Apple patents hint at MacBook that can wirelessly charge your iPhone
Could your MacBook someday wirelessly charge your other Apple devices?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
A pair of newly grantedApplepatents show a MacBook wirelessly charging an iPhone, iPad, andApple Watch, and an iPad wirelessly charging an iPhone and Apple Watch.
The plans were spotted by Patently Apple, the Apple news-gathering blog, whichreportedthe tech behemoth had filed patents for two-way charging coils that can be used to charge the MacBook itself, but which also allow the MacBook to charge other devices.
Could this mean the next line of MacBooks will be able to wirelessly charge your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch? Well, Apple is typically hazy on the details, deliberately burying the specifics of the patent in customary tech jargon to ensure the claims remain as broad as possible.
The company writes: “A portable electronic device comprising […] a transmit inductive coil being configured to wirelessly transmit power through the back surface of the enclosure to an external device that is positioned proximate to the back surface of the enclosure.”
See? Not clear at all, really. Of course, patents don’t always mean production – especially when it comes to Apple.
In 2019, Apple canceled its AirPower wireless charging mat project after prototype products failed to meet the company’s lofty standards.Samsung, too, famously jettisoned its plans for a foldable phone – dubbed “Project V” – in 2018, which never saw the light of day.
In any case, it’s clear that MacBook-induced wireless charging is, in some capacity, in the works over at Apple. Whether that functionality arrives with the next generation of M1-powered Macs remains to be seen.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
MacBook Air OLED reportedly delayed until at least 2028 – here’s why
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 (2024) review: one of the best Pro laptops around just got better
NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, November 10 (game #252)
