Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Dell could be working on the same charging tech Apple has been developing

Nathan Drescher
By

Dell is working on a wireless phone charger for your laptop and it is similar to technology Apple has been working on for years. The patent was discovered by Patently Apple and first reported by TechRadar.

Dell’s technology works like this: a small wireless charging clip can be placed in unused space in the laptop, either on the palm rest or on the lid. You can then place your phone or wearables with wireless charging on top, and the laptop will charge it.

A diagram showing Dell's wireless charging clip for laptops
image credit: Patently Apple/Dell

Dell patent number 20220239124 is somewhat similar to Apple’s, although it differs in concept as the Dell charging clip would be a detachable accessory. Dell wants the charging clip to include a magnetic attachment that would snap onto the laptop in a pre-determined position. It would also need to be plugged into a USB-C port at the side of the laptop in order to work.

Related

Apple’s patent, on the other hand, envisions the wireless charging plates built right into the palm rest. Users can place their phone, Apple Watch, and AirPods on the palm rest and the MacBook will charge them.

Recommended Videos

There are three patents for Apple wireless charging built into MacBooks, with the first one filed in 2014. The most recent one shows three charging points in the MacBook: two in the palm rest and one in the center of the trackpad.

Despite these patents, Apple has yet to release the technology and it is unknown whether or not it is something Apple is working on. The infamous AirPower concept, announced in 2017, was canned in 2019 after Apple was unable to fix overheating issues in the technology.

Likewise with Dell. The company has been tight-lipped about its projects and there’s no other indication that they’re working on this wireless charging clip.

It should be noted that Samsung launched a similar technology with the Galaxy Book Flex back in 2020. The laptop had a Qi-charger in its touchpad and could charge compatible smartphones and earbuds wirelessly.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Nathan Drescher
Nathan Drescher
Computing Writer
Nathan Drescher is a freelance journalist and writer from Ottawa, Canada. He's been writing about technology from around the…
Apple has bad news on how the Studio Display works with PCs
A person works at a station equipped with the all new Mac Studio and Studio Display.

Apple’s recently announced Studio Display has been confirmed to be compatible with PCs, albeit with limited functionality.

The technology giant told MacRumors that the Studio Display, revealed during its Peek Performance event on March 8, will indeed work with traditional PCs. However, Windows users won’t be able to make use of all the features.

Read more
Next-gen AirPods could let others override your ANC
A woman wearing AirPods 3rd Generation while exercising.

Ever since Apple debuted its now-iconic AirPods true wireless earbuds, it has been expanding what these handy devices can do. The list now includes hands-free access to Siri, enhanced hearing with Conversation Boost, head-tracking spatial audio, and the super-popular combo of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode. But if a recently published patent application is any indication, Apple could soon let a trusted person remotely disable ANC mode, just by uttering a pre-determined word or phrase.

The patent application, entitled "Interrupt for noise cancelling audio devices" was first spotted by AppleInsider, and it details -- at great length -- how AirPods owners could allow their attention to be grabbed by another person, by automatically shutting off ANC mode when that person says a specific passphrase.

Read more
A Dell XPS Chromebook could once again be in the works
Close up of keyboard and trackpad on a Dell XPS 13 Plus.

It's been rumored since 2020 that Dell might be working on an XPS-branded Chromebook, and now there's yet another indication that the project is still in the works.

According to a report from Chrome Unboxed citing "circumstantial" evidence, Dell's XPS Chromebook is again something worthy of serious discussion. The reason being is a recent code commit in Google's Chromium Gerrit repository. It has a mention of "Banshee" in four different places, along with a Google partner email address that was spotted on commits for other Chromebooks from Dell. Putting that together, the publication believes that "Banshee" is a new Dell-made Chromebook.

Read more