Skip to main content

Future MacBooks could have wireless charging built into their palm rests

Apple could be playing with the idea of including wireless reverse charging on its products, according to new patents spotted by Patently Apple. The patents suggest the use of two-way charging coils in places like the trackpad, palm rest, as well as rear casing of MacBook laptops.

As seen below, the diagrams in the patent suggest that Apple is considering what Samsung has already accomplished with the wireless QI charging in the trackpad of the Galaxy Book Flex. You can see an iPhone, as well as an Apple Watch, sitting on the palm rest of the MacBook in spots where there appear to be inductive charging coils. A secondary diagram also shows the rear casing of an iPad, with the Apple Watch and an iPhone receiving charging, too. So there remains the possibility that this isn’t something that is just for MacBooks.

The patents come from two separate filings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Both are titled “Inductive charging between electronic devices.” In typical language, Apple explains that the patent is for “an electronic device and methods for inductively charging an electronic device using another external electronic device.”

Apple also describes the common problem of using cables and external power to charge, especially when traveling. This is inconvenient, according to Apple. “For example, some devices may be charged using a universal serial bus (“USB”) connector or cable. However, despite having standardized connectors and cable, each device may require a separate or dedicated power supply to charge. In some cases, having separate power supplies for each device may be burdensome to use, store, and/or transport,” reads the patent.

Patents don’t always end up becoming final products, so there’s the possibility that this may never come to life, but it is something that Samsung has managed to do. The Galaxy Book Flex has a QI charger in the trackpad, and select Galaxy phones also have a “Wireless PowersShare” feature which lets you charge other devices like earbuds by tapping them to the rear of the phone.

While all iPhones from the iPhone 8 onward have Wireless QI charging support (and the iPhone 12 lineup, Magsafe), you can’t “share” the power to charge your other devices. FCC filings, though, reveal that the new iPhone 12 might have a hidden, unactivated feature that allows for reverse wireless charging for other devices like AirPods or the Apple Watch, just like the Galaxy phones.

Editors' Recommendations

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
This tiny ThinkPad can’t quite keep up with the MacBook Air M2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 rear view showing lid and logo.

While the laptop industry continues to move toward 14-inch laptops and larger, the 13-inch laptop remains an important category. One of the best is the Apple MacBook Air M2, with an extremely thin and well-built chassis, great performance, and incredibly long battery life.

Lenovo has recently introduced the third generation of its ThinkPad X1 Nano, one of the lightest laptops we've tested and a good performer as well. It's stiff competition, but which of these two diminutive laptops stands apart?
Specs and configurations

Read more
This Windows laptop costs under $1,000 and handily beats the MacBook Air
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED rear view showing lid and logo.

The least expensive MacBook you can buy remains the MacBook Air M1, which Apple is keeping around in spite of a complete redesign with the MacBook Air M2. And there's good reason. The MacBook Air M1 is among the best laptops that sell for under $1,000.

But it's not the only great laptop for under $1,000. The Asus ZenBook 14 OLED is also a special machine, offering considerable value at a starting price of $700, including a luscious OLED display. As good as the MacBook Air is, the ZenBook 14 just might have it beat.
Specs

Read more
Apple’s serious miscalculation with the 15-inch MacBook Air
Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air placed on a desk.

Did Apple overestimate demand for a larger MacBook Air? A recent report suggests Apple reduced orders from its supply chain, indicating sales of the largest budget MacBook fell short of expectations.

According to DigiTimes, which specializes in supply chain news, 15-inch MacBook Air sales seem to be off to a bad start. People with knowledge of the matter are reported to say that Apple cut the shipment volume by half in July 2022.

Read more