The next iPhone is rumored to be able to charge up your other gadgets

iPhone XS Max
Image credit: TechRadar

Reversible wireless charging – the ability to charge other gadgets as well as be charged wirelessly – is heading to the iPhone 11, according to supply chain sources... and it isn't the first time we've heard this particular rumor.

Japanese blog Mac Otakara says its insiders are confident that the Wireless PowerShare technology will make its way into at least some of the 2019 iPhone models when they're unveiled (probably in September).

In theory that would mean you could drop your new AirPods case or your Apple Watch on top of a charged-up iPhone and have some of the power transferred across – handy for those times when you're on the road all day.

It's a feature we've seen before on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S10, so it makes sense for Apple to want to follow suit as well.

Straight from the rumor mill

The technology itself goes back to 2015, but it's taken a while for it to become adopted in mainstream consumer smartphones. There have been one or two earlier whispers that Apple would integrate the feature into its iPhones this year.

Also from the same report, the iPhone 11 models are rumored to be getting faster wired charging via a USB-C to Lightning cable – maybe up to 18W. This is one area where the iPhone still lags behind its Android rivals.

And what else might we see when the 2019 iPhone 11 unveiling rolls around? Apparently one or more models might include the ability to scan the veins in your face to verify your identity.

If that hasn't sold you on the next iPhone, what about a triple-lens rear camera for upping your mobile photography game? That's been reported by multiple outlets and so looks likely to happen at this point.

Via AppleInsider

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David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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