Two newly issued Apple patents show that a MacBook wirelessly charges an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and an iPad wirelessly charges an iPhone and Apple Watch.
The plans were discovered by Patently Apple, Apple’s news gathering blog reported The tech giant had filed patents for two-way charging coils that can be used to charge the MacBook itself, but which can also be used to charge the MacBook other devices.
Could this mean the next line of MacBooks can wirelessly charge your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch? Well, Apple tends to be fuzzy about details, deliberately burying the specifics of the patent in common jargon to make sure the claims stay as broad as possible.
The company writes: “A portable electronic device consisting of […] An inductive transmitter coil is configured to wirelessly transmit power through the back of the case to an external device located near the back of the case. ”
See? Not really clear at all. Of course, patents don’t always mean production – especially when it comes to Apple.
In 2019, Apple canceled its AirPower wireless charging mat project after prototype products failed to meet the company’s high standards. Samsung also famously abandoned its plans for a foldable phone – called “Project V” – in 2018 that never saw the light of day.
In any case, it’s clear that MacBook-induced wireless charging is in some ways in the works at Apple. Whether this functionality will be available with the next generation of M1 Macs remains to be seen.
