Apple originally wanted its 2022 Pro models such as the iPhone 14 Pro to include a reverse wireless charging feature, a new report claims — but having missed the deadline the company continues to work on the technology.
That means it’s possible the iPhone 15 Pro could get the feature later this year. If not, it seems likely that the best iPhone in a future lineup will.
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The prospect of reverse wireless charging has been bandied about for years, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in 2021 that it wasn’t going to happen any time soon. The feature was originally planned for launch in 2019 but was then canned, he claimed.
Now, 9to5Mac (opens in new tab) reports that Apple wanted to add the same feature to the iPhone 14 Pro — but again wasn’t able to. “Nonetheless, our sources indicate that Apple engineers are pressing ahead with the development of bilateral wireless charging alongside software optimizations for it,” the report says.
Reverse wireless charging (or “bilateral” if you want to sound all fancy) would let iPhones charge other devices, most likely AirPods or AirPods Pro. It’s also possible that iPhones could charge Apple Watches, although they don’t use the Qi wireless charging standard currently.
Phones from other companies like Samsung have featured reverse wireless charging for years, but Apple has so far held off. 9to5Mac reports that Apple is “developing a unique ‘wireless power out’ firmware as the basis for the feature.” That firmware would control things like wireless charging speeds, ensuring that devices don’t get too hot during use.
However, the same sources reportedly told 9to5Mac “that reverse wireless charging could ultimately be delayed again or scrapped altogether,” perhaps suggesting that we shouldn’t get our hopes up just yet. And the iPhone 16 is just around the corner, right?