Wireless charging and new glass casing will require heat compensation in Apple's 'iPhone X'

In reimagining the iPhone from the ground up with new features like wireless charging, Apple will reportedly also have to rethink how the handset is built, adding a thin graphite sheet to the handset's internals to prevent overheating.

This year's anticipated flagship iPhone, known colloquially as an "iPhone X" for the smartphone's 10th anniversary, is expected to switch to a glass external casing while also offering wireless charging. Wireless charging adds heat, and glass handles that heat poorer than metal.

In addition, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, the switch to a new film sensor for 3D Touch in the new handset is more sensitive to heat. As a result, he expects that Apple's "iPhone X" or "iPhone 8" will gain a graphite sheet to help dissipate heat.

The new 3D Touch sensor is expected to cost between 30 and 50 percent more than the one currently found in the iPhone 7 series. The assorted cost increases could explain why rumors suggest the "iPhone X" will carry a starting price tag of more than $1,000.

If Apple didn't laminate an additional graphite sheet with the new design, the high-end iPhone could become prone to malfunctioning due to overheating.

But with the design change, Kuo says Apple has addressed the issue, and users won't notice a difference.

Kuo believes that the OLED iPhone will offer a better 3D Touch experience for users, though he didn't indicate in what ways performance or capabilities might improve. The details, including forecasts for 3D Touch module suppliers GIS and TPK, were revealed in a note to investors on Thursday, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider.

Reports have suggested the iPhone will see a design shakeup this year, enabling Apple to embed key features — including the FaceTime camera, earpiece and Touch ID fingerprint sensor— beneath the display, boasting a truly seamless edge-to-edge design.

Alongside the premium "iPhone X," Apple is also expected to launch successors to the iPhone 7 series in similar designs, sized with the same 4.7- and 5.5-inch screens. It is rumored that those handsets will stick with LCD technology for their displays, while the OLED iPhone will have a "considerably better" panel, helping to justify its jumbo-sized price tag.

Kuo suggested on Thursday that the so-called "iPhone 7s" handsets will also feature wireless charging, making the technology the new standard for the company's product lineup.

70 Comments

macxpress 5910 comments · 16 Years

About 7 years ago

sog35 said:

Wireless charging is a huge, big, waste of time, IMO.

But I'll trust Tim Cook's judgement in the end.

I mean, how much effort is it to plug my iPhone? 1 second?
What if the iPhone X doesn't have any ports? Why would you need a port if you can wirelessly charge it? I'm tell ya people this is coming soon...as soon as Apple gets wireless charging down, that lighting port will be a thing of the past. You can sync it wirelessly, connect bluetooth devices to it (wirelessly)such as EarPods and now charging wirelessly. No need for a lightning port anymore. I know this will piss people off just like the headphone jack, but people will get over it just like they did with the headphone jack missing.

volcan 1799 comments · 10 Years

About 7 years ago

One down side to wireless charging is that you can't pick up the phone and use it while charging. Might be convenient for cars that offer that capability because you are not supposed to pick up the phone while driving anyway, but I'd rather just have a battery that lasts all day under heavy usage so that I only need to charge at night where plugging it in is no big deal. I imagine a wireless charger is going to be a bit bulky, so not really that convenient to carry around.

redraider11 186 comments · 9 Years

About 7 years ago

sog35 said:

Wireless charging is a huge, big, waste of time, IMO.

But I'll trust Tim Cook's judgement in the end.

I mean, how much effort is it to plug my iPhone? 1 second?

I don't understand how someone can be so unimaginative and against technological progress, but ok.

I think it would be amazing to be able to lay my phone down anywhere on my nightstand, desk, or in my car and just have it start charging without having to fumble around for a cable. This is assuming it works over a reasonable distance rather than a charging pad.

Everything else is wireless, and if we can make charging work, then why not that too? I guess you were against wireless syncing and Bluetooth back in the day as well though.

waverboy 104 comments · 10 Years

About 7 years ago

volcan said:

One down side to wireless charging is that you can't pick up the phone and use it while charging. Might be convenient for cars that offer that capability because you are not supposed to pick up the phone while driving anyway, but I'd rather just have a battery that lasts all day under heavy usage so that I only need to charge at night where plugging it in is no big deal.

This isn't induction charging, this is actual wireless charging that works from a distance of at least a few feet.

goofy1958 166 comments · 13 Years

About 7 years ago

volcan said:

One down side to wireless charging is that you can't pick up the phone and use it while charging. Might be convenient for cars that offer that capability because you are not supposed to pick up the phone while driving anyway, but I'd rather just have a battery that lasts all day under heavy usage so that I only need to charge at night where plugging it in is no big deal. I imagine a wireless charger is going to be a bit bulky, so not really that convenient to carry around.

Umm, that isn't wireless charging at all. Apple seems to be working on true wireless, where there is a module plugged into the wall, but no wires whatsoever to your phone or a stupid pad. Not too mention being able to use it while charging. No one else has done that yet, even though Samsung states th wireless charging, they're lying.

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