Ming-Chi Kuo reaffirms all three new iPhones in 2019 will have bilateral wireless charging, says 5.8" model's battery size will jump 20-25%, the 6.5" by 10-15%
Juli Clover / MacRumors :
Context & Ripple Effects
This is a reaffirmation inside a long-running Kuo supply-chain arc: back in early 2017 he called wireless charging across all three of that year's iPhones, then forecast bigger batteries with L-shaped designs for the 2018 models. The April 2019 note extends both threads at once — charging that works in both directions plus double-digit capacity gains on the two OLED sizes.
The battery numbers are the more concrete half of the claim: a 20-25% jump for the 5.8-inch model against 10-15% for the 6.5-inch implies Apple prioritizing the smaller phone's endurance, where it has historically lagged the larger chassis. The same analyst later carried the larger-battery theme forward to the iPhone 13 generation, so this sits mid-pattern rather than as a one-off.
First-order effects
- Buyers of the 2019 iPhones get materially longer battery life, with the 5.8-inch model closing the gap on the 6.5-inch faster than its own size would suggest.
- Bilateral wireless charging turns each new iPhone into a charging pad for other devices — AirPods or a second phone can be topped up from the handset itself.
Second-order effects
- Case and accessory makers gain a new product category around reverse charging, while rivals that already ship similar features lose one of their few spec-sheet differentiators over the iPhone.
- Larger cells and bidirectional coils add cost and thermal constraints, pushing component suppliers up the value chain as Apple's per-unit battery bill rises.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, battery capacity and charging flexibility become annual headline specs alongside cameras and chips, and analyst notes like Kuo's function as de facto pre-announcements that shape purchase timing ahead of each fall launch.
The trend: iPhone differentiation is drifting toward battery endurance and charging convenience, with supply-chain analysts setting expectations months before Apple confirms anything.