Apple宣布推出三款新智能手机：iPhone 8、iPhone 8 Plus 和 iPhone X。如果您看过任何新闻频道(news channel)，您一定听说过。这些智能手机让我们感到惊讶的一个特点不是它们使用的处理器或相机的质量，而是它们采用了无线充电这一事实：这项技术已经存在了五年。不仅如此，Apple还决定采用行业标准(industry standard)，而不是创建自己的标准。这是大多数人从没想过苹果(Apple)会采取的举措。库比蒂诺(Cupertino)的公司发生了什么？世界(world end)会很快结束吗？
苹果(Apple)正在采用 Qi 通用无线充电
新款iPhone 8、iPhone 8 Plus 和iPhone X 首次在iPhone 设备上实现(iPhone device)无线充电功能(feature wireless)。自 2012 年诺基亚(Nokia)采用Qi 充电标准(Qi charging standard)以来，智能手机就可以使用无线充电(Wireless charging)。接下来，谷歌(Google)在当年晚些时候在Nexus 4上采用了它。此后，该标准已被包括三星(Samsung)、华为(Huawei)、HTC、摩托罗拉(Motorola)、华硕(ASUS)和索尼(Sony)在内的许多智能手机制造商采用。至2017 年9 月(September 2017)，市场上有数百款具有无线充电功能的智能手机，但没有 iPhone。
随着iPhone 8、iPhone 8 Plus 和iPhone X的推出，这种情况发生了变化，这将是 iPhone 用户第一次可以像其他行业一样为智能手机充电。
因此，如果您有一台支持无线充电的Android 智能手机，例如(Android smartphone)三星 Galaxy S7(Samsung Galaxy S7)，并且您想切换到 iPhone X，您可以使用“旧”的三星无线充电板(Samsung Wireless Charging Pad)为您的 iPhone X 充电。
不过，苹果(Apple)也将推出他们的充电站，命名为AirPower。这是一个足够大的垫子，可以装下您的iPhone 8或iPhone X，以及Apple Watch，甚至AirPods（如果您有无线充电盒配件(case accessory)）。AirPower垫(AirPower mat)将同时为所有三款设备充电，将于 2018 年上市。目前尚不清楚它的成本是多少以及何时上市。
苹果(Apple)有忽略或放弃行业标准的历史
看到Apple采用通用标准，我们感到很惊讶，因为该公司有忽略或放弃行业标准并制定所有内容的版本的历史。
最近的一个例子是去年的iPhone 7：Apple 决定停止使用耳机插孔(headphone jack)并强制使用无线耳机，比如他们昂贵的 AirPods。
另一个重要的例子是USB Type C：USB Type C 连接器(USB Type C connector)和USB 3.1标准从 2015 年开始被科技行业广泛采用。我们在所有搭载(tech industry)Android 和 Windows(Android and Windows) 10 Mobile的高级智能手机上看到USB Type C，我们在许多中端智能手机也在游戏笔记本电脑、超极本上，甚至在Apple生产的新款MacBook(MacBooks)上。该连接器具有许多优点，包括它是可逆的，并且您可以将其插入它的两个长边中的任何一个。此外，它可以以非常快的速度传输数据（高达 10 Gbps) 并且可以用来输出大约 100 瓦的功率，这对于笔记本电脑来说也足够了，不仅是智能手机和平板电脑。
可悲的是，iPhone 8、iPhone 8 Plus 和iPhone X都使用Apple专有的Lightning 线缆(Lightning cable)进行正常充电和有线连接。为什么？因为Apple通过使用通过其(Apple)MFi 配件计划(MFi accessory program)获得许可的电缆赚了更多的钱。这就是为什么他们也放弃了耳机插孔(headphone jack)。这意味着更多的利润。
苹果(Apple)接下来会采用什么标准？
我们很高兴Apple决定采用行业标准(industry standard)，让用户可以轻松地为他们的新 iPhone 充电，尤其是当他们使用多个移动生态系统时。苹果(Apple)本可以尝试将自己的无线充电标准强加于全球，并限制 iPhone 用户(world and limit iPhone users)使用专有的无线充电配件，这将增加公司的利润。我们希望这种观点的改变将为更热衷于采用行业标准的(industry standard)苹果(Apple)打开大门。
你怎么看？苹果(Apple)也会采用其他行业标准吗？如果是，您认为他们接下来会采用哪种标准？
Apple has embraced a universal charging standard. Will Hell soon freeze over?
Aрple has announced the laυnch of three new smartphones: iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Pluѕ and iPhone X. If you have watched any news channel, you surеly heard about it. One featυre that surprised us about these smartphones is not the processor they υѕе or the quality of their cameras, but the fact that they have adopted wireless charging: а tеchnologу that has been around for five years. Not only that but Αpple has аlso decidеd to adopt an industry standard instead of creating its own. That's a move that most people would never expect from Apple. What's hapреning to the cоmpany from Cupertino? Will the world end sоon?
Apple is adopting Qi universal wireless charging
The new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X feature wireless charging for the first time on an iPhone device. Wireless charging has been available on smartphones since 2012, when Nokia adopted the Qi charging standard. Next, Google adopted it later that year on the Nexus 4. Since then, this standard has been adopted by many smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung, Huawei, HTC, Motorola, ASUS, and Sony. Until September 2017, there were hundreds of smartphones with wireless charging on the market, but no iPhones.
This changes with the launch of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, and it is going to be the first time when iPhone users can charge their smartphones the same way as the rest of the industry.
Therefore, if you have an Android smartphone with wireless charging, like Samsung Galaxy S7 and you want to switch to iPhone X, you can use your "old" Samsung Wireless Charging Pad to charge your iPhone X.
However, Apple will also launch their charging station, named AirPower. It is a mat that is large enough to fit your iPhone 8 or iPhone X, as well as your Apple Watch, and even AirPods (if you have a wireless charging case accessory). The AirPower mat will simultaneously charge all three devices, and it will be available in 2018. At this time it is not clear how much it will cost and when exactly it will become available.
Apple has a history of ignoring or ditching industry-wide standards
We are surprised to see Apple adopting a universal standard, because the company has a history of ignoring or ditching industry-wide standards and making their version of everything.
A recent example is last year's iPhone 7: Apple decided to stop using the headphone jack and enforce the use of wireless headphones, like their expensive AirPods.
Another significant example is USB Type C: the USB Type C connector and the USB 3.1 standard have been widely adopted by the tech industry starting in 2015. We see USB Type C on all premium smartphones with Android and Windows 10 Mobile, we see it on many mid-range smartphones too, on gaming laptops, ultrabooks, even on the new MacBooks produced by Apple. This connector has many advantages, including the fact that it is reversible and you can insert it with either of its two long sides up. Also, it can transfer data at very fast speeds (up to 10 Gbps) and can be used to output around 100 watts of power, which is enough power even for laptops, not only smartphones and tablets.
Sadly, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X are stuck with Apple's proprietary Lightning cable for normal charging and wired connections. Why? Because Apple makes more money from using cables that are licensed through their MFi accessory program. That's why they also ditched the headphone jack. It meant more profit.
What standard will Apple adopt next?
We are pleased with Apple's decision of adopting an industry standard and making it easy for users to charge their new iPhones, especially when they use more than one mobile ecosystem. Apple could have tried to force its own wireless charging standard on the world and limit iPhone users to use proprietary wireless charging accessories, that would have increased the company's profits. We hope that this change in perspective will open the door to an Apple that's more keen on adopting industry standards.
What do you think? Will Apple adopt other industry standards too? If if yes, which standard do you think they will adopt next?
