iPhone 12 preps to pounce on Galaxy S20! Hidden charging feature exposed

The iPhone 12 line may just have debuted, but that doesn't mean we're not still trying to unlock all of its secrets. 

Out of all of the intriguing hidden capabilities that Apple's latest device may house, it appears that one of the most interesting may very well be reverse wireless charging. 

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Of course, the iPhone 12 as we know it doesn't do that. But according to a newly-uncovered series of FCC filings, it's very possible that said feature could actually exist; we just may not have access to it.

First spotted by VentureBeat's Jeremy Horwitz, the filings indicate that the iPhone 12 actually "supports a built-in inductive charging transmitter and receiver." We already know that the phone utilizes a new charging standard in the form of MagSafe, but this is built-in charging transmitter is something Apple hasn't officially announced in any of its iPhone 12 talks.

Where the MagSafe standard utilizes magnets to align accessories – such as the new Qi-compatible wireless charging puck you can purchase as an alternative to a Lightning cable – reverse wireless charging is a new frontier. As it stands, attempting to use any sort of reverse charging method with the iPhone 12 currently does nothing.

If there is some sort of capacity for reverse charging in the iPhone 12, however, the functionality may be limited in scope. The FCC filings note that the "only accessory" that can be charged by "iPhones" is an external accessory from Apple in the future. What's more, it would only occur when connected to an AC power outlet.

This is a far cry from unlimited reverse wireless charging, but certainly interesting enough to follow to see if Apple formally introduces it in the future.

Source: Tom's Guide