Apple has recently applied for a questionable patent which will add a newer and a lot safer function than a refrigerator magnet for its Smart Cover for their iPad line. They are proposing filling these screen protectors with their own batteries, enabling them to charge the iPad or the iPad mini when it's not in use. Taking advantage of the magnetic hinges that attach to the mobile device, the Smart Cover can "wirelessly" charge an iPad through an induction transmitter and receiver.
Of course, wireless charging is definitely not a new technology. Over the past few years many engineers have developed a way to charge multiple mobile devices by simply placing them on a single charging station. Technically, what Apple is proposing is indeed wireless charging, but I honestly don't understand why they don't just call it an external battery. The biggest catch to these portable wireless charger Smart Covers is that they will also need to be charged every once in a while. They will not be any different from the typical battery cases people equip their smartphones with. I wonder how efficient this technology will be, and honestly, I don't think these will hit the market anytime soon. Thousands of patents never become real products, and I think Apple is just calling dibs on an interesting idea that's not quite complete yet.
Peter,
ReplyDeletethank you for a great post.
I really like this innovation, and if Apple is able to develop it, the way we use wireless devices might change completely. We won't have to walk around trying to find an outlet to charge the Ipad as much, and with the smart cover battery life of it will increase drastically.
That's very interesting. I would imagine that usually a consumer would want a case/cover to be as thin as possible, especially with something as large as an iPad. With that, I think it would be quite difficult to package a battery inside a cover. But who knows.
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