The 10th anniversary iPhone is back in the news, with Nikkei dropping a report about wireless charging modules. This technology is said to be in a testing phase at iPhone manufacturer Foxconn. If the company can produce the units fast enough, the iPhone 8 could feature wireless charging. Both Apple and Foxconn did not comment on the report.
Apple is expected to make radical design changes in the next iPhone, which will launch in September 2017. Besides a wireless charging system, the iPhone 8 will likely feature an AMOLED display. AMOLED brings improved picture quality and low power consumption, while making bolder designs possible. For example, the iPhone 8 is said to have an edge-to-edge display, with no bezel or physical home button whatsoever.
John Gruber at Daring Fireball described the iPhone 8 as a "jaw-dropping, wow" design that will be nothing less than "astounding". While this may be true, the 2017 iPhone will not be the first smartphone to offer wireless charging. The above mockup from ConceptsiPhone envisions this future device.
Other reports have said the front and back of the iPhone 8 will be glass or ceramic. Wireless charging and a ceramic case both debuted on the Apple Watch. One drawback to wireless charging is its low power delivery. Should Apple decide to include wireless charging on the next generation iPhone, the modules used would have to solve this problem as the iPhone requires much more juice compared to Apple Watch.
It's not clear if wireless charging will be included on all upcoming iPhone models, or just the iPhone 8 Plus. In any case, the 10th anniversary iPhone will certainly make waves when it's revealed next fall. Until then, iPhone owners are tethered to their Lightning cables to grab a charge.
