Wireless charging in the iPhone 8 would be like getting the headphone jack back

Apple is said to include wireless charging in its upcoming iPhones, according to a note from JPMorgan obtained by CNBC.

It's not a new rumor, but it seems more and more like a good idea, especially considering that the iPhone's main competition from Samsung's Galaxy S8 has wireless charging.

It's not clear exactly which iPhone models could come with wireless charging, whether it's the rumored ultra-premium "special edition" model, the "S" models of the iPhone 7, or both. 

If any of Apple's upcoming iPhone models support wireless charging, it'll fix one of the main issues with Apple's recent departure from including the standard 3.5mm headphone jack in its iPhones. Indeed, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus do not have a standard headphone jack, which forces users to use wireless Bluetooth headphones, or use wired headphones with the included headphone adapter that plugs into the iPhone's Lightning port. 

The problem is that the iPhone 7 Lightning port serves two purposes, including charging and listening to music with wired headphones, but it can only be used for one purpose at a time (unless you buy a special dongle from a third party). If an iPhone user wants to keep using wired headphones with the headphone adapter, it doesn't allow the user to charge their smartphone at the same time, as the Lightning port would be occupied by the headphone adapter.

Wireless charging would solve that issue, as an iPhone user could charge their iPhone wirelessly while using the Lightning port for either Lightning headphones or Apple's packed-in adapter for wired headphones. In a way, it would be like getting the dedicated headphone jack back, as the iPhone's Lightning port could be used exclusively for listening to music instead of both listening to music and charging.

It's not an issue for those who are happy using Bluetooth headphones, as the Lightning port can be used exclusively for charging the iPhone, and there's no conflict between charging and listening to music. 

Apple does sell dual adapters from Belkin with two Lightning ports, which lets you plug Lightning power and the included headphone adapter for listening to music while the iPhone is charging. However, it's poorly-reviewed by those who have used it, which suggests that it's not a great solution to charge and listen to music from your iPhone at the same time.

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