Apple Tried to Catch Up With the iPhone 8 and Are Failing
posted Sunday Jul 16, 2017 by Scott Ertz
It's no secret that the iPhone is behind its competitors in technology. The devices have inferior batteries, they don't offer NFC or wireless charging, features that almost all other smartphones on the market seem to offer. One place that Apple has always excelled has been in keeping its mouth shut about what's going on inside, something that does not seem to be the case anymore. When you combine these 2 scenarios, you end up with a list of instances of leaks about issues with the 10th Anniversary iPhone. The device, being called the iPhone 8 or iPhone X in rumors, seems to have more than its fair share of production issues.
This week, we learned that the rumored Apple inductive charging plate, which looks suspiciously like a Palm Touchstone, is being delayed. In fact, it is possible it will not launch with the device at all. All signs point to Apple including technology from our friends at the Wireless Power Consortium, which produces the standard Qi. This standard is the same, that is in most Android and Windows Phones. Apple is a member of the organization, so using the technology is not terrible surprising.
So where might Apple be having problems including this technology? It's possible that Apple was trying to build-in long-range wireless charging technology, but was incapable of including it in time, as the technology is still very new. Instead, they are opting for the Qi standard. It's not an unusual scenario for Apple to ignore standards and instead build around technology that is unpopular or unproven, so this is not a far-fetched suggestion. According to Apple blogger John Gruber, the technology "might be late," suggesting that there is still a possibility of pulling it off in time.
Another suggestion for the delay comes in the form of another rumor. It is said that Apple is having trouble building software to take advantage of several of the pieces of hardware included in the new device. For example, rumors have been around for weeks that Apple cannot quite figure out how to get the under-screen Touch ID to work. If that's the case it's possible that the delay on including Qi could be entirely software driven. The theory becomes even more sound because rumors suggest that the 3D sensor on the front, which works similar to Microsoft Kinect or the Dynamic Perspective on Amazon's disastrous Fire Phone, is suffering the same fate. Apparently, according to Fast Company sources, the hardware works fine, but Apple's software engineers can't figure out how to make them work.
If the software issues continue to be a problem, Apple will have to make a very tough decision as to whether to delay the anniversary iPhone, or launch the hardware without the features in issue enabled. Either way, this could be a big embarrassment to the company that many believe to be the most innovative technology company in the world.
If Apple launches the phone without all of that hardware enabled, will it change your opinion on buying the phone? Let us know in the comments below.