Japanese blog Mac Otakara claimed Saturday that iPhone 8’s rumored wireless charging feature may require a dedicated wireless charger accessory that customers would need to purchase separately. Citing reliable sources within Apple’s supply chain, the story goes on to say that iPhone 8 also won’t ship with the 3.5mm headphone jack adapter found in the iPhone 7 box nor will it come with a Lightning to USB-C cable as some have hoped.
If I’m reading the machine-translated text correctly, wireless charging on iPhone 8 should be an optional feature requiring an additional purchase of a separate accessory. That accessory is said to be based on technology from Chinese company Luxshare that has built wireless charging coils for Apple Watch’s inductive charger.
It’s unclear how much convenience the optional wireless charger accessory might bring if it would need to be plugged into the wall, as opposed to the widely-adopted USB cord. Assuming Mac Otakara’s sources are correct, iPhone 8 will use inductive wireless charging akin to Apple Watch or Samsung’s Qi-based Fast Charge stand rather than have truly wireless long-range charging capabilities.
The Japanese report claims that a Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter will no longer come in the box alongside 2017 iPhones. Similarly, new iPhones are said to ship with a Lightning to USB-A cable rather than a Lightning to USB-C one.
In other words, Apple’s Lightning to USB-C cable is expected to remain an optional purchase—those wishing to connect their iPhone 8 to the new MacBook Pro will need to spend extra cash on a Lightning to USB-C cable.
The publication reiterates previous reports which called for three new iPhone models this year: the LCD-based (and mostly iterative) 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 7s and iPhone 7 Plus models, respectively, plus a brand new iPhone 8 device with an all-new industrial design and an OLED display measuring five inches diagonally.
Unlike earlier reports from Nikkei and KGI Securities, sources mentioned in the Mac Otakara story are adamant that only OLED-based iPhones will in fact adopt an all-glass design with wireless charging capabilities.