A new Apple AirPods case could act as a portable wireless iPhone charger, a new rumor suggests, allowing the headphones to deliver an impromptu top-up when your smartphone is running low on power. The whispers come as Apple is believed to be busy trying to iron the lingering bugs out of AirPower, its yet-to-be-launched wireless charging pad.
The next version of the iPhone will probably have a Lightning USB cord with USB-C on the other end - but after that? Imagine a world without cords. Now that we've got the ability to transmit power from one device to the other without cords, with wireless charging pads, what's left for reasons to keep cords at all? Surely only speed - since we can also transfer all the data we'd like with technologies like Bluetooth.
Apple's AirPower wireless charger could launch in September, sources claim, after the challenge of making a multi-device charging pad proved more of a technical headache than the Cupertino firm expected. The accessory was announced alongside the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus last year, as Apple finally embraced wireless charging in its smartphone.
Nearly half-way through the year, we’re basically left waiting for only two more premium smartphones: Apple’s new iPhones and, of course, Google’s third-generartion Pixel phones. Uncharacteristically, we seem to know more about the 2018 iPhones than the Pixel 3. Or to be more precise, we’re getting a bunch of conflicting leaks that leave us scratching our head. While these might not exactly be 100% confirmation, new evidence suggests that the Google Pixel 3 might at least have these two features, the latter of which has been a recent point of contention.
Mophie has rolled out a new travel charger kit, combining a compact Qi wireless charging pad with easily-packed adapters for hotel and car use. The Mophie Charge Stream Travel Kit combines a smaller-than-average wireless charger pad - the Charge Stream Pad Mini - with a travel pouch and a number of different adapters to suit the various outlets road-warriors might encounter.
Although not exactly talked about as much, wireless charging is slowly starting to be a common feature in high-end smartphones (unless you ask OnePlus). Apple's addition of the capability in its latest iPhones is practically a seal of approval for the technology. Wireless chargers, however, have their drawbacks, specifically in the limited positions you can charge a phone. Eschewing a conventional horizontal or even inclined plane, Legrand's new Radiant wall plate lets you charge your Qi-compatible phone while hanging from a wall.
iPhone X and the rest of Apple's 2018 mobile devices may well benefit from components developed by Apple itself. For the first time in the history of the iPhone, Apple's aim to control the whole creation process may hit the power button. Development of iPhone power management chips (PMIC) could have far-reaching consequences for Apple and iPhone consumers around the world.
Google enabling Android Auto Wireless is great news, but Pixel phones' lagging behind iPhone in one key area does put the brakes on how useful the update is. Putting down your smartphone while you're behind the wheel is safety advice all of us would do well to remember. I just wish I could put my Pixel 2 XL down on a wireless charger when I do.
Kia is testing out wireless charging for cars, fitting out a fleet of its Soul EVs with the ability to recharge without needing a plug. The fast-charging wireless power system removes the need to physically plug in an electric vehicle, instead using a power-transmitting pad placed on the ground underneath, and a counterpart receiving pad mounted on the underside of the car.
Mophie has added a new, higher-power wireless charging pad to its line-up, delivering the fast wireless charge that the latest iPhone X, Galaxy S9, and other recent smartphones are greedy for. The new Mophie Charge Stream Pad+ looks pretty much identical to its predecessor, though what's changed inside is key.
Acer's Aspire S24 wants to upset the apple cart, and prove that it's not only Cupertino that can design a good looking all-in-one. Launching today, the Aspire S24 combines waifs dimensions with legitimately useful features rivals haven't even started to offer, including a way to recharge your smartphone cable-free. Read on for what you need to know.
Acer has a new all-in-one PC it's introducing to the world today, and while this is a fairly standard mid-range machine in many regards, there are two features that make for interesting points of focus. One thing that's immediately obvious about the Apsire S24 will be its size - this is one thin PC, with Acer saying that it's the slimmest all-in-one it's ever produced. If you've been wanting a sleek PC, then, Acer would have you look no further.