iPhones Unlikely to Gain Reverse Wireless Charging Feature for Apple Watch and AirPods Anytime Soon

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 19 Feb 2021

Apple AirPower Wireless Charger

Before the iPhone 11 series launched in 2019, there were rumors of Apple adding reverse wireless charging feature to the iPhones to allow users to charge their AirPods on the go. The feature did not make the cut in iPhone 11 and it was missing from the iPhone 12 series as well.

A Bloomberg report now states that Apple has given up on the idea of bringing reverse wireless charging to iPhones. For the iPhone 11 series, Apple wanted to debut the devices with a feature that would allow users to wirelessly charge their AirPods by simply keeping it on the back of their iPhone. The required hardware is even present on the iPhone 11 as well as the iPhone 12 series.

The company, however, scrapped that feature and it currently has no intention to bring a similar feature to its future iPhones. Apple also discussed a feature to allow Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhones to charge each other but again, it is unlikely to come to an iPhone in the coming future.

Reverse wireless charging has become a common feature in flagship Android smartphones and comes in handy to charge smartwatches and Bluetooth earbuds, especially since these accessories come with wireless charging capabilities. The experience is not really ideal as aligning the smartwatch or earbuds with the wireless charging coil at the back of the device can be a bit of an issue. The charging speeds are also on the slower side, though this should not bother a lot of users as the feature can come in useful when one is traveling or just needs to charge their smartwatch or Apple Watch when they do not have access to the required charger.

Apple’s MagSafe feature looks like an ideal solution to this problem but the company seems to have given up on the idea of bringing reverse wireless charging to iPhones for now.

[Via Bloomberg]