Apple iPhone 17 Pro may bring this most requested battery charging feature

Rival brands Samsung, Google, OnePlus, Xiaomi and others have long been offering the option to reverse charge other devices through wire and wirelessly, but not Apple. This may change soon.

For the last two to three years, there haven't been many game-changing innovative features in iPhones. There have been mostly incremental upgrades in terms of improved camera capabilities, bigger battery and faster processor chips.

But this time, there are reports that Apple may bring several new features and possibly an all-new iPhone variant.

Chinese tipster who goes by the moniker Fixed Focus digital on Weibo (Chinese equivalent of X platform) says that Apple may introduce the reverse charging capability in the iPhone 17 series, in particular the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max variants. This will be one of the few differential features from the standard iPhone 17 model.

The reverse battery charging has been the most requested feature from iPhone patrons for a long and for reasons unknown, it was never implemented.

Rival brands Samsung, Google, OnePlus, Xiaomi and others have long been offering the option to charge other devices through wire and wirelessly, but this never drove Apple to think of bringing such a capability to iPhones.

Even today, many are sceptical whether Apple will really bring the reverse charging feature to the iPhone 17 Pro models or not next month. But, there is one reliable report that is expected to turn true, and that is the new iPhone 17 Air.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has the most accurate track record of revealing Apple products long before their launch, revealed that Apple is certain to bring the iPhone 17 Air. And, it has big plans for 2026 and 2027, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the iconic first-generation iPhone. Launched in 2007, it revolutionised the smartphone industry and also brought the death knell to BlackBerry and Nokia. Even Motorola felt the heat, and is now owned by Lenovo, steadily clawing its way back to the top.

Coming back to the topic at hand, the iPhone 17 Air, as the name suggests, will sport a super slim design with just 5.5mm thickness. Due to the design limitation, Apple may remove the physical SIM slot.

Also, Apple is said to incorporate a new advanced high-energy-density battery cell, which can store more power and occupy less space compared to conventional phone batteries used in the current crop of premium phones.

The device may sport a 6.55-inch display, and feature a just a single camera module on the back.

In 2026, Apple has plans to introduce its first-ever foldable iPhone, and for the special anniversary edition iPhone XX (20) will feature rounded edges on all sides with a curved glass display.

The new design will complement Apple's new Liquid Glass UI of iOS 26, which is slated for release next month. It will have a layered translucent user interface, which is very refreshing compared to the current version.

Apple is expected to host the iPhone event in the second week of September, most probably on September 9.

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