Apple is no stranger to stirring up controversy by getting rid of ports before anyone else. Are you trying to remember the commotion when the iPhone’s headphone jack was gone? Change will certainly happen, but some choices are just harder to accept—they leave such deep impressions that they’re sometimes hard to ignore.
Rumors are circulating of a long-term Apple iPhone that will drop ports entirely. If Apple decides to make a portless Apple iPhone, it will be another controversial option with broader implications for the entire consumer tech world. In reality, there may very well be a shaking of sensitive property. Since Wi-Fi charging would be the only charging option, additional components and other smart tech devices would have to be ready to accommodate this characteristic.
These devices may not be the dongles you are applying to. They could get to other goods in your home – products you don’t normally associate with good household savvy.
Seamless wireless charging in furniture
If there’s one detail I despise more than anything else, it’s still an extra charger in my currently overcrowded outlet. It is to be crazy. A quick look at the facet table in my neighborhood is proof enough.
In recent years, however, furniture manufacturers have become aware of the need for power consumption. There are already many faceted tables and other furnishings you can buy that come with built-in power alternatives. If a portless Apple iPhone turns out to be legit, it will push device companies to seamlessly integrate the critical components for Wi-Fi charging.
There are difficulties with this. Pieces of furniture that have built-in power, whether it’s wall outlets or USB ports, tend to be expensive beforehand – so integrating wireless charging ups the charge even further. This bedside table with built-in wireless charging from Amazon is a great example and costs $100. Comparable-looking non-powered nightstands are now available for under $50.
The price will be an issue. But if there’s one particular company that could benefit most from a portless iPhone, it’s home furnishing retailer Ikea. The company has already invested heavily in smart property, and a far more intense push into furniture with built-in wireless charging will meet demand when it arrives.
If not living room furniture, then common household technology
Chances are you currently have a wireless charger of some sort – but even then it still adds to the problem of cables everywhere. The charging pad alone is now a single additional hassle for you to connect.
Thankfully, Accent manufacturers are proactive when it comes to adding wireless charging to their products. There are multifunctional chargers, like the Pitaka Air Quad, a charging station that can charge numerous phones and add-ons simultaneously via WiFi. Comfort is great, but it’s an eyesore, mainly because it takes up a lot of space on a restricted bedside table or side table. There are plenty of other things that support wireless charging, like desk lamps and alarm clocks, to cut down on junk.
Apple has influence over accessory companies as many of them are geared towards its solutions. The Apple Look is a prime example of this. When the portless Apple iPhone becomes a reality, you can bet it will be a priority for these companies. What I’m curious about, however, is how other home appliances will evolve to coincide with this eventual fact.
John Velasco / Electronic Characteristics
Wise speakers have proven beneficial to wise property, so why not have Wi-Fi charging built into them in some way? Speakers like the Amazon Echo Dot and Google Nest Mini are affordable enough that wireless charging would solve two needs. Of course, the study can just as well extend into other classes as good shows.
A wireless revolution, thanks to Apple
Probably, a portless iPhone will quickly pursue the development of innovative wireless charging solutions. There will be a day when true wireless charging becomes a reality – the kind that doesn’t need a pad. During CES 2020 earlier this calendar year, we saw a multitude of companies continuing to produce Wi-Fi power transmission technologies. They continue to struggle with issues like variation and loading speed, but they’re improving.
We could be several years away from a functional option that can cost an iPhone within a realistic timeframe, but it will no doubt be accelerated due to Apple’s. And that’s quite worth noting given Apple’s reputation for being disruptive in the landscape right now. If there’s only one company that can start a revolution, it’s Apple.
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