Skip to main content

Reverse wireless charging on the iPhone gets one step closer to reality

Reverse charging has been a frequently requested feature among Apple fans for years, but now it seems like the dream might become a reality thanks to a new patent filed by the company.

Reverse charging is a feature that would allow you to charge your iPhone wirelessly using another iPhone. If implemented across all Apple hardware, it could reshape the landscape of low-battery anxiety that many have been facing as more of our lives become dependent on chargeable devices. It’s also something that’s still missing on the most recent iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.

Nomad Base One Max charging an iPhone and an Apple Watch.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

As first spotted by PatentlyApple, the patent looks to make back-to-back wireless iPhone charging an option in the future. In recent years, there have been scattered signs pointing to different versions of Apple making use of reverse wireless charging — such as patents suggesting the ability to charge accessories using an iPhone or an iPad. But this is the first time we’re seeing phone-to-phone charging in any of the company’s patents.

In fact, this patent seems to be rolling a lot of the other reverse charging features that we’ve seen in previous patents into one package. If implemented, it would essentially allow any Apple product to wirelessly charge other Apple hardware. Based on the direction that Apple has been moving with features like Universal Control that connect all Apple devices together wirelessly, it feels plausible that reverse charging could be the next step to complete device connectivity.

The context surrounding Apple’s other seemingly abandoned reverse charging patents is extremely important when looking at this new one. Even if it is Apple’s intention to finally move forward with reverse charging, the patent was only just filed. In other words, there’s a chance that we won’t be seeing it in use for a while.

Reverse charging already exists in a minor way in the Apple ecosystem. The iPhone 12 introduced the feature by being able to charge Apple’s MagSafe battery pack, so there’s certainly precedent for it moving forward. What exactly that could become and when we’ll see, however, is still unknown.

Editors' Recommendations

Peter Hunt Szpytek
A podcast host and journalist, Peter covers mobile news with Digital Trends and gaming news, reviews, and guides for sites…
10 colors I wish Apple made for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro in a red color.

Apple finally revealed the iPhone 15 at its “Wonderlust” event on September 12. This lineup includes the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. There were other products announced during the event as well, but the iPhone 15 series is the biggest of the bunch.

However, Apple’s really been dropping the ball lately in terms of device colors. This year is especially bad with the very pastel and muted colors of the iPhone 15 models, not to mention the various shades of gray for the iPhone 15 Pro variants.

Read more
The iPhone 15 Pro isn’t the iPhone upgrade I hoped it would be
Apple iPhone 15 Pro with titanium frame.

When Apple introduced the first “Pro” iPhone in 2019, it stood with an additional telephoto camera at the back. To this day, the third lens serves as a proud marker of the Pro moniker. The camera chops are what predominantly separated these pricey trims from the non-Pro variants.

As Apple’s fall launch event unfolded last week, I was hoping to see some big camera upgrades fitting for the new Pro models. Yet, the only meaningful camera upgrade we got was kept exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Instead of the iPhone 14 Pro’s 3x zoom camera, the iPhone 15 Pro Max makes the jump to a 5x telephoto camera.

Read more
My iPhone 15 Pro Max preorder was so much cheaper than I expected
View of the iPhone 15 Pro's camera module.

I’ve spent less money on a shiny new iPhone 15 Pro Max than I did on my iPhone 14 Pro when it launched, yet I’m getting more for my money. Sounds unbelievable, and I’ve had to double-check the figures, but it’s certain — this year's bigger phone was cheaper than last year's smaller one.

Along with some other key changes, Apple has also solved all the problems I had with its largest iPhone last year, making the iPhone 15 Pro Max the obvious choice for me this year.
Expensive, but cheaper. Really
Color options for iPhone 15 Pro series Apple

Read more