Apple Watch Series 10 proves that iPhone needs this feature

I’m sitting at my desk around 11 a.m. and the battery on my Apple Watch Series 10 has dropped to 38%. This happened after I had worn the watch all day, slept with it overnight, recorded a 37-minute workout earlier that morning, and put it on the charger for 20 minutes as I got ready to leave the house.

While 38% will likely last longer than I expect, I’m still concerned about whether the battery will last through my busy day. And it’s for this reason that I wish the iPhone supported reverse wireless charging to replenish the Apple Watch’s battery. This feature, and it’s exactly what it sounds like, allows you to power other devices like smartwatches and earbuds by placing them on the back of your phone. It essentially turns your phone into a wireless charging pad and has been available on many Android devices for years.

However, quite surprisingly, top Android watches like the Google Pixel Watch 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 also cannot be charged via reverse wireless charging, even though their companion phones support the feature. Finding an easier way to charge smartwatches on the go is certainly an issue beyond Apple. But it was the Apple Watch’s emphasis on sleep that made me realize how useful this option could be.

For most people, the Apple Watch’s estimated battery life of 18 hours is probably adequate. Apple also has the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 2, which lasts twice as long (but also costs twice as much as the entry-level Series 10). But at a time when sleep tracking is becoming a bigger priority, I want Apple to think more carefully about not only how long it takes to charge the Apple Watch, but also How you load it. If your non-Ultra Apple Watch can’t deliver multi-day battery life, it’s time for Apple to offer a more convenient way to power your Apple Watch when you’re not near a power outlet or charger.

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The Apple Watch makes a strong case for reverse wireless charging

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate that Apple has improved the charging speed of the Apple Watch over the years. For example, the Apple Watch Series 10 can charge its battery from zero to 80% in 30 minutes, while the Apple Watch Series 9 takes 45 minutes. This, combined with Low Power Mode, certainly makes the Apple Watch’s 18-hour battery life easier to swallow.

But for the Apple Watch to be a device you’ll truly have with you all the time, it needs a better way to charge on the go. Samsung certainly has some ideas in this regard. For example, one of my favorite things about Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is the handy, clear charging case that comes with it, so you can charge the ring anywhere.

However, adding wireless reverse charging to the iPhone would make this possible in a more seamless way, without the need for a new accessory.

Yes, it would probably put more strain on your iPhone’s battery. But hear me out – there are certain situations where it might be okay. For example, I have plenty of USB-C cables in my office to charge my iPhone and other gadgets, but I keep forgetting to leave my Apple Watch charger in my desk drawer. Using my iPhone to charge my Apple Watch at work wouldn’t be a big deal since I can easily plug in my iPhone before leaving for the day.

The same can be said when I’m at a friend or family member’s house. Not everyone has an Apple Watch, but they certainly have a USB-C cable for charging their phone and other popular gadgets like laptops and tablets.

In the past, I was content to leave the watch on the charger overnight. But Apple and other wearable device makers have given me more reasons to monitor my sleep over the past year. In addition to being able to detect potential symptoms of sleep apnea, sleep is increasingly being included in broader, more holistic measures of health.

On Apple Watch, this can be achieved with the Vitals app in WatchOS 11, which measures key metrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, and wrist temperature throughout the night to let you know if any of these data points are out of range. Samsung also launched an Energy Score for its wearables this year, which assesses physical and mental health based on metrics such as sleep, activity and heart rate.

Apple iPhones may not have reverse wireless charging, but they do have a slightly different feature. You can connect your Apple Watch charging cable to your iPhone 15 or later to charge it. The same goes for AirPods. While this is useful if you have a charging cable with you but are not near an outlet, it won’t help if you forget your charger altogether.

You can also charge the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack accessory, which Apple pulled from its store last year, and your iPhone at the same time while the kit is connected to a connected phone. This potentially suggests that the technology is available if Apple enables it. This.

Read more: How Google wants Android smartwatches to last longer

This isn’t just an Apple problem

Apple Watch isn’t alone; flagship smartwatches from companies like Samsung and Google also last less than two days on a single charge. This means that relatively short battery life in smartwatches is not an Apple-specific problem.

And while phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 9 allow you to place accessories like smartwatches and earbuds on the back of the device to charge them, this technology won’t come in handy if you have either company’s latest smartwatches.

Google’s support site states that the Pixel Watch can only be charged with the included charger, although the Pixel Watch 2 and 3 models are also compatible with some Fitbit chargers. It also clearly states that reverse wireless charging from Pixel phones is not supported.

Samsung’s website similarly points out that only certain Galaxy watches and other wearables support PowerShare, and recent watches like the Galaxy Watch 7 are not among them.

Apparently the tech giants haven’t yet found a way for us to charge our watches whenever we want and wherever we are. That may be fine for now, but as sleep monitoring becomes a larger part of the value proposition of these devices, the greater the need for a mobile charging mechanism will be.

I hope that as Apple continues to develop its ecosystem of MagSafe charging accessories and the design of the Apple Watch, a future will come where I can easily charge my Watch when I’m not near an outlet. The same can be said about future Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy accessories.

For now, I’ll try to remember to pack that round, silver and white charging puck.