Wired
According to Reuters, Apple is developing a “Magnetic Battery Pack” for the iPhone that can be attached to the back of the phone and charge the phone wirelessly. This product is actually equivalent to a mobile power bank, but it can be charged wirelessly without plugging in a cable.
According to informed sources, Apple has been developing the project for at least a year and plans to launch it within a few months after the release of the iPhone 12 series. According to Reuters, an Apple spokesperson declined to comment. However, it is said that in the latest iOS 14.5 Beta system, there is “battery pack” related information found.
The adsorption principle of this magnetic charging bag is the same as the MagSafe magnetic charging accessory that Apple has released. Both are absorbed by the ring magnet built into the back of the iPhone 12 body.
According to reports, some prototypes of magnetic charging bags are made of white rubber, but since they have not been released yet, the final shape and color are still variable. It should be noted that this magnetic charging bag only has a charging function, and cannot be used as a complete mobile phone protective cover.
In internal tests, the MagSafe magnetic suction system has a strong enough adsorption force to ensure that the charging bag is charged in the correct position. However, due to software issues, the iPhone occasionally incorrectly displays that the phone is overheating. These issues have slowed down the development of magnetic charging bags. People familiar with the matter also said that there are still many challenges in the development of this new accessory, and there is a certain possibility whether it will be postponed or “aborted” in the end. There are reasons for this concern, because Apple has “overrun” in wireless charging. In 2017, Apple announced the AirPower wireless charger, which is said to be able to charge Apple Watch, iPhone and AirPods at the same time.
However, due to the difficulty of solving the heat problem, this product was not released in the end. Apple also cancelled the follow-up plan for the project in 2019, and AirPower announced a miscarriage. At present, accessories and wearable devices have become a very important source of revenue for Apple. In the fourth quarter of 2020, this part of the business has brought Apple 13 billion US dollars in revenue, accounting for 12% of total revenue.
Of course, this is not unrelated to the relatively high price of Apple accessories. There is no doubt that if the magnetic charging bag product falls, it will become one of Apple’s many accessories. In fact, in addition to Apple’s own benefits, the popularity of Apple accessories has also driven the sales of many third-party accessory manufacturers. Due to the release of the MagSafe magnetic system, many accessory manufacturers have new accessory categories that can be used.
What’s more interesting is that, in fact, there are already many “magnetic wireless charging treasure” products on the domestic e-commerce platforms, and the sales volume is not low.
These wireless charging treasures are of different shapes, and the price is only about 100 yuan. Compared with Apple’s own “1,000 yuan” MagSafe charger, it is obviously not small.
Even the promotional images of some products are quite “fruity”. At first glance, they might even be mistaken for the “official” version.
Obviously, the sense of smell of the third party accessory manufacturers is also very keen. According to reports, in addition to the magnetic wireless charging bag, Apple has also discussed the possibility of allowing more mobile devices, such as watches, mobile phones, and earphones to charge each other, but they think this function is not easy to achieve in a short time.
People familiar with the matter also revealed that Apple plans to apply MagSafe technology to this year’s new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. It seems that Apple is determined to bet on wireless charging.
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