iPhone 12 Series Has a Hidden Reverse Wireless Charging Feature, US FCC Filings Tip

The US FCC filings say that the iPhone 12 models support WPT charging function at 360kHz to charge accessories.

Advertisement
By Veer Arjun Singh | Updated: 28 October 2020 14:25 IST
Highlights
  • The iPhone 12 could charge future Apple accessories
  • Its potential reverse charging feature is indicated in FCC filings
  • The feature is speculated to be triggered by future AirPods variants

The filings say only a future Apple accessory could potentially be charged by the iPhone 12 series

iPhone 12 series could have the requisite hardware for reversive wireless charging that was first rumoured to be coming with the iPhone 11 last year, Apple's US FCC documentation for the series indicates. The iPhone 12 series launched on October 14, however, Apple never announced the feature, and it's certainly disabled on the iPhone 12 series for now. The speculation is that Apple might enable the feature through a software update later, though, the possibility exists the hardware may remain disabled forever.

The details about the charging abilities of the iPhone 12 were first tweeted by Jeremy Horwitz. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman later followed it up by sharing the FCC filing on Twitter and speculating that the MagSafe reverse wireless charging feature on the iPhone 12 might be used by Apple's two new rumoured AirPods true wireless earphones.

The FCC filings noted that in addition to being charged by a WPT wall charger, the iPhone 12 models also support WPT charging function at 360kHz to charge accessories. It further said that only a future Apple accessory could potentially be charged by the phones, hinting at a new AirPods variant or even Apple's rumoured AirTags.

Advertisement

A teardown of the iPhone 11 Pro had revealed to have components that were part of the reverse wireless charging infrastructure that Apple was said to have removed just before the 2019 launch.

Another report based on Apple's recent FCC filings for the iPhone 12 reveals that Apple has also disabled MagSafe fast charging on the iPhone 12 models through third-party adapters or even the heavier capacity MacBook adapter. The iPhone 12 series seems to be only getting its max 15W fast charging through Apple's own 20W USB Type-C adapter sold separately.

Advertisement

Apart from the rumoured Airpods and AirTags, Apple is also said to be working on a new pair of over-ear headphones called AirPods Studio. The headphones are rumoured to have magnetic earcups and a reversible feature that automatically detects left/right ear for channeled sound.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro become available in India on October 30. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max can be pre-ordered from November 6 and will become available starting November 13.

Advertisement

Is iPhone SE the ultimate 'affordable' iPhone for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Vivo Y31 Series With 6,500mAh Battery Launched in India: See Price
  2. Samsung Begins Rolling Out One UI 8 Update to the Galaxy S25 Series
  3. Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale: Discounts on Motorola Phones Announced
  4. iOS 26 Update Brings These New Features to AirPods Pro 3, Pro 2, AirPods 4
  5. Samsung Galaxy S25 FE With 50-Megapixel Camera Launched in India: See Price
  6. Check What's New for Your iPhone in Apple's Latest iOS 26 Update
  7. Vivo V60e 5G Design, Price Leaked; May Use Same Chip as Vivo V50e
  8. iQOO 15 Live Image Leaked; Company Reveals Display Details
  9. Oppo F31 Pro+ 5G Review
  10. GTA 6 Will Be the 'Largest Game Launch in History', Says Rockstar Games
  1. American Express Launches NFT Passport Stamps to Commemorate Travel Memories
  2. Huawei Watch GT 6, GT 6 Pro Price, Specifications Leak Ahead of September 19 Launch: Report
  3. iPhone 17 Pro Max in Cosmic Orange Colourway Reportedly Out of Stock in the US, India
  4. Samsung Galaxy Tab A11, Galaxy Tab A11+ Leaked Renders Hint at Design, Specifications
  5. Apple Adds New and Upgraded Apple Intelligence Features for iPhone, iPad and Mac Devices
  6. MediaTek Dimensity 9500 Launch Date Announced; Company Designs Its First Chip Using TSMC’s 2nm Process
  7. Vivo V60e 5G Design, Price in India Leaked; Said to Feature 6,500mAh Battery, Dimensity 7300 SoC
  8. Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale: Poco F7 5G Price to Drop Under Rs. 30,000, Discounts on Poco X7, M7 Series Revealed
  9. Bitcoin Holds Near $115,800 as Altcoins Face Selling Pressure
  10. GTA 6 Will Be the 'Largest Game Launch in History', Says Rockstar Games
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.