Apple said to be working on wireless charging solution with Broadcom, may not launch until 2018

A lot has been made about what sort of wireless charging system the iPhone 8 will feature, but according to JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur, Apple has been working with Broadcom on a new customized solution.

As noted by CNBC, Sur says that Apple has been working on the solution with Broadcom for some two years.

One thing Sur notes is that the iPhone 8 will adopt a glass back, as has been rumored numerous times before. The expected glass back of the iPhone 8 reportedly reduces interference versus the metal back design. Furthermore, Apple is reportedly working on “proprietary features” including things such as fast charging and extended charging.

“We believe the glass back cover is conducive to wireless charging as it reduces signal interference versus a metal casing,” Sur wrote. “It is possible for Apple to add proprietary features such as fast charging or extended charging to differentiate itself from the pack and enhance the value of its own hardware ecosystem.”

Sur noted in his research note, however, that there’s still a possibility that wireless charging won’t be included with this year’s iPhone refresh due to increased concern about safety following the recall of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7.

Originally, it was rumored that the iPhone 8 would feature a long-range wireless solution instead of the typical inductive solution. More recently, however, rumors have shifted towards an inductive solution, though specifics remain unclear.

KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo believes that wireless charging will come to all three new iPhone models in 2017, while other reports have claimed that the feature would come to only the top-tier iPhone 8. A report recently suggested that the top-tier iPhone could cost as much as $1000.

The underlying belief has been that wireless charging would come to the iPhone 8 this year, but today’s note from Sur casts doubt on that. As to what to expect, we’ll have to wait and see. Earlier this week Apple also announced that it was joining the Wireless Power Consortium. This group focuses on the open development of the Qi standard.

What do you think? Will Apple adopt wireless charging this year or wait until next year? Speculate down in the comments.