you saying that wattage can't be used to directly measure flow of electricity in this case?
  • Reply 19 of 26
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    randominternetperson said:
    This has to be the stupidest prediction of the bunch. Unless they are going to bring other companies on stage to show off their chargers.  I just don't buy it. Apple has how many engineers?  They couldn't toss this project to a couple interns and knock it out?

    I may be old fashion at this point, however, I was probably the last group of engineers who graduate who was not tossed onto a project without reporting to a much more senior engineer. Today kids come out of college and expect to be a senior designer with their own projects, for the most this is what happens and thus the reason we have so much crap being sold. Samsung probably let some interns design their wireless charging system on the Galaxy 7 and we all know how well that turned out.

    I am sorry, books and professors can not teach you the life lessons of doing it wrong. As junior engineering I had people reviewing my work and when I screwed up they let me know why i screwed up and why what I was doing was going to causes problems which my not be obvious at first.

    I agree, I do not believe apple will not introduce their own product, there is too much risk in letting others do it and screw it up.

  • Reply 20 of 26
    shapetablesshapetables Posts: 201member
    ...at Starbucks, where they have numerous wireless charging options (and LSD-hungover maniacs trying to become Steve Jobs while helping Steve Bezos afford another submarine). /s/
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