Apple is working on a new iPad Pro that will act as a wireless charging pad for other devices, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
The company is reportedly investigating a feature, dubbed “reverse wireless charging,” which would allow users to charge iPhones and other gadgets by placing them on the new iPad.
To accommodate wireless charging, the iPad will move to a glass-backed design, bringing the tablet’s aesthetic into line with the current lineup of iPhones.
Apple reportedly plans to release the larger Pro model next year, with a revamped version of the iPad Mini featuring a thinner bezel – or frame – to come later in 2021.
The new iPad Mini may also come without a home button.
The cost of wireless charging
While some users say that wireless charging is more convenient than wired connections, the technology comes at a cost.
If everyone in the world switched to wireless charging, it would have a measurable impact on the global power grid.
Last year, a report by device repair site iFixit and technology writer Eric Ravenscraft found that wireless charging uses almost 50 per cent more energy on average than charging with a wired connection.
If every one of the world’s 3.5 billion smartphones were to switch to wireless charging, the energy demand of those devices could skyrocket, the report said.
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“If all of a sudden, the 3 billion-plus smartphones that are in use, if all of them take 50 per cent more power to charge, that adds up to a big amount. So it’s a society-wide issue, not a personal issue,” said iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens in an interview with OneZero.