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Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro lineup to deliver a long-anticipated feature: reverse wireless charging. According to Weibo-based leaker Fixed Focus Digital, the company has been testing the ability for its high-end smartphones to wirelessly share power with other Apple devices. Whether or not the feature makes it into the final production units, however, remains uncertain with the iPhone launch just weeks away.
This isn’t the first time whispers of wireless power-sharing have surfaced ahead of an iPhone launch. Back in February, another Weibo leaker, Instant Digital, claimed that Apple was internally testing 7.5W reverse wireless charging for both the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. According to the leak, the feature could be used to top up accessories like AirPods, Apple Watch, or even a rumored new MagSafe Battery Pack.
Reverse wireless charging is a concept that’s followed Apple for years, often hovering just outside the realm of commercial reality. The company took its first official step toward this tech back in 2021 with the release of the MagSafe Battery Pack. While limited in scope, the accessory allowed iPhones—when plugged in via Lightning—to send power back to the battery pack. It marked the first time an iPhone could technically charge another device, albeit in a very controlled scenario.
That capability became obsolete in 2023 when Apple discontinued the MagSafe Battery Pack alongside the launch of the iPhone 15 series, which marked the company’s transition from Lightning to USB-C. iPhones since then have been able to reverse charge certain Apple accessories like AirPods or an Apple Watch via a USB-C cable at up to 4.5W, but the much-requested wireless power-sharing feature has yet to reappear.
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously predicted that Apple would reintroduce the MagSafe Battery Pack in a new USB-C version, but that product has not materialized. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also chimed in last year, stating that he expected USB-C versions of the battery accessory to return “eventually,” though he added, “Don’t hold your breath.”
If Apple enables full reverse wireless charging in the iPhone 17 Pro models, it could redefine the way users interact with their devices—finally allowing an iPhone to serve as a charging hub for Apple’s growing ecosystem of accessories.
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