In recent years, cell phones have not merely become capable of wireless charging. They have evolved into wireless charging pads themselves that can charge other phones, earbuds, and smartwatches.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Apple did not announce that the iPhone 12 would include reverse wireless charging. However, according to documents filed with the FCC, the feature may indeed be there. It just won't be available.

The iPhone 11 was supposed to have reverse wireless charging, but this feature was reportedly eliminated before launch because it did not meet Apple's own standards. Similarly, an iFixit teardown revealed the presence of some components of the reverse wireless charging system, but the whole thing remained unfinished.

A filing with the FCC, first spotted by VentureBeat's Jeremy Horwitz, reveals that the iPhone 12 will work with a standard Qi charger and a "new 360 kHz charging capability" that can charge accessories. Sounds like reverse wireless charging to us, albeit translated into boring jargon for regulators.

The only question is, if it really is, why doesn't Apple tell us about it? It is speculated that Apple may have new AirPods with MagSafe support in the pipeline. Whether it be AirPods 3, AirPods Pro 2, or a new charging case for existing earphones. [However, the AirPods Pro 2 is expected to arrive in late 2021 at the earliest; it would be an odd decision to wait until the iPhone 13 launch before unlocking the features in the iPhone 12. But then again, stranger things have happened.

If reverse wireless charging really works, it can certainly be unlocked with a software update. So we will have to wait for Apple to decide if the iPhone 12 will be able to achieve this feature.