PowerDrop concept imagines new iPhone-to-iPhone wireless charging system
PowerDrop, a concept created by The Apple Post, envisions a new iPhone-to-iPhone wireless charging system that allows an iPhone to share power and charge another iPhone or Qi-enabled device by resting the two devices on top of each other, a feature expected to arrive with the iPhone XI later this year.
Rumors of Apple incorporating device-to-device charging (bilateral charging) were first aired by leading industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who shared within a research note that claimed Apple’s upcoming iPhone XS predecessor could feature new larger batteries for two-way charging, much like Samsung’s latest Galaxy S10.
Our concept is based on an amalgamation between the AirPods pairing process and AirDrop.
Imagining a pop-up sheet presented to a user who receives a PowerDrop request notification from a friend within close proximity of each other, we show how Apple could prompt users to rest their devices on-top of each other to begin the wireless power transfer process, and how Apple could notify a user once their power transfer is complete in a similar fashion to what’s currently seen with AirDrop on iOS.
In addition to the power sharing functionality, we imagine how Apple could introduce a Power Cap option in Settings to automatically pause PowerDrop transfers when the device sharing power has less than a set amount of battery, and options to only send or receive power.
Adding bilateral charging support to the next-generation iPhone XR and all-new iPhone XI would also mean Apple could allow users to charge their AirPods Wireless Charging Case on the go or whilst in their pocket.
Let us know what you think of the PowerDrop concept. Would you use a feature such, or does it sound like a gimmick?