Energous

Back when Android manufacturers were adding wireless charging to their phones and Apple wasn’t, one popular theory was that the iPhone maker was skipping contact-based chargers and holding out for long-distance ones. In the end, of course, Apple finally opted for the same contact-based Qi chargers as everyone else.

But resonance chargers – which require the device to be placed extremely close to the charging coils – offer limited benefit. Sure, it’s convenient to be able to just put your iPhone X down on a wireless charging dock and pick it up again later without having to fiddle with the Lightning cable, but you still have just as many cables as ever – they are now simply attached to docks.

RF-based long-distance charging – promoted by companies like Energous – promises far greater benefit, allowing devices to be charged anywhere in the same room as the charger. So why didn’t Apple wait … ?

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A new patent application by Apple hints at RF-based long-range wireless charging, along the lines of the Energous system which was recently granted FCC approval.

As is usual with Apple patent applications, the wording is as general as possible – encompassing both wired and wireless charging – but the problem it aims to solve does appear to be one that arises primarily with long-range wireless charging …

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While contact-based wireless charging can be handy, the true holy grail is long-range charging – allowing all products to be automatically charged anywhere in a room. We’re not quite there yet, but Energous has been working on the technology for some time now, and has just announced an important step along the way.

The company has received the first ever Federal Communications Commission for power-at-a-distance charging …

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