It’s no secret that Apple has big goals for its next iPhone, but users may appreciate the small things, like water resistance, most.
According to one of Apple’s suppliers, the new iPhone will both be waterproof and feature wireless charging. Wistron, a Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer, confirmed as much on Wednesday.
Wistron received half the order for the new 5.5-inch iPhone, so it’s unclear if the water resistance and wireless charging will be available on the 4.7-inch model, though it would certainly stand to reason. The 5.5-inch phone is likely the iPhone 7s Plus, but the company also produces SE and 6 models at a separate facility in India that is dedicated to Apple products.
As Nikkei Asian Review reports, at a shareholders meeting, Wistron CEO Robert Hwang said:
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.
Making the iPhone waterproof — more accurately, water resistant — is perhaps the more practical feature to be excited about, but it already exists on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, so Hwang’s announcement really just implies Apple will soon bring that feature to the masses. Wireless charging, however, would be entirely new and could be a game changer. If nothing else, it would be a huge convenience, given Apple’s tendency to change plugs and resist industry standards.
None of this is official, but it seems that amidst all kinds of rumors about delays regarding the iPhone 8, this is a small but appreciated thing we can be certain of. Apple is facing a lot of pressure to make a knockout new phone to fight a slump in sales, but even just bringing its line of classics up to snuff with the competition could go far.
