The next iPhone might have ultra-fast Li-Fi technology

Li-Fi has attracted the attention of numerous companies and researchers because of its ability to transmit data so quickly that it makes even the fastest Wi-Fi look like dial-up, all thanks to the power of light. By transmitting data vie light, Li-Fi can reach speeds of more than 100 times that of regular Wi-Fi, and though few people believe that it’ll ever replace Wi-Fi, most agree that it’ll become very popular in the future. Apple is always looking to the future, which is why the company is reportedly planning on equipping the next iPhone with Li-Fi technology. 

Recently discovered code in iOS suggests that Apple may be exploring the feasibility of incorporating Li-Fi functionality into future iPhone models. Li-Fi, in case you’re unfamiliar, is a technology capable of transmitting data via light. What makes Li-Fi so compelling is that it’s effectively Wi-Fi on steroids and can transmit data more than 100 times faster than a standard Wi-Fi connection. In lab conditions, researchers this past February were able to achieve Li-Fi speeds of 224 gigabits per second, fast enough to download multiple HD movies in less than two seconds. While Li-Fi still remains something of an experimental technology, iOS 9’s references to the blazing fast data transfer technology are certainly intriguing. The iOS 9 code below was originally discovered by iOS jailbreaker Chase Fromm and relayed by AppleInsider earlier today. AI adds: “Li-Fi works in a way not entirely unlike a traditional infrared remote control. Data is transmitted by rapidly modulating a light source, and received with a light sensor before being reassembled into an electronic signal.”