Skip to main content

An iPhone that charges wirelessly? Apple supplier’s deal could pave way

apple wi fi wireless charging patent energous
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It looks like Apple may one day finally entertain the concept of wireless charging. Energous charging, known for its long-range charging techniques, recently got a $10 million investment from Dialog Semiconductor, according to a report from Fast Company. “So what,” you might say. Well, Dialog Semiconductor is actually an Apple supplier, and gets a hefty three quarters of its business from Apple. On top of the investment, all Energous technology will have the Dialog brand, said Energous CEO Steve Rizzone.

In case you’re unaware of Energous, the company is known for WattUp, an emerging, long-range wireless charging technology that uses radio frequencies to charge devices from as far as 15 feet away.

Recommended Videos

It’s important to note that just because Energous is now working under the Dialog brand, that doesn’t mean that it will implement it’s technology into Apple products or that it has made any deal whatsoever with Apple. The deal with Dialog, however, could make a future deal more likely.

There are also rumors that Apple is planning to integrate wireless charging technology of some kind into its next iPhone, which will be released in 2017.

Long-range wireless charging is advantageous for obvious reasons — instead of having to put your phone on a charger or plug it in, your device could start charging the second you walk into your house, and you could use it while it charges in the home. On the flip side, however, a lot of energy is lost in the distance between the phone and charger, so the further away a device is from the charger, the less it will charge.

Energous says its technology should be ready to ship in the real world at some point in the second quarter of 2017, but it remains to be seen if that will be a full version of the tech, or a more limited and close-range version.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
There’s an easy way to follow election results on your iPhone. Here’s how
Screenshot of Apple News on an iPhone.

It’s Election Day in the U.S., and Apple is making it easier for people to check real-time results. The Apple News app will have a Live Activity feature that starts displaying results on your device as they come in tonight. The Live Activity on iPhone will appear on the Dynamic Island (if your iPhone has it) and the lock screen.

For the election, the Live Activity feature will provide up-to-date information, eliminating the need to refresh the Apple News app. You can expect results for the presidential, Senate, and House races to be posted.

Read more
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has an identity crisis
Close up of the iPhone 16 Pro Max camera

I love the iPhone 16 series. I should clarify: I love most of the iPhone 16 series. The iPhone 16 is probably the best small phone ever made — although the Google Pixel 9 Pro makes it a close fight — while the iPhone 16 Pro is my personal iPhone of choice this year. Even the iPhone 16 Plus feels special. That leaves the iPhone 16 Pro Max as the one that's disappointed me the most.

Apple’s biggest-ever iPhone is also symbolic of a problem facing the company: Where does the iPhone 16 Pro Max go from here? Aside from the screen being 0.2 inches larger, there’s little tangible difference from the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Read more
iOS 18.2 just took another step toward its official release
iOS 18 logo on the iPhone 16 Pro

Yet another iOS update is ready, and this one is important. The iOS 18.2 beta 2 update is live, and it's a big deal for a couple of reasons. It's available to more people than the previous beta, and it indicates another step toward iOS 18.2's public launch.

The first version of this beta was only available to people whose phones supported Apple Intelligence, but this latest version works with any phone that can update to iOS 18. Addditionally, iOS 18.2 beta 2 is only available to developer beta testers. There isn't a public beta at the moment, and we have no word on when one might release. Still, it's good to see that more people are included this time around.

Read more