iPhone 8 Rumors: Wireless Charging Accessory Will Be Sold Separately, Could Be Launched After Smartphone Release Date

The iPhone 8 is rumored to come with wireless charging technology, which could include a standalone charging accessory. However, Apple blogger John Gruber said the accessory might not launch September with the iPhone.

Gruber said he heard the accessory will be sold separately and will not come included with the smartphone and that it would be released when iOS 11.1 launches. iOS 11 is due this fall alongside the 2017 iPhone lineup, so iOS 11.1 is expected after that.

Read: iPhone 8 News: Samsung Building World's Biggest OLED Production Facility For Apple Display Orders

“I’ve heard that inductive charging will (a) be sold separately, and (b) might be late, waiting for iOS 11.1 (a la Portrait mode last year),” said Gruber in a tweet picked up by MacRumors.

The tweet comes after KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note recently the upcoming iPhone 8, iPhone 7S, iPhone 7S Plus will feature glass bodies for WPC-standard (Wireless Power Consortium) wireless charging functionality.

Wireless Charging Rumors

There have been other reports surrounding the iPhone 8’s rumored wireless technology. Last month, Nikkei reported iPhone assembler Wistron confirmed the upcoming iPhones will be waterproof and will have a wireless charging feature.

"Assembly process for the previous generations of [iPhones] have not changed much, though new features like waterproof and wireless charging now require some different testing, and waterproof function will alter the assembly process a bit,” Wistron CEO Robert Hwang told reporters last month.

In April, Nikkei reported the iPhone 8 could be delayed because suppliers were struggling perfect key components, including the device’s OLED display, new printed circuit boards and wireless charging. Apple and its suppliers were working to patch up overheating problems with wireless charging components, the report said.

Read: Qualcomm Lawsuit Against Apple Wants iPhone Imports And Sales To Be Halted

In the Spring, Israeli blog The Verifier said the iPhone 8 could feature Apple’s “Smart Connector” for wireless charging and augmented reality and virtual reality accessories. That report came a few months after Kuo suggested in February this year’s Apple iPhone lineup will feature wireless charging.

iPhone 8 Rumors, Price

The iPhone 8 is rumored to come with an embedded Touch ID, vertical dual-camera system and a 3D-sensing front camera, which could allow for AR and VR capabilities and facial recognition technology. The device is expected to come with a True Tone feature for the display, a 10W power adapter with USB-C connector and an integrated USB-C Power Delivery chip, which will allow for faster charging.

The device is rumored to come with an edge-to-edge OLED display. Apple is reportedly set to receive 80 million panels delivered from Samsung for the smartphone. The iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus, which will be released this fall with the iPhone 8, are expected to have LCD display screens.

The 10th anniversary iPhone, which could also be called the iPhone X, iPhone Pro or iPhone Edition, could cost more than $1,000.