Now that the iOS 11 beta is in the hands of users and developers, eager Apple fans have begun tearing it apart, looking for hints that could unveil undisclosed hardware and software features. One of the tidbits discovered this week is a new sound file that just might be part of Apple’s wireless charging plans for future iPhones.
The sound sample, which you can hear compared to the default iOS charging sound in the video below, is called “engage_power.caf” and is only present in iOS 11 builds.
In addition to the word “power” in its file name, Apple fans will recognize its similarity to the default charging sound, leading some to speculate that it could be the sound that Apple plans to use to distinguish between wired and wireless charging.
The iPhone 8 has been long rumored to include wireless charging. Many Android-based devices have supported wireless charging for quite some time, and Apple itself has experience with inductive charging thanks to the Apple Watch.
Of course, the sound file could also simply be what Apple intends to replace the standard sound with in iOS 11, and the company just hasn’t made the switch yet at this point in the operating system’s development. There are also lots of resources included in macOS and iOS builds that never make their way to the end-user level, so there’s thus far nothing concrete to link this sound to any potential wireless charging plans.
Apple’s relatively aggressive acquisitions related to wireless charging technology, as well as its increasing availability on other platforms, means that we’ll certainly see the feature at some point on a future iPhone, but for now, all we have is a pretty cool sound effect.
Wireless charging is a no-brainer after removing the 1/8″ audio jack. Wireless charging solves the “can’t stay on a call while charging with headphones plugged in” problem. That can be a problem for someone that needs to spend a lot of time on the phone. Some say bluetooth headphones solve that problem, but they have a limited charge too. Wireless charging is an elegant solution anyway. Who wants to plug something in when they can just plop it down?