Source Claims iPhone 8’s Wireless Charging Will Be Really, Really Slow

We’ve previously noted the many benefits of Qi wireless charging and why we personally believe Apple should use the standard in its upcoming iPhone models. Not only is Qi fast, having recently been updated to include Fast Charge technology in v1.2, but Qi is also a member of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) which Apple joined earlier this year in hopes of strengthening its position in securing wireless charging tech for the iPhone 8.

Interestingly, a slightly modified version of Qi is already being used by Apple to facilitate wireless inductive charging on the Apple Watch, so it only makes sense that the company would also use the latest Qi standard on the iPhone 8 as well, right?

Maybe so, but a new report published over the weekend by the Japanese blog, Mac Otokara, has indicated that Apple will instead use an older, slower wireless charging platform for the iPhone 8, according to “information resource that is well versed in WPC,” who indicated that despite newer, faster options being available, Apple will allegedly employ a wireless charging technology that would cap speeds at just 7.5-watts

The latest Qi v1.2 standard, in comparison, which offers proprietary ‘Fast Charging’ technology at up to 15-watts, continues to rollout with new Qi charging pads and has been available in select high-end Android smartphones for a while now. It’s unclear, therefore, why Apple would resolve to employ a previous-generation technology on a device that, by all measures, will embody ‘the next-generation’ of iPhone.

Why Not Allow Fast Charging?

One possibility is that Apple may have decided to cap its tech at a lower wattage to help preserve the longevity of its batteries over time. Rapid (or ‘Fast’) charging via wireless or USB standards can dramatically decrease a battery’s overall lifespan. Still, if the report is indeed accurate, we’d be hard to believe that Apple would cap one of its next-generation iPhone’s most highly-anticipated features a full 50% slower than the rest of the industry.

As of this write-up, we still don’t know exactly what platform Apple has embraced to employ wireless changing on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7s handsets. It was rumored earlier this year that the company could be exploring an all-new form of long distance wireless charging, however more recent mumblings from the rumor mill hint that the company may have settled for a more traditional standard like Qi or PMA. Regardless, it’ll be just a few days until we find out what Apple has up its sleeve this year, so be sure to stay tuned for everything iPhone 8 and more.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]