Apple was granted a patent Thursday for a concept in which smartphones are charged by only using signals emitted by routers.
The wireless charging technology would utilize special antennas. As the official license application notes, many electronic devices like cell phones and computers are embedded with antennas, meaning wireless communication is already extensive and possible. Implanting the antennas carefully is critical because “sensitivity to antenna misalignment and other issues can make it difficult or impossible to achieve desired levels of performance.”
The tech conglomerate first filed the patent in October of 2015.
If the technology eventually comes to fruition (which is not guaranteed, considering the massive amounts of patents similar companies file) it would solve one of people’s biggest problems with smartphones. For the most part, consumers, or cell phone enthusiasts, often finds themselves with little to no battery power and without their wired charger. (RELATED: Amazon Wants Flying Warehouses Now)
Whether it’s a doctor who needs to communicate with colleagues, or a spouse trying to relay a message to their significant other, many people rely on their phones’ ability to transmit information (not to mention the vast amounts of other smartphone capabilities).
Airports, and other transportation hubs, have installed hundreds of mobile charging stations in recent years. Such outlet amenities could be dangerous, though, making Apple’s potential technology all the more auspicious. Public ports are inherently more susceptible to surreptitious hacking.
“Just by plugging your phone into a [compromised] power strip or charger, your device is now infected, and that compromises all your data,” Drew Paik, head of marketing at Authentic8, a security firm, told CNN. “If they’re concerned about security, don’t use public ports. If they’re desperate and need to upload your selfie, take your chances.”
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