Apple working on long-distance wireless charging for future iPhones, iPads

Apple is working on wireless charging, which would enable iPhone/iPad to be charged even at distance for the charging point. Bloomberg reports that, Apple is working with its partners in the U.S and Asia to develop this technology for its devices and could deploy it as soon as 2017.

At present devices are wirelessly charged using charging mats. Apple wants to go one step further as it is exploring technologies that would enable Apple devices, to be charged from further away than the charging mats. If this technology is deployed in future Apple devices, users could charge their devices while walking around the room. Currently, the Apple Watch is capable of getting charged even when it is few millimeters away from the source. 

One limitation of wireless charging is that an increased distance between the device and the charging source means fall in efficiency. Apple will be focusing on overcoming these problems and make wireless charging smoother.

Apple in 2010 has filed for patents revolving around wireless charging technology, which makes an iMac, the source of wireless charging for Apple devices at a distance of 1 meter using a technique called near-field magnetic resonance.