New images shared on Weibo appear to show a circular array of magnets housed inside an "iPhone 12" chassis. The unverified images depict 36 individual magnets in a circular arrangement, suggesting they could be related to mounting or charging.
EverythingApplePro, who shared the Weibo-originating images on Twitter, also posted an image of an alleged iPhone 12 case with a similar array of magnets built in, which he suggests are "likely for perfect alignment with Apple's wireless chargers."
Apple hasn't released any native wireless chargers for iPhone. The company canceled its much-anticipated AirPower charging mat last year due to quality concerns. Rumors persist that it continues to work on an AirPower-like charging mat, although faked images have been shared in support of this.
Back in January, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expected Apple to release a small wireless charging mat in the first half of the year, but no such product materialized in that timeframe.
For months ahead of their unveiling, last year's iPhone 11 series was rumored to feature a Qi-based device-to-device charging feature, allowing for an Apple Watch, AirPods, and other accessories to charge on the back of the iPhones. The feature was expected to be similar to Wireless PowerShare on Samsung's Galaxy S10.
According to one leaker, the iPhone 11 series includes the necessary hardware for a two-way charging feature that was widely rumored for the devices, but Apple disabled the feature on the software end. According to Kuo, the feature was abandoned because the charging efficiency did not meet Apple's requirements.
Yup. Official iPhone 12 cases will also have this magnet system built in. Likely for perfect alignment with Apple's wireless chargers. pic.twitter.com/eDEQ474NIX
— EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) August 5, 2020
We're expecting Apple to launch four iPhones in three display sizes this year, and a recent rumor has suggested Apple could release the devices in two stages.
Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued.
The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models.
In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring.
There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category.
M4...
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker.
In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19.
"Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag.
The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle.
Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by Juli Clover
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch.
All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week.
Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far.
Apple Intelligence for Siri
Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products.
Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year.
Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2.
HomePod mini 2
In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...
So...question here... I’ve been walking 7,000 miles across the highest peaks in America armed with the most capable iPhone on earth for ultralight backpacking... the OG SE
Every Apple device designed under Tim Cook has lessened the end user experience compared to the Steve Jobs SE. It’s 50% lighter than the lightest iPhone on the market in 2020, and has 4x the sound spectrum capability that any iPhone can produce in 2020. (However the iPhone 4 still has the best DAC ever planted in an iPhone, using German precision components instead of the cheap Asian crud that is favored by the gullible masses today)
I would never ever purchase an Apple device that is bogged down with stainless steel or copper charging coils which add undo weight and add zero to the end user experience of a human being who does a marathon every day.
Is there a way to remove these wireless charging components from the device by taking it to an aftermarket cell phone repair shop and having a technician take the phone apart?
Reason being is that I’m intrigued that Apple is actually releasing a slightly smaller device this year, but it will be bogged down by these unnecessary components and will weigh in at around 6.5-7 ounces. If these components are removed then the device should be lighter and more capable for marathons. It’s a shame that Tim Cook is only doubling the RAM in the 5.4 inch 2020 iPhone compared to the OG SE. Looks like 2021 is the best year to upgrade, this cycle reminds me of the iPhone 6...and Tim Cook purposefully gimped the RAM on that device for planned obsolescence. The iPhone 6S & SE still fires today because of RAM.
6GB RAM should be the minimum for the 5.4 inch iPhone, and they are gimping the 2020 5.4 so that the 2021 5.4 will be powered by the same RAM that the 2020 Pro models have. Would really enjoy a snappier processor and more local storage capacity over the 128 GB OG SE, and that is why the 5.4 inch iPhone intrigued me...but only if I can lessen the weight of the device to make it more capable for marathons
Of course. Apple should just think of the 0.0000000000000000001% of their customer pool that run marathons with their phones in their backpacks, and therefore remove any feature from the phone that can not be used while climbing the highest peaks. The only user experience that matters is yours, and the rest of the customers have to live acording to your needs.
