Possible Apple Partner Energous Hints About Completely Wireless 'iPhone 8' Charging

Speaking to The Verge, Steve Rizzone said that the company’s wireless charging transmitters will ship before the end of the year. And he offered some not-so-subtle hints about who the firm is partnering with:

Rizzone says the partnership is with “one of the largest consumer electronic companies in the world. I cannot tell you who it is, but I can virtual guarantee that you have products from this company on your person, sitting on your desk, or at home.”

Interestingly, the company previously showed off a phone case with the technology at CES 2015. But that path changed shortly after the show:

But Rizzone says the plan changed after Energous signed a “key strategic partnership” just a month after the convention, leading to a renewed focus on miniaturizing the technology before shipping it. The deal Energous made also gave its partner the right to be the first to ship its charging technology inside of phones, laptops, tablets, and certain wearables and accessories, so Energous’ initial plan for battery phone cases had to be put on hold.

Most wireless charging solutions currently on the market require users to place their device on some type of charging pad that still needs to be plugged in. But the Energous technology, WattUp, is different and uses RF technology. There are two major parts to the system – a transmitter and receiver.

The receiver would be built into a device. One transmitter could charge up to 12 different devices simultaneously in a 30-foot area. That means an iPhone could hypothetically be charged from across the room.

If you’re interested in reading all the latest rumors about the “iPhone 8,” take a look at our recent roundup.