Apple Officially Cancels AirPower

[The-Real-Deal82]

Cellphones can be had for $10. Doesn't make them equivalent to iPhones. The issue isn't that the cheap ones break (they may or may not). They don 't do what AirPower promised. They don't even do what Nomad or Belkin promises (and each of them charges > $100).

You keep comparing apples and oranges. "Hey look over here! A chunk of metal where you have to supply your own apple watch cable and you cannot wirelessly charge AirPods! It's exactly like airpower but much cheaper!"

Not.

I don’t think the vast majority of iPhone users were going to invest £150 in a charging mat just to be able to charge a couple of devices side by side when alternatives on the market offer products with the same outcome. My wireless charger was £10 and my Apple Watch sits in a Spigen dock. I think both cost less than £20 and are no less convenient to use. AirPower was an interesting concept but was priced far too high to begin with I would say. The flawed technology at this point obviously meant Apple were unable to develop it at a competitive price.

 

[cmaier]

I don’t think the vast majority of iPhone users were going to invest £150 in a charging mat just to be able to charge a couple of devices side by side when alternatives on the market offer products with the same outcome. My wireless charger was £10 and my Apple Watch sits in a Spigen dock. I think both cost less than £20 and are no less convenient to use. AirPower was an interesting concept but was priced far too high to begin with I would say. The flawed technology at this point obviously meant Apple were unable to develop it at a competitive price.

Nobody said anything about the vast majority buying anything.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Nobody said anything about the vast majority buying anything.

I think you’ll find I did.

 

[cmaier]

I think you’ll find I did.

For what reason? You were responding to a post i made that pointed out that this dude keeps saying that a $5 mat is the same as AirPower. He wasn’t saying “it serves the same needs for most people.” He was literally claiming it was identical. (Most of his posts have been removed and I think he’s been suspended or expelled now). So I was pointing out that this was not true, and along you came with “I don’t think the vast majority ...” which is really off topic.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

For what reason? You were responding to a post i made that pointed out that this dude keeps saying that a $5 mat is the same as AirPower. He wasn’t saying “it serves the same needs for most people.” He was literally claiming it was identical. (Most of his posts have been removed and I think he’s been suspended or expelled now). So I was pointing out that this was not true, and along you came with “I don’t think the vast majority ...” which is really off topic.

I was making my point to add to the discussion. Nothing more than that.

 

[cmaier]

I was making my point to add to the discussion. Nothing more than that.

Fair enough.

 

[SidricTheViking]

I don’t think the vast majority of iPhone users were going to invest £150 in a charging mat just to be able to charge a couple of devices side by side when alternatives on the market offer products with the same outcome. My wireless charger was £10 and my Apple Watch sits in a Spigen dock. I think both cost less than £20 and are no less convenient to use. AirPower was an interesting concept but was priced far too high to begin with I would say. The flawed technology at this point obviously meant Apple were unable to develop it at a competitive price.

I can only speak for one Apple customer: myself. I bought an iPhone 8 Plus over a year ago for my wife. I had planned on buying her AirPods and, hopefully, an WATCH later this year. I was particularly looking forward to buying an AirPower charging mat. It seemed like an elegant and convenient device to accommodate the (hoped for) trio of iToys. Alas, it’s not to be. It probably won’t affect my plans for AirPods and the WATCH but it is a real disappointment. I’m used to plugging in my iPhone and iPad every night for charging and I bought a cheap charging mat for the iPhone 8, which my wife uses every night (the idea of plugging in her iPhone now seems a little awkward!).

Not having to plug in cables (reducing physical wear and tear) is definitely the way to go. I just hope Apple considers returning to this idea in the future. Perhaps changing how future WATCH models get charged might simplify the requirements. But, what do I know? I’m strictly an end user who enjoys the quality and usefulness of these gadgets!

 

[wgaller]

I can only speak for one Apple customer: myself. I bought an iPhone 8 Plus over a year ago for my wife. I had planned on buying her AirPods and, hopefully, an WATCH later this year. I was particularly looking forward to buying an AirPower charging mat. It seemed like an elegant and convenient device to accommodate the (hoped for) trio of iToys. Alas, it’s not to be. It probably won’t affect my plans for AirPods and the WATCH but it is a real disappointment. I’m used to plugging in my iPhone and iPad every night for charging and I bought a cheap charging mat for the iPhone 8, which my wife uses every night (the idea of plugging in her iPhone now seems a little awkward!).

Not having to plug in cables (reducing physical wear and tear) is definitely the way to go. I just hope Apple considers returning to this idea in the future. Perhaps changing how future WATCH models get charged might simplify the requirements. But, what do I know? I’m strictly an end user who enjoys the quality and usefulness of these gadgets!

The ability to charge multiple Apple devices, in my case a watch, phone, iPad and AirPods is the customer experience that Apple is not delivering. With all the technology advances they’ve made you’d think this would be a no-brainer. Pain in the ass having to plug four different devices into four different outlets every day. Anyone from Apple listening?

 

[cmaier]

The ability to charge multiple Apple devices, in my case a watch, phone, iPad and AirPods is the customer experience that Apple is not delivering. With all the technology advances they’ve made you’d think this would be a no-brainer. Pain in the ass having to plug four different devices into four different outlets every day. Anyone from Apple listening?

They know. That’s what they were trying to address (and failed). They’ll move on to plan B, presumably.

 

[hagemahal]

A tech company with a trillion dollar market cap can't figure out wireless charging? LOL I'm not surprised. Recently paid for a 4k imac with wireless keyboard only to find out that wireless keyboard isn't even backlit. Paid close to $3000 so I can't see where i'm typing in the dark. Apple has gotten so ridiculous it's not even funny.

 

[cmaier]

A tech company with a trillion dollar market cap can't figure out wireless charging? LOL I'm not surprised. Recently paid for a 4k imac with wireless keyboard only to find out that wireless keyboard isn't even backlit. Paid close to $3000 so I can't see where i'm typing in the dark. Apple has gotten so ridiculous it's not even funny.

What’s ridiculous is buying a computer without knowing about it’s widely known specifications.

 

[ipponrg]

What’s ridiculous is buying a computer without knowing about it’s widely known specifications.

I know, right? But it sounds like you have not worked in electronics retail before. You would be surprised.

 

[cmaier]

I know, right? But it sounds like you have not worked in electronics retail before. You would be surprised.

Oh I’m not surprised. Just noting the absurdity of it all.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I can only speak for one Apple customer: myself. I bought an iPhone 8 Plus over a year ago for my wife. I had planned on buying her AirPods and, hopefully, an WATCH later this year. I was particularly looking forward to buying an AirPower charging mat. It seemed like an elegant and convenient device to accommodate the (hoped for) trio of iToys. Alas, it’s not to be. It probably won’t affect my plans for AirPods and the WATCH but it is a real disappointment. I’m used to plugging in my iPhone and iPad every night for charging and I bought a cheap charging mat for the iPhone 8, which my wife uses every night (the idea of plugging in her iPhone now seems a little awkward!).

Not having to plug in cables (reducing physical wear and tear) is definitely the way to go. I just hope Apple considers returning to this idea in the future. Perhaps changing how future WATCH models get charged might simplify the requirements. But, what do I know? I’m strictly an end user who enjoys the quality and usefulness of these gadgets!

Like your wife I wireless charge my 8+ and Apple Watch. I bought a cheap top rated charging pad off amazon and it’s been very convenient. I’m not really sure how AirPower would have been much more convenient by comparison though? I know the rumours suggested it would be 15 times more expensive than what I’m currently using though in typical Apple fashion. I think if Apple revive this project then they need to aim for the £50 Mark in order to be competitive against what is currently out there.

 

[SidricTheViking]

A tech company with a trillion dollar market cap can't figure out wireless charging? LOL I'm not surprised. Recently paid for a 4k imac with wireless keyboard only to find out that wireless keyboard isn't even backlit. Paid close to $3000 so I can't see where i'm typing in the dark. Apple has gotten so ridiculous it's not even funny.

It seems that no company has yet figured out what Apple was trying to do. As so many have already noted on this thread (yes, I’ve read hundreds of comments over the past week) the type of mat Apple was aiming for has never been done before. The ‘drop your device anywhere’ design they promised proved more technically challenging than they anticipated. If the rumours are to be believed, they got close, but not close enough. I hope that no heads roll over this. It should be chalked up to experience, learned from, and, I hope, returned to at a later date. Whatever the team working on AirPower achieved might yet contribute to some other device or feature...further down the line.

As to your keyboard, I also have an iMac (of the cheaper variety!). I knew it didn’t have a backlit keyboard when I purchased it. Without doing a lot of online checking, I’m going to suggest that backlit keyboards are primarily a laptop thing, not desktops. But, perhaps, I’m in error with my assumption. I’m not given to using my iMac in total darkness, although I often use it in low lighting, where I can still find each key without hassle (never mastered touch typing!). Having said all that, I accept that, for you, the lack of backlighting is disappointing, since you had expected it to be included. As is often stated in comment threads, we are spoiled by the range of tech gadgets available to us (having moved significantly beyond Henry Ford’s ‘any color...as long as it is black’ era), so, perhaps, there is a computer out there which better suits your needs and that delivers something similar to the Mac experience also.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I'm not sure there's some grand conspiracy..

but your pricing comment isn't probably terribly far off.

They've likely ran into production yield problems, thus resulting in the need for a very high price point (especially if it's to remain profitable at the margins Apple expects).

they did the research and probably realized the world isn't going to pay $300+ for a Qi charger, no matter how fancy, especially when for the same price you could buy 3 seperate chargers (or more). Even if they don't necessarily do the same thing the Apple Charger was planning to do, sometimes, "GOod enough" is just that. Good enough.

I heard that they simply could not fix the overheating problems, and that it just cannot be done without dead spots right now.

 

[Abazigal]

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2019/04/elon-musks-management-philosophy-is-holding-tesla-back/

Can someone remind me again why the critics were actually pushing for this guy to replace Tim Cook as the CEO of Apple again?

 

[ipponrg]

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2019/04/elon-musks-management-philosophy-is-holding-tesla-back/

Can someone remind me again why the critics were actually pushing for this guy to replace Tim Cook as the CEO of Apple again?

Because some people think Musk is more of an innovator than Tim Cook. The thing that attracts people to Tesla/SpaceX is the tech it’s pursuing and not the profits. The CEO is often seen as the face and leader of a company in BOTH technology and profits. Clearly both Apple/Tesla dont fulfill both facets well at the moment

You wouldn’t be able to see from that angle/perspective if you don’t have an open mind.

 

[Abazigal]

Because some people think Musk is more of an innovator than Tim Cook. The thing that attracts people to Tesla/SpaceX is the tech it’s pursuing and not the profits. The CEO is often seen as the face and leader of a company in BOTH technology and profits. Clearly both Apple/Tesla dont fulfill both facets well at the moment

You wouldn’t be able to see from that angle/perspective if you don’t have an open mind.

And people don't seem to realise that the best ideas in the business world are moot if you lack the ability to bring those products to market.

People seem to think that Elon Musk is some kind of god who can will products into existence just by snapping his fingers, without realising that there is a ton of coordinating that goes on in the background. Which I honestly don't think that someone like Elon Musk is capable of overseeing.

Eventually, Tesla will have to turn a profit if it hopes to survive. And last I read, its mountain of problems just keeps piling up. It's easy to claim that you don't have to bother about profits when you are not running a company, but it does matter if you want the company you care about to continue to be around for the near foreseeable future and continuing making the products you want to use.

Yes, Airpower is now officially a flop. And I think it's ridiculous that everyone seems to have given the Note 7 a pass (Samsung actually released it, then ended up having to recall it), while Apple is being raked over the coals just because it discontinued a product which was never released at all. (and which wasn't even a critical Apple product to begin with).

I don't think it's because I don't have an open mind. Rather, it's because I recognise and acknowledge that simply being an "innovator" isn't the be-all and end-all of what makes a great company. Doing supply-chain management and logistics isn't sexy or glamorous, but it's what has allowed Apple to ship over 200 million iphones a year and made it into the behemoth it is today, and I feel that Tim Cook deserves way more recognition than what this forum is giving.

I mean, at this point, I’m not convinced Apple would be better off with Jobs at the helm with the company at its current size and trajectory anyway, despite what this forum likes to suggest with their numerous "Steve Jobs would never have.." I have to wonder if he would have stepped aside by now and left Tim Cook in charge anyways.

 

[LordVic]

Yes, Airpower is now officially a flop. And I think it's ridiculous that everyone seems to have given the Note 7 a pass (Samsung actually released it, then ended up having to recall it), while Apple is being raked over the coals just because it discontinued a product which was never released at all. (and which wasn't even a critical Apple product to begin with).

you really have a skewed viewpoint...

Nobody gave the Note 7 a pass. NOBODY.

what saved Samsung's reputation was their handling of the post-hoc situation. Samsung did a full 100% recall of all and every Note 7 andreplaced them for every user for free.

when Apple has a large or catastrophic failure in their design, they don't behave in an ethical manner. They have a known history of downplaying. Hiding, Obfuscating, and denying for years virtually all their design faults. And then only at the last resort do they offer "cheaper" paid repair sservices for devices affected by those design failures.

however, as for AirPower, they're not being raked over the coals for releasing a faulty product. They're not even being raked over the coals for not releasing a faulty product. They're being mocked for announcing over a year ago, during a keynote, a product as "finished" and "coming soon", only to have no product available for sale a year later, and then killilng it because despite what they said a year ago, they lied. the product was not ready for market. They were clearly still in early development. It's not raking over the coals so much as a mocking over how they handled it.

I think it's good on Apple to admit that a product they were working on couldn't be technically solved, nor priced in a position that would sell. That's a smart business decision to stop moving forward on a product that has no potential life to it.

But comparing it to the note 7 issue is just deflection because you refuse to admit that Apple of today doesn't seem to be quite able to handle things the same way that the Apple of yesteryears was.

And yes, Supply chain logistics is one of Apples strongest suits. Tim Cook is an absolute master at the supply chain. This hasn't changed from his days when he was directly responsibe for it. But equating good suppl chain management with good CEO leadership is also not mutually exclusive. it's possible he's amazing at Supply Chain, but a complete turd for product design understanding. Claiming Apple's supply chain excellences means that the products must also be excellent is just ... not a smart correlation to be making.

 

[ipponrg]

I don't think it's because I don't have an open mind. Rather, it's because I recognise and acknowledge that simply being an "innovator" isn't the be-all and end-all of what makes a great company. Doing supply-chain management and logistics isn't sexy or glamorous, but it's what has allowed Apple to ship over 200 million iphones a year and made it into the behemoth it is today, and I feel that Tim Cook deserves way more recognition than what this forum is giving.

There is a balance to be said here, and why I pointed out that you need to have some of both tech and profits.

Tim Cook and Apple are not only being criticized here in this forum but all over the place. Look at NYT a few days ago. There was a recent article pointing out at distinct issues with Apple today.

I def don’t discredit Tim Cook from his accomplishments and neither do stock holders. But his product direction has generally been lackluster and disconnected. Some people argue that profit is directly related to customer satisfaction. If it were that simple, then we wouldn’t have case studies analyzing how companies rise and divest.

 

[I7guy]

Nobody gave the Note 7 a pass. NOBODY.

I’m not sure I agree. But generally there was much more discussion in these forums than the news outlets.

when Apple has a large or catastrophic failure in their design, they don't behave in an ethical manner. They have a known history of downplaying. Hiding, Obfuscating, and denying for years virtually all their design faults. And then only at the last resort do they offer "cheaper" paid repair sservices for devices affected by those design failures.

What catastrophic failures are we taking about that equates to literally amolliating people by a daily battery?

however, as for AirPower, they're not being raked over the coals for releasing a faulty product. They're not even being raked over the coals for not releasing a faulty product. They're being mocked for announcing over a year ago, during a keynote, a product as "finished" and "coming soon", only to have no product available for sale a year later, and then killilng it because despite what they said a year ago, they lied. the product was not ready for market. They were clearly still in early development. It's not raking over the coals so much as a mocking over how they handled it.

It’s been over hyperbolized, thats for sure.

I think it's good on Apple to admit that a product they were working on couldn't be technically solved, nor priced in a position that would sell. That's a smart business decision to stop moving forward on a product that has no potential life to it.

But comparing it to the note 7 issue is just deflection because you refuse to admit that Apple of today doesn't seem to be quite able to handle things the same way that the Apple of yesteryears was.

It’s not about admitting, it’s about not agreeing with this. Apple of today does just fine. Of course ymmv.

And yes, Supply chain logistics is one of Apples strongest suits. Tim Cook is an absolute master at the supply chain. This hasn't changed from his days when he was directly responsibe for it. But equating good suppl chain management with good CEO leadership is also not mutually exclusive.

And to pull off what Tim did with Apple shows he has what it takes to be a ceo. Of course, that’s my arm chair ceo opinion and other arm chair ceos (investors or not) have their own opinion.

it's possible he's amazing at Supply Chain, but a complete turd for product design understanding. Claiming Apple's supply chain excellences means that the products must also be excellent is just ... not a smart correlation to be making.

It’s possible but also the opposite is possible. Again there will be opinions all over the map on this.

 

[Juicy Box]

People who purchased them are well within their return period should they decide they don't want them now.

It would be very hard to argue that anyone suffered any damage since everyone is still within the 14 day return window.

There will be plenty of people that won't know about Apple's announcement of canceling the AirPower for a while.

 

[bbednarz]

There will be plenty of people that won't know about Apple's announcement of canceling the AirPower for a while.

Anyone that truly cared about AirPower coming out and purchased the wireless charging case specifically for AirPower will definitely get the message in time to return the AirPods if they still want to.

 

[Juicy Box]

Anyone that truly cared about AirPower coming out and purchased the wireless charging case specifically for AirPower will definitely get the message in time to return the AirPods if they still want to.

Maybe, but to the original quote about class-action lawsuit, I doubt this would be a valid defense.