When Apple held the “Hi, Speed” event earlier this month, everyone likely thought the company has said everything there is to say about the iPhone 12 series. However, a newly uncovered information from an FCC filing suggests that the new smartphone could be hiding reverse charging support.
iPhone 12 feature: Why Apple didn’t announce reverse charging support
Reverse charging has been one of the more recent features added to premium smartphones. It practically allows the device to function as a charging hub for other hardware or accessories.
One would think that a new feature as significant as this one would have been allowed a few minutes during Apple’s October event. But the company only announced adding MagSage support in the iPhone 12 series and unveiling a new magnetic Qi wireless charging puck.
However, VentureBeat’s Jeremy Horwitz found that Apple’s FCC filings for the iPhone 12 are hinting at the potential presence of reverse charging as a MagSafe-supported feature for the new smartphones. “In addition to being able to be charged by a desktop [wireless power transfer] charger (puck), 2020 iPhone models ... also support WPT charging function at 360 kHz to charge accessories. Currently, the only accessory that can be charged by iPhones is an external potential apple accessory in future,” the document reads.
All in all, the filing indicates that the unannounced charging feature worked, albeit in limited conditions. During the testing, the document said the phone was able to charge “only” when it was connected to a power outlet. That means while a reverse charging feature is very likely through MagSafe, it might not work in a “wireless” setup.
The possibilities this present for the iPhone 12 series is interesting, but it is still unknown if Apple ever plans to announce it. It is also unclear with which “future” devices and accessories this charging function will be compatible, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests an upcoming AirPods with MagSafe support is one option.
iPhone 12 release dates
Even without announcing the reverse charging feature, the iPhone 12 series is still significant for the product line as it consists of the first Apple smartphones to support 5G. A design overhaul was also applied along with the switch to OLED panel on all four models.
The two variants with 6.1” screen -- iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro -- are now available for purchase. Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders will open on Nov. 6.


Chinese Chip Stocks Surge on AI Boom and Domestic Tech Push
DeepSeek V4 Launch Signals China’s Growing AI Independence with Huawei Chips
$16B Michigan Data Center Project Boosts U.S. AI Infrastructure Expansion
Seagate Stock Surges After Strong Q3 Earnings Beat and Bullish Outlook
DeepSeek Launches V4 AI Models with Enhanced Reasoning and 1M Token Context Window
U.S. Cybersecurity Pushes Faster Patch Deadlines Amid Rising AI-Driven Threats
Advantest Stock Falls on Weak Outlook Despite Strong AI-Driven Results
T-Mobile Beats Q1 Earnings Expectations on Strong Postpaid Growth
TSMC Exits Arm Holdings with $231 Million Share Sale Amid Strategic Portfolio Shift
Qualcomm Stock Surges Despite Weak Guidance After Q2 2026 Earnings Beat
Meta Raises 2026 Capex Outlook Amid AI Spending Surge, Shares Drop After Earnings
Taiwan Activates Backup Communications After Undersea Cable Break on Dongyin Island
FBI Warns of China’s Expanding Hack-for-Hire Network Amid Extradition Case
Google Secures Pentagon AI Deal for Classified Projects
Judge Dismisses Elon Musk’s Fraud Claims Against OpenAI, Trial to Proceed on Remaining Allegations
Australia Targets Meta, Google, and TikTok With New News Payment Tax Proposal 



