iPhone 17 Pro May Get Reverse Charging — Galaxy Users Have Had It for Years

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series will likely see some serious competition after the debut of Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup. Rumors suggest the Pro models will introduce a “groundbreaking” new feature: reverse wireless charging. But it’s groundbreaking only in the iPhone world. Galaxy users have enjoyed this feature for years — since 2019, to be precise. This 7-year-old feature may now arrive on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, allowing users to charge their Apple Watch and AirPods.

Apple may bring reverse wireless charging to iPhone 17 Pro models

The Cupertino giant is reportedly gearing up to debut its flagship iPhone 17 series next month. The lineup may include four models: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Air. A new feature recently caught our attention, with leaks suggesting (via Macrumors) that the Pro models will support reverse wireless charging at up to 7.5W. If true, this will be the first time for Apple to bring this functionality to its smartphones.

If you are a premium Galaxy smartphone user, you might already know that Samsung has offered reverse wireless charging for years. Dubbed Wireless PowerShare, the Korean firm introduced it in 2019 with the Galaxy S10 series. Since then, it has become a standard feature on its flagship devices, including the latest Galaxy S25 series. For the uninitiated, this feature lets you use your Galaxy phone to charge other devices, such as your Galaxy watch, buds, or even another phone.

Apple may finally bring this long-awaited functionality to its iPhone lineup, allowing users to charge its accessories directly from the phone. More importantly, if it indeed offers 7.5W, it will beat the Galaxy S25 lineup, which supports reverse wireless charging at 4.5W. It is probably high time for the Korean giant to offer even faster charging with the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.

It is worth mentioning that Apple introduced reverse charging in 2021 with the iPhone 12 lineup. When attached to a charging iPhone via Lightning, the smartphone could power its MagSafe Battery Pack. While this allowed some flexibility, it was not a fully integrated reverse wireless charging solution. In September 2023, when Apple began offering USB-C on its iPhone models, it discontinued the MagSafe Battery Pack.