New York, USA (CNN) – Remember those old days when your cell phone was running out of battery, so you could easily remove the back cover of the phone, pull out the battery and replace it with a fully charged one?
Those days may be over, but Apple is rumored to be developing something similar: a battery device that attaches magnetically and wirelessly to charge your iPhone while it’s in use.
The company has been working for at least a year on a battery that can be attached to the back of the iPhone 12 using MAGSafe, the same technology that the new Apple devices use to connect to wireless charging pads and other accessories, according to a Bloomberg report, citing people familiar with the matter.
Apple had been planning to launch the product in the months following the release of the iPhone 12 in October II, but it had encountered software problems such as “a signal warning of the battery overheating,” according to the report. Sources told Bloomberg that development challenges could cause the product to be delayed or canceled altogether.
“Apple” did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the report, and an “Apple” spokesman refused to comment on the Bloomberg report.
Although the technology may seem like technology from the future, it has been used before in the Moto Z, a Motorola phone that features some bold innovations.
Motorola has sold a slim battery accessory that attaches to the back of the Moto Z using magnets and adds up to 16 hours to battery life. The phone also has other accessories, including a high-quality speaker and zoom camera.
And unlike the smart battery case that Apple made for its iPhone X lineup, the magnetic battery for the iPhone 12 will not be a “complete protective case,” although some accessory prototypes have a rubber outer cover, Bloomberg reported.
The portable battery accessory could be especially useful for customers who use the 5G network on their phones, which are expected to consume more battery power than the 4G LTE connection.
Apple’s wearable devices, home appliances and accessories sector generated record revenues of about $ 13 billion in the quarter ended December 26, 2020, representing more than 11% of the company’s total sales.
