Wireless charging technology for 2017 iPhone models is running late; hardware to be sold separately

As Apple iPhone 7 Plus users know, sometimes a new feature runs late and you have to wait for a software update to receive it. That happened with the Portrait Mode that produces the professional looking blurring effect on portraits snapped with the camera, also known as bokeh. The software needed to create the effect didn't ship with the iPhone 7 Plus, and appeared with the first iOS 10.1 beta.

According to tech tipster John Gruber, this could be how Apple will disseminate the necessary software to enable wireless charging on the 2017 iPhone models. In a tweet posted yesterday, Gruber notes that Apple is possibly having issues with the feature and it might not be available until iOS 11.1 is released. The Apple iPhone 8, Apple iPhone 7s and Apple iPhone 7s Plus should launch with iOS 11 pre-installed.

Gruber's tweet also mentions that the wireless charging hardware will not be included in the box with any of the three new iPhone models expected to be released later this year. That leaves it up to the consumer to decide whether this is a feature that he/she wants to pay for to employ on the device. Earlier this year, we passed along a rumor that the wireless charging components are being sourced by Apple from Lite-On semiconductors. Apple also has a connection with Energous which led to a rumor that the new iPhone units will be capable of charging wirelessly from a distance of 15-feet. That would be a major improvement over current technology.


source: @gruber via AppleInsider