The end of Wifi woes? Apple testing ultrafast Li-Fi for iPhone 7 that could boost speeds by 100 times

A Twitter user has shared an image, claiming to reveal Apple's Li-Fi plans 

Post claims to show iOS 9.1 firmware code, which reads 'LiFi Capability' 

Li-Fi is uses visible light communication and would be more secure  

Light-based system hits speeds of 224 gigabits per second in lab in tests

By CHEYENNE MACDONALD FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3409230/The-end-Wifi-woes-Apple-testing-ultrafast-Li-Fi-iPhone-7-boost-speeds-100-times.html

Apple has already started a buzz surrounding rumoured plans to do away with the headphone jack, but now, developments for the iPhone 7 could be taking an even bigger leap – Li-Fi.

A Twitter user has revealed an image to show that the company may be testing Li-Fi technology for the iPhone 7, which would mean data transmission runs on visible light waves, instead of radio.

Li-Fi is reportedly 100 times faster than Wi-Fi, and would be significantly more secure.

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This new wireless system hit speeds of 224 gigabits per second in the lab, and has the potential to revolutionize internet usage. The Li-Fi technology uses visible light between 400 and 800 terahertz (THz), and transmits messages through binary code

The post tweeted by user @kyoufujibaya, ‘Li-Fi testing is already imminent. May appear in the next iPhone 7 according to iOS code in iOS 9.1 firmware’

The post tweeted by user @kyoufujibaya, according to The Huffington Post, reads, ‘Li-Fi testing is already imminent. May appear in the next iPhone 7 according to iOS code in iOS 9.1 firmware.’

In an image accompanying the tweet, the developer highlights where the code says, ‘LiFi Capability,’ indicating that this suggests Li-Fi testing plans for the next wave of iPhones. 

Scientists have taken to the streets in recent years to test the capabilities of Li-Fi, and it's recently undergone testing in offices and industrial environments in Tallinn, Estonia.

This new wireless system hit speeds of 224 gigabits per second in the lab, and has the potential to revolutionize internet usage.

Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland invented Li-Fi in 2011. 

Haas demonstrated that he could transmit more data than a cellular tower by flickering light from a single LED, according to ScienceAlert.

The system works in a similar way to Morse code, using visible light communication (VLC), but operates at speeds that are too high to be detected by the naked eye.

The Li-Fi technology uses visible light between 400 and 800 terahertz (THz), and transmits messages through binary code, giving it in-lab speeds fast enough to download 18 movies of 1.5 GB each second.

'We are doing a few pilot projects within different industries where we can utilise the VLC (visible light communication) technology,' Deepak Solanki, CEO of Estonian tech company, Velmenni, told IBTimes, UK.

A FASTER, MORE SECURE WI-FI

Lab tests have shown that Li-Fi can hit speeds 100 times faster than current Wi-Fi systems.

Speed is not the only advantage of Li-Fi.

The system uses visible light communication between 400 and 800 terahertz to transmit messages in binary code.  

Visible light cannot pass through walls, making Li-Fi a much more secure system, and less susceptible to interference.

While the system seems promising, it won't likely replace Wi-Fi entirely, at least not anytime soon.

Instead, researchers are now looking to retrofit devices with Li-Fi to use the two wireless systems together to optimize speed and security. 

'Currently we have designed a smart lighting solution for an industrial environment where the data communications is done through light. 

'We are also doing a pilot project with a private client where we are setting up a Li-Fi network to access the Internet in their office space.'

Since the light can't travel through walls, Li-Fi could also be a more secure option down the line, and suffer from less interference from other devices.

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The system works in a similar way to Morse code, using visible light communication (VLC), but operates at speeds that are too high to be detected by the naked eye. Since the light can't travel through walls, Li-Fi could also be a more secure option down the line, and suffer from less interference from other devices

The system isn't likely to replace Wi-Fi entirely in the years to come, and ripping out the existing infrastructure isn't feasible.

But the two could be used in partnership to create faster and safer networks.

Instead, researchers are working on retrofitting current devices to be Li-Fi compatible.

PureLifi, a company created by Haas and his team, is offering a 'plug-and-play- application for secure wireless access, ScienceAlert says. 

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A French tech company called Oledcomm is also working with Li-Fi, and is installing its own system in local hospitals.

Haas says that Li-Fi could combine illumination with wireless data transmission, to make for a cleaner and brighter future.

Read more:

• Li-Fi has just been tested in the real world, and it's 100 times faster than Wi-Fi - ScienceAlert
• LiFi internet: First real-world usage boasts speed 100 times faster than WiFi
• Apple's iPhone 7 Could Be Testing Groundbreaking Li-FI Technology