What you need to know
- There is more speculation Apple could let users charge their iPhone or Watch wirelessly in future MacBooks.
- It comes by way of a pair of new patents building on previous ideas from Apple.
A pair of new patents granted to Apple has furthered speculation we may one day be able to charge devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch using a device like a MacBook or iPad and wireless charging.
First noted by Patently Apple, the two patents are titled 'Inductive charging between electronic devices'. They look very similar to patents we reported on back in April of 2020, revealing how a user might one day be able to wirelessly charge their iPhone or Watch using wireless charging and their MacBook.
Patent diagrams reveal how a user might be able to charge their device simply by placing it on an inductive wireless charging "pad", perhaps in the space on either side of the touchpad on Apple's MacBook. The patent allows for the transmission of power through inductive coils over the surfaces of the devices. Not a new technology by any means, this is similar to the concept of Samsung's Wireless PowerShare technology, although Apple has been working on similar patents since 2016.
Not restricted to an open Mac, the diagrams also reveal devices charging on the top enclosure of a closed MacBook, as well as on top of each other in a big pile comprising a MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch.
In their very simplest forms, the patents could one day enable reverse charging from a device like a MacBook to smaller Apple devices like the Apple Watch, iPhone, or even the iPad. Apple made big inroads into less conventional plug-and-play charging in 2020 with the addition of MagSafe to the iPhone 12. It's possible that technology could even be used alongside this to secure your device in place for reverse charging.
