As we count down the hours to Samsung's launch event for its next generation S IV smartphone, one of the things we can be relatively certain of that will be included in the package is a wireless charging capability through the now standard Qi interface (as the Nokia Lumia 920 does), which requires internal phone circuitry and a charging pad. Or Samsung may choose to provide that circuitry through a different back cover. There are Qi charging cases available for the iPhone already as well.
For Apple, however, the use of a charging pad is simply not an elegant solution to the charging problem - there isn't much of a difference between the end of an electrical adaptor and the charging pad - other than the charging pad ends up taking up a lot more space.
Instead, Apple is looking at ways to charge its devices through near-field magnetic resonance - also known as induction charging - without requiring the charging pad. We've previously noted at least one set of patents Apple has developed and filed on this front, though these patents demonstrate a wireless charging method rather than a real world application of the method.
Today, however, additional Apple patents have been uncovered by AppleInsider that begin to get into ways that induction charging can be used by Apple to power its iPads - and possibly its iPhones. And yes, we mean without the need for that additional external charging pad.
Instead of a stationary dock serving as the power source, Apple's invention will possibly make use of the iPad Smart Cover to hold the inductive power transmitter. Such a transmitter - or transmitters - will work with an internal battery that is also enclosed within the case or smart cover, basically creating a true on the go wireless charger as well as (since there is a battery in place) a secondary source for additional power.
The segmented iPad cover that we are all familiar with can be easily modified to contain battery cells and the requisite wireless charging technology. When the cover is in place and closed it will charge the iPad if it needs charging. Under this circumstance the iPad is of course also turned off. The iPad smart cover is already precisely aligned, which ensures that there will always be a proper mating between the cover and the iPad itself. The image below shows one possible configuration.
The cover can conceivably also work to function as an additional power source to the iPad's battery to provide longer use time when the iPad is not turned off - for example in the case where the cover is configured to serve as a stand, as the image below shows.
Apple is likely to further push such technology to also power devices such as mice and keyboards. These are very low power devices and it should not be difficult to charge them wirelessly. This would take place through extending the range of the resulting virtual charging field. The distance and the possibility of objects blocking the wireless paths to these devices need to be overcome, but Apple has ideas on how to do this. We'll limit our discussion here, however, to simply advancing the notion that Apple will likely pursue this.
As with the iPad, the iPhone can also be charged in this manner though what Apple might design here remains to be seen - perhaps the iPhone will get its own foldable smart cover. Or perhaps for those that own both an iPad and an iPhone there will be a way to utilize the iPad cover to charge the iPhone.
Current iPad models, including the latest 4th generation version, don't have the necessary circuitry for the above to become real. Rather, this is something we may reasonably expect to appear in the next iPad release. And perhaps we'll see something here as well for the next iPhone.
Ultimately, however, wireless charging is implemented for mobile devices - with or without a charging pad - it is possibly convenient, but even Apple's possible approach represents nothing more than an incremental improvement on how we do things today. In baseball parlance, we're merely hitting singles.
Edited by
Brooke Neuman 
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