Apple Officially Cancels AirPower

[I7guy]

You see it as negativity, I see it as realistic. Sure, those iPad Pro’s are nice and the iPhone XS is a nice phone to have. But comparing them on features and price they’re not that competitive anymore.

It depends if you believe they are better than the competition for what you need them for. The max is great, I chose it over the competition, so I do believe the max is more than competitive.

iOS doesn’t benefit the power the iPad Pro delivers and it’s holding it back to a degree I have to question why you should buy one instead of a laptop.

If your use case is such, one doesn't have to deal with Windows. (and I've been a windows user since os/2)

It’s too expensive for surfing the Internet, to fragile to carry around as a mobile device and iOS is too limited to replace a laptop or computer.

This is in your humble opinion.

“It just works” is from before 2012. Most services offered in the USA don’t work here or are half baked.

Because one use case of doesn't "just works" doesn't invalidate that entire philosophy.

I’m not seeing Apple cares or is very hard trying anymore. The hardware that came out a few weeks ago prove it. Same old designs and a new chip here and there. Something that should have happen on a yearly base to stay relevant in the technology space.

Okay, your opinion. edit: I get you don't like apple these days, but it is highly unlikely they will return to the era that you "like". You make your choices and get what is best for you.

 

[cmaier]

With one cable?

Yes

https://hellonomad.com/collections/power-wireless-charging/products/base-station-apple-watch

 

[cmaier]

Kind of funny everyone is calling this a failure. Releasing a subpar product would have been a failure.​

There are multiple types of failure.

 

[sofila]

Hmmm, what to do... Maybe buy some Airpods with the money you'll be saving not purchasing an AirPower?

This here or here or here or here were your replies to people arguing about what have just actually happened.

 

[wolfedude88]

Kind of funny everyone is calling this a failure. Releasing a subpar product would have been a failure.​

The failure part is announcing this on stage just under two years ago saying this is only something Apple team can create and then not deliver and have to cancel.

 

[curtvaughan]

At least they admit it - and we don't have to guess anymore.

Yeah, wish they'd take the same tack with the Mac Pro "update" - just admit that it was a vaporware product which they gave up on after 2013.

 

[bluecoast]

it’s embarrassing but maybe it’ll teach Apple to stop announcing products before they’re ready (see also: HomePod).

Like the Monday event that we just had, when Apple announced and then immediately launched lots of new and exciting services. Oh wait...

 

[Virinprew]

inability to meet its high standards for hardware.... really?

They can't help flattering themselves in a sorry statement.

 

[curtvaughan]

What if this is the biggest April Fools lie of all time and they will release it next monday? Dreaming out loud?

Wish the removal of the 3.5mm jack was some sort of April Fools joke. With a phone jack, the solution to all of this nonsense is to plug in a wired set of headphones/earbuds. No charging necessary. Apple continues to stubbornly maintain that wireless is the future. In any case, considering the amount of money these devices might have brought in, this is a pretty bad failure, given that one of the reasons for removing the jack was to further encourage folks to buy their bluetooth speaker/headphone products and associated accessories.

 

[Virinprew]

Kind of funny everyone is calling this a failure. Releasing a subpar product would have been a failure.​

They boasted a lot about the awesomeness of this AirPower. It is a failure because they set the bar too high.

 

[hagar]

This will go down in tech history as one of the most notorious examples of vaporware.

Why? It’s just a charger. I can’t imagine the general public cares.

 

[coolbreeze2]

View attachment 829324

https://twitter.com/tldtoday/status/1111718964843806720

666 yikes!

 

[Virinprew]

Why? It’s just a charger. I can’t imagine the general public cares.

Tech history, not average Joe history.

 

[BeeGood]

How can they not get something to work, that already works and I can buy on Amazon for $35?

It sounds much more likely they figured nobody would pay $200 for something they can get on Amazon for $35.

Here’s my hypothesis. No proof but just my gut:

The original intent was to release it in the fall of 2017 with the iPhone 8/8+/X but some type of engineering or QA issue forced them to delay it. I think most people agree there.

My hypothesis is that they actually solved the original engineering/QA issue, perhaps sometime in 2018, but by then, the market had progressed so much that the original design was dated. So they redesigned it or perhaps added some new feature that they couldn’t get to work well with the intent to ship them with the XS/XS Max/and AirPods 2 (which seem to have been ready to go back then).

When they realized AirPower still wasn’t ready, they held off on AirPods hoping to release them together in March (which would explain why the AirPods2 packaging makes references to AirPower).

Sometime between September and March, I think they just realized that AirPower would never be what they wanted it to be, a premium charging mat that was worth charging a premium price for. Had it been ready in 2017, I think it would have been just that, but ironically, it seems to have been a victim of Apple’s own market power. By releasing wireless charging iPhones in 2017, apple accelerated the development and manufacture of charging mats. They became cheaper and better at a quicker pace because of Apple, and that ultimately made it tough to introduce AirPower.

Just my hypothesis.

 

[haydn!]

This is true, but there is a discernible difference between the cheaper phones, pcs etc compared with iMacs, iPhones etc. In so far as charging cables etc, not so much. Apple is usually first to market with these products and people pay the premium before the cheaper alternatives appear. They’ve missed the boat with wireless charging.

I agree with most of what you say here except one small part. Apple has rarely been first to market with something in any of their product categories. Being first is not what drives them. Being the best is and arguably in most cases, Apple do provide the best implementation of something - even if it is sometimes 2-3 years later than someone else.

 

[carrrrrlos]

Very misleading of Apple to make the announcement just after releasing a higher priced wireless charging option for AirPods.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

You must be young.

I am still wet behind the ears

 

[curtvaughan]

How hard is it to plug in a phone while you sleep? I don't see what the big deal is with wireless charging, it's hardly life changing. You still need a wire to plug in the mat that performs the "wireless" charging, the whole thing is ridiculous.

One advantage to wireless charging is that it saves wear and tear on the Lightning and/or USB C ports. When those wear out it entails $70 to $90 dollars for replacement by independent shops, likely a lot more from Apple. Apple charges $99 if you have AppleCare, much more if you don't.

 

[x-evil-x]

Ok, make up your mind. One day it is rumored to have gone into production and the next it is cancelled and has always been cancelled.

have you ever started making something that you just cant get right? When will you stop obsessing and let it go? Makes sense to me personally

 

[furi0usbee]

I just laughed and shot coffee all over my screen. lol

Sorry about that! But, since other companies can pull it off, device thickness is about the only thing I can think of.

 

[curtvaughan]

You mean, let's make a bunch of wireless products and leave it up to third parties to figure out how to provide a WiFi network? Or let's make a bunch of computers without monitors and leave it up to third parties to figure out how to transform the signal out of a (video) port into a visible image on a monitor?
[doublepost=1553931708][/doublepost]
Incredible, commenter on a tech website cannot distinguish between a standard Qi charging mat and a charging mat that allow arbitrary placement of multiple devices on the same charging mat.

Or: Incredible, commenter thinks he can trick people into believing that Apple was unable to create a standard Qi charging mat.

Perhaps, but why is it that Apple doesn't create such a device?

 

[Corsig]

I'll admit that I did buy the AirPods 2 with wireless case thinking airpower release was imminent. I mean I can still use another wireless charger so its still not the end of the world.

 

[AlexGraphicD]

The fell into this trap people .
This is a set up for April Fools .

Still, why would it take two years to make a charging mat....this is Apple we’re talking about....it’s embarrassing to delay so much such a simple project compared to what they’ve engineered before.

 

[Ghost31]

Nobody but Apple has access to those numbers but Apple apologised for the keyboard issues on the current gen so that should tell you that its significantly more.

Tells me people are vocal about it and those complaints have gone viral. I would like actual data before I come to any conclusions.

 

[AppleScruff1]

The timing on this announcement is suspect. Friday before April 1 on Monday. No mention at the Keynote, but a couple of days later pulling the plug? Maybe a bit of leg pulling and it goes on sale Monday?