Apple is apparently not ready to launch its own wireless charging accessory, according to a morning report by KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo. The new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X will support wireless inductive charging standards, however, which means customers will be able to buy third party Qi chargers (like these) to take advantage of the hardware feature.
It isn’t clear how far off Apple’s own first-party wireless charging accessory is …
The KGI report says Apple has stringent requirements for wireless charger RF specifications, so the company has not committed to mass production yet.
How long it will take for the alleged RF requirements to be met is not clear. KGI says the company is waiting for ‘technological breakthroughs’ before being able to ramp production of the accessory. The KGI report is supported by the fact we have not seen any parts leaks of an Apple charging accessory to date.
It is possible that Apple pre-announces the accessory anyway at today’s media event, even if it isn’t shipping for a while. KGI seems confident it is so far off it won’t be shown at all today. Rumors of delays related to wireless charging have been reported before.
For the time being, it seems customers wanting to use one of the new features in the 2017 iPhones will have to buy third-party accessories that use the Qi industry standard. Both the iPhone 8 and iPhone X will include the necessary hardware to support wireless charging.
Right on cue, British carrier EE is now letting customers add a Belkin wireless charger to their phone bundle, or a mix of other accessories, with the cost amortized into their normal monthly plan for data and voice.
