Robert Triggs/Android Authority
TL; DR
- A new rumor claims that Apple is still working on bringing reverse charging to the iPhone.
- Apple may have originally planned to include the feature in the iPhone 14.
- iPhones have some of the hardware needed for reverse charging since the iPhone 12.
Apple is no stranger to co-opting ideas from Android, like Crash Detection for example. Another Android feature that would have interested Apple is reverse charging. A new rumor suggests that Apple wanted to release the feature last year, but is still working on it.
According 9To5Mac’s sources familiar with the matter, Apple wanted to debut reverse charging with the iPhone 14 launch. engineering that caused it to miss its mass production deadline.
Reverse charging was first introduced to Android via the Huawei Mate 20 Pro in 2018. It has since expanded to a number of Android devices over the years.
Apple reportedly plans to adopt the feature in 2019. This was discovered during a teardown of the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which had reverse charging disabled. This rumor continued with the iPhone 12 after a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing revealed that the iPhone 12 had wireless charging hardware, but reverse charging was inactive.
However, it wasn’t just the iPhone that hinted at Apple’s desire to implement this feature. The MagSafe battery for the iPhone 12 also alludes to this. According 9TB5Macthe battery would have been powered by the smartphone when the iPhone 12 was plugged in.
The report also notes that Apple could again delay the feature or simply cancel it. It seems that the tech giant has struggled to solve the challenges of heat management and charging speeds.
