Hooray! Reports indicate that the iPhone 8 will finally introduce wireless charging, something that Android first introduced way back with the Nexus 4 in 2012. You see those charging pads now being built into cars and in cafes and want in on the action with your iPhone. Well, don’t get too excited because Apple is pulling another classic Apple move on you.
Rather than allow the iPhone 8 to adopt the nearly universal Qi Wireless charging standard that everybody else uses, Apple will add a layer of software that blocks the charges unless they come from certain Apple approved (read: those who pay Apple for the privilege) chargers. Oh yeah, and those Apple approved chargers will charge half as quickly as standard Qi chargers. The worst part? The chargers themselves are fully capable of charging the iPhone 8, but Apple is adding a layer on top so your dying phone will refuse to charge current that isn’t approved by Apple. This is also why Apple is saying wireless charging might not be available on day 1 but will be added later. That is, wireless charging will be disabled until Apple can add their proprietary barrier to prevent you from charging on the cheap.
The rub is that now we will once again see a rush of companies adapting to the Apple wireless charging technology and abandoning the standard that had grown to near universal acceptance. Right now you can buy Qi charging pads for something like $20 or even less, which is surely not going to fly for an iPhone. Will you be willing to spend $60+ for a charging pad that’s half as good or will you just stick to cables?