Apple patents point to using your MacBook to wirelessly charge your iPhone and Apple Watch

Apple has received two patents that describe adding two-way wireless charging to its devices (via 9to5Mac) Patents, first discovered by Patently Apple, include drawings showing a MacBook carrying multiple devices, including an iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, as well as drawings of iPads and iPhones doing the same.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because many other phone manufacturers have launched devices with similar reverse wireless charging technology. Although Apple’s approach is slightly different. According to the patent images, the cover, palm rest or trackpad of a MacBook can be used to charge an iOS device that supports wireless charging.

Image: Apple

The problem that the patents claim to solve is one in which you may be left without enough outlets, blocks of power or electricity. Patents state that “despite having standardized connectors and cables[s], each device may require a separate or dedicated power supply to charge. In some cases, having separate power supplies for each device can be difficult to use, store and / or transport. ”(Of course, having separate power packs for your devices is also more difficult when they are not included in the box.)

Image: Apple

There are other occasions when this type of technology can be useful. For example, if you are away from a charger and your Apple Watch or AirPods die, it would be useful to be able to recharge them with your phone. Likewise, being able to charge the phone from the laptop would be useful, and if Apple is really moving towards an iPhone without a port, that kind of technology could be a way to maintain that functionality.

MacBooks and iPads are currently made of aluminum, which is not compatible with wireless charging. If Apple wants to include this reverse wireless charging technology in its devices, it will have to design around that limitation. (Maybe you could bring back a plastic MacBook?)

It’s also hard to avoid thinking about Apple’s ill-fated AirPower project when considering the idea of ​​a MacBook or iPad full of wireless charging coils capable of charging multiple devices at the same time. To be fair, Apple’s technology has progressed since then and now has control over processors across all of its devices. Some solution may arise to help devices communicate and power levels and thermal restrictions.

Whether you can really use your MacBook as a wireless charging cradle for all your devices remains to be seen, but I would at least like to see this technology coming to the iPhone. Many of its competitors already have some sort of reverse wireless charging capability, and while it would be great to see it increased to 11, as in the patent design below, I would be happy if Apple kept up with the competition at this point. Although it appears that the iPhone 12 has hardware to do this, it is not currently enabled.

Image: Apple