Apple is working on turning future Macs into long range wireless charging stations
It’s no secret that Apple’s interest in wireless charging goes beyond what the company is willing to let out.
Back in January of last year, we have learned of California-based firm Energous, an energy firm committed in creating a system called “WattUp”, based on an array of RF receivers, connected to a central unit, or “Power Router”, capable of powering up to 12 mobile devices simultaneously, including iPhones, iPads and ultraportable netbooks with low power requirements, within a 15 foot radius.
On March 31st of the same year, the position of “Sr. Wireless Charging Design Engineer” was posted on the careers section of Apple’s website.
Interestingly enough, on July 21, 2015, a new patent was filed by Apple, titled “Wireless power utilization in a local computing environment”. With specific reference to claim number 5, the patent describes what seems to be a Mac desktop system, fitted with a device capable of generating an electromagnetic field designed to deliver energy to a compatible device, via near-field communication, described as “Near-Field Magnetic Resonance” (NFMR).
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Apple is actually moving ahead with a real-world implementation of the patent, which we could see happening as early as 2017, with the Cupertino tech giant allegedly already partnering with companies both in the U.S. and in Asia.
The companies mentioned by the sources include Broadcom and Qualcomm. Both companies have already been involved in the development of wireless charging technology for a while, with Qualcomm already ahead of the curve, with the development of a solution to metallic interference, which involves connecting the charging antenna to the casing of the receiving device.
Under wraps
Apple remains tight-lipped about any rumor regarding the development of this technology, and for a good reason. If the company is planning on building this type of technology into future desktop systems, like the iMac or even future iterations of the Mac Pro, it could once again leverage Apple’s dominance in the desktop category, with something as unique as a desktop computer capable of charging smartphones and tablets, from several feet away.