Reverse wireless charging
How your iPhone could one day charge your AirPods without wires
WITH THE LAUNCH of the new iPhone 13 at Apple’s September event, we were hoping to see one much– awaited feature: reverse wireless charging. Unfortunately, while the technology has apparently been found in the iPhone 12 (according to the US Federal Communications Commission) and can be used to reverse charge Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack, it hasn’t been made more widely available. So how does it work?
Apple’s MagSafe charger uses magnets to clamp to the correct area of your iPhone (12 or later) or Apple Watch.
Image rights: Apple.
HOW WIRELESS CHARGING WORKS
Wireless charging isn’t exactly new: it was first demonstrated over 100 years ago by Nikola Tesla, and if you have an electric toothbrush you’ve probably got a wireless charger in the bathroom. The technology hasn’t really changed much over the decades. It’s just got more efficient. When we talk about wireless charging in a phone or tablet context, we’re talking about using electromagnetism: it’s possible to transmit electricity via radio frequencies, but it isn’t powerful or practical enough for everyday use.