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iPhone 11 might get two-way charging and bigger battery

AirPods charging on the back of your iPhone could be a beautiful thing.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
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  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
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The iPhone 11 might be able to charge other phones and AirPods.

Angela Lang/CNET

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the next-gen iPhone will support two-way charging. This means the next iPhone could share some battery juice with other iPhones or the new AirPods via its wireless charging case. If Kuo's predictions are true, it shows Apple catching up to Samsung, whose newest Galaxy S10 phones can charge other devices like the Galaxy Buds earbuds and the Galaxy Watch Active.

As reported by 9to5Mac, Kuo also predicts that the 2019 iPhones will have larger batteries and, in turn, even better battery life. Obviously these are just rumors, but Kuo has a decent track record of reporting features on future Apple products. Being able to charge your AirPods on the back of your phone could be a beautiful thing.

For more rumors, check out our in-depth iPhone 11 rumor roundup.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Originally published April 1 at 1:39 p.m. PT