iPhone 11 Lineup Said to Include Two-Way Charging Hardware, But Software Disabled

iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max models include the necessary hardware for a two-way charging feature that was widely rumored for the devices, but Apple has disabled the feature on the software end, according to "reliable sources" cited by leaker and former Apple blogger Sonny Dickson.


Dickson, through his connections, has proven reliable at times in the past. He had early line of sight on the AirPower's development challenges, for example, and the wireless charging mat was eventually canceled.

For months ahead of their unveiling, the latest iPhones were rumored to feature a Qi-based device-to-device charging feature, allowing for an Apple Watch, AirPods, and other accessories to charge on the back of the iPhones. The feature was expected to be similar to Wireless PowerShare on Samsung's Galaxy S10.

samsung wireless powershare
The centered Apple logo on the iPhone 11 models was even believed to be partly intended to help customers know where to place their AirPods, Apple Watch, or other accessories to charge on the back of the iPhone.

Just hours before Apple's event this week, however, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the feature appeared to have been canceled. In a note seen by MacRumors, Kuo said the feature was possibly abandoned because "the charging efficiency may not meet Apple's requirements."

greeniphone11pro
Teardowns of the iPhone 11 models will soon confirm whether the two-way charging hardware is in fact present in the devices. Deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin Friday, September 20.

(Thanks, Burak Polat!)

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple TV Plus Feature 2 Magenta and Blue

Apple TV+ Curbs Costs After Expensive Projects Fail to Capture Viewers

Monday July 22, 2024 5:11 am PDT by
Apple is scaling back its Hollywood spending after investing over $20 billion in original programming with limited success, Bloomberg reports. This shift comes after the streaming service, which launched in 2019, struggled to capture a significant share of the market, accounting for only 0.2% of TV viewership in the U.S., compared to Netflix's 8%. Despite heavy investment, critical acclaim,...
bsod

Microsoft Blames European Commission for Major Worldwide Outage

Monday July 22, 2024 11:55 am PDT by
Last Friday, a major CrowdStrike outage impacted PCs running Microsoft Windows, causing worldwide issues affecting airlines, retailers, banks, hospitals, rail networks, and more. Computers were stuck in continuous recovery loops, rendering them unusable. The failure was caused by an update to the CrowdStrike Falcon antivirus software that auto-installed on Windows 10 PCs, but Mac and Linux...

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
64 months ago
For those thinking this will be enabled in a future software update, don’t get your hopes up. It would’ve been a selling point, and Apple would’ve talked about it on stage.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markfc Avatar
64 months ago
Would prefer wireless charging pads built into both sides of the trackpad on my MacBook Pro so I could charge my AirPods/Apple Watch at work without additional cables.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marzel Avatar
64 months ago
The charging efficiency is probably very bad. People are complaining about the Samsung Powershare feature as well. Basically, 80% of power is completely lost as heat (Example: one phone loses 15% battery while the other only gains 3%). It might be ok to charge small devices like an apple watch or the airpods but definitely not a phone.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marzel Avatar
64 months ago
This is actually one reason why the new iPhone Pro is disappointing. Imagine going on a weekend trip with your iPhone and Apple Watch. With this technology you wont need to bring your watch charging cable with you. Just take a shower and put your watch on the back of the iPhone while the smartwatch is being charged by cable.
Here is the thing, it'll need to be a pretty loooooong shower.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
64 months ago
People really are clamoring for this feature? This is nothing to get worked up about Lol.

How often would you pop your AirPods on your phone to charge?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tribeaumes Avatar
64 months ago
Does anyone really give a damn about this feature? I sure don’t. Sounds like it’s just another thing to complain about just because and when we finally have it no one will ever use it.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)