iPhone 6 Rumors Emerge: New Charger Coming?

Lost in the iPhone 5 rumor-palooza yesterday was the juicy tidbit that the next Apple product--yes, the iPhone Six--may be coming with a new charger.

Apple Insider has already reported rumors on the iPhone 6, suggesting it will be coming soon equipped with a flashy new LCD screen. Now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that one of the updates being discussed for the new iPhone (not the one being released this year--the one being released next year) is "a new way of charging the phone." Citing anonymous "people briefed on Apple's plans," the Journal also wrote that the Cupertino company is "planning a major iPhone revamp" for 2012.

Note that this has been phrased very delicately--it is not "a new charger," but rather "a new way of charging the phone." Could the iPhone be going totally wireless? Is it ridiculous to think that Apple might be experimenting with solar charging? And from a practical point-of-view, how worried should we be that the new iPhone will no longer be compatible with any of our current chargers and accessories?

The iPhone 5, meanwhile, may be set to be released some time in autumn of this year, though Apple has yet to make a formal announcement. Check out our guide to iPhone 5 rumors here.

Comments

[Liam Murray]

05:41 PM on 07/12/2011

Do any of you remember when technological innovation was about a faster, more awesome way to travel through space and not the newest way to access Facebook?

[Marin Lucic]

12:51 PM on 07/10/2011

iPhone 26: Powered by its very own nuclear Generator, also known as iUranium (Comes in 3G version aswell)

[MED1025]

01:31 PM on 07/10/2011

Please hold out for the iPhone 28 which will be directly implanted into the user's cerebral cortex.

[Neitherpartieslapdog]

11:07 AM on 07/10/2011

Apple has successfully created the new "ME" generation. I can remember when starring at a screen all day meant you were an undereducated, unmotivated, lazy "couch potato". Now it means your trendy.

[helioszephyr]

09:40 AM on 07/11/2011

... depends on what's on the screen...
if you're watching re-runs of "Friends" or interested in the project "Gravity Probe" @ Stanford.

[jsgaetano]

01:08 AM on 07/10/2011

Each one is powered by the soul of an orphaned child.

[Neitherpartieslapdog]

10:55 AM on 07/10/2011

Too funny!!!

[themoosespeaks]

12:28 AM on 07/10/2011

Rumors I hear is that it will feed directly off of the owner's life force.

[TheSardonicAtheist]

11:03 PM on 07/09/2011

I just pre-ordered the iPhone 7. In YOUR FACE!

[Hardyman1966]

02:47 PM on 07/08/2011

I still refuse to take these people seriously until we're at least on the iPhone 10.  As it is, the 9 already sucks.  Duh.

[Aimee Bellefleur Hogan]

04:54 PM on 07/08/2011

Spam

[fgbouman]

08:09 AM on 07/08/2011

Once an itunes connection is no longer needed there's no reason not to move to inductive charging or something of that nature. Sunlight is useless except as an auxillary source.

[Sevard Montreal]

05:27 AM on 07/08/2011

I didn't buy an ipod until the 4th generation was released last year. Part of the reason was because of this constant discussion of what the 'next' generation product will provide. You always feel that it's just on the horizon, I'll just wait because 'why buy the current product, when the next one- appearing soon- will be so much better' It's bad enough the constant 'iphone 5' chatter making me feel like I shouldn't have bothered buying the 4th gen product, and now I'm extremely unlikely to upgrade to the 5 especially now we're already hearing about 6. by which point we'll be talking about 7, 8...., 9.... will I EVER upgrade? unlikely.

[CaptainObvvious]

03:18 PM on 07/08/2011

You can't always be holding off for whats next because there will ALWAYS be something coming next.

[Sevard Montreal]

02:43 AM on 07/09/2011

that logic is correct, but it does depend product to product. Should I not have bought a playstation 3 because there will be a playstation 4 at some point? well, no of course not. Apple is different though because it clearly always has a few generations of products in development at any given time, and it has a (generally) annual release schedule.
Personally, apple makes me kind of feel like I'm wasting my money- as a result they've lost a ton of money from me- as in, money I havent spent on their products- and I'm sure theres a ton of other people like me too. I suppose it just so happens that there are too many people clamouring for their stuff, with too much disposable income!

[tob221]

03:50 AM on 07/08/2011

They will probably just make the rumored iphone 5 this fall to the iPhone 4s or something like that now, and then for their new iphone 6 will probably be the 5 if they are already finding something new they want to have out before other companies beat them to the pie.

And yea jkpcguru your probably right about the "inductive Charging" but i hope they are coming up with something new, that we don't even know about yet! But if the inductive Charging is built right into the phone and not a bulky case, then it might make it more worth it.

[CaptainObvvious]

03:25 PM on 07/08/2011

Actually rumors going around now is that they have been testing iPhone 5 internal hardware in the body of iPhone 4s for secrecy reasons.

Its looking like they may be thinner, lighter and sport some type of metallic back and tapered edges like the iPad 2.

It does seem to me though that no matter how much better the internals are if the body of the phone looks the same people will see it as a minor upgrade.

From reports I am seeing the top people want to move away from the current design due to antennagate stigma.

[jkpcguru]

03:13 AM on 07/08/2011

If the iPhone 6 does have wireless charging capabilities then I bet its going to be done with "inductive Charging"

There are already Powermats with iPhone cases that charge the battery on the market.

[tob221]

03:45 AM on 07/08/2011

and if they have that bulky stupid case that you get with the charging mats but built into the iphone, now that will be pretty sick

[Mitchman57]

12:04 AM on 07/08/2011

I need to charge my stuff at night.... WHEN THERE IS NO SUNLIGHT.

When Steve finds a way to put the sun in my pocket during the day, I'll think solar charging is the way to the future --- and beyond.

If this is a pre-vis of the pad chargers already on the market.... yawn.

[CaptainObvvious]

03:27 PM on 07/08/2011

If they can do that and not require some bulky case then it would be pretty cool. I am still not a fan of the mat charging though even without the case. If I am going to have to keep my phone stationary in one place on a mat that I have plugged in I may as well just plug the phone in or buy a dock.

[Chuck Dick]

11:03 PM on 07/07/2011

Oh lord. These rumors, contrary to popular belief, are started by analysts trying to short Apple stock.

[14tavoliberal]

10:34 PM on 07/07/2011

we need to get a life!!