Gurman: Apple Aims to Release AirPower By September

[Abazigal]

The alternative: do not buy either.

I feel it will be a nice convenience to have.

Imagine this - you use an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. At the end of the day, you come home and place all three on AirPower, which then starts charging them wirelessly. Without you having to fiddle with multiple wires.

That’s the culmination of Apple’s vision of a wireless future that first began with the removal of the headphone jack with the iPhone 7 and the release of the AirPods. Having your devices all connect to one another wirelessly without having to contend with wires of any sort.

I also think that this concept will also become even more crucial as Apple further expands into other wearable devices and the user ends up having more of such devices to handle. Many of them may not even have a charging port, and rely exclusively on wireless charging.

Imagine a giant AirPower mat which lets you handle the charging of multiple of such devices automatically, without you having to even think about placement.

I think that’s the end goal.

Serious question.... why is this so difficult to design/manufacture/release? It’s a charging mat. Is there something unique about Apple’s over third party offerings?

We will probably have to wait for the official tear down to figure this out. But if we look at the AirPods, Apple often puts in a lot of effort to solve minor inconveniences which other companies often may not bother with, because it’s too much effort and money to address.

It will probably be a lot more complex than simply being 3 charging coils placed side by side.

Time will tell.

 

[FromJamRock]

It is rare that I’ve had to plug in one of my Galaxy Note phones......in FOUR YEARS.

 

[skillwill]

A little strange that people are so mad Apple because THEY wrongly guessed the release date. This September is "in 2018", which was and still is the only release date Apple has officially announced.

 

[Jimmy James]

September 30th. 10:00 PM

11:49 PM.

 

[rjtyork]

I don’t get why they even went ahead with this. I’m getting one of those Nytestands or whatever they’re called and adding 5w wireless iPhone charging to it. I like the idea of all my devices sitting upright (what good is nightstand mode for Apple Watch when it’s laying flat?!) and being able to charge my iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods on one stand next to my bed with all the wires hidden.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

is that safe for cats?

Ha! Safe enough FOR cats. But the devices will not be safe FROM cats. I have to keep my phone & watch in a jewelry box, and my hearing aids especially - those disappeared one day and I'm lucky to have found them!

 

[bunnicula]

I know they said "2018," but (historically) when Apple has announced a companion device (like the AirPods, for example) along with a new phone, it didn't take an extra year for it to show up in stores.

This was a bad move. If they meant "when we announce a new iPhone next year in 2018" they should have communicated "in the 2nd half of 2018" or similar.

That way, it would be June before anyone even started looking for it.

My house is full of wireless chargers that work VERY well and since I do not HAVE to charge AirPods or my watch alongside one another, I'm totally fine skipping this unless there's some hidden feature or features that I think are a MUST have.

Had this been available with the phone last year, I would likely have bought it, even if it was more expensive than I might have liked.

People usually buy things when there is a need. I just do not seem to have a need for what this seems to be.

 

[Lepton]

Why is this such a complicated thing? Does it do something aside from charging gadgets?

 

[Dave245]

Duh. Everyone is waiting for the long-range wireless solution that Apple was supposed to launch and probably will take another decade

No one has mentioned long range, it clearly states in the article that Apple are planning to remove more ports from the iPhone including the charging port, in that case the Air Power matt would be essential, yes Apple are probably working on long range charging but in the short term we will probably get the Air Power mat as the solution for the removal of the charging port.

Maybe they will remove the charging port in 2019, maybe 2020 who knows but it makes perfect sense for Apple's long term goals of a wireless future.

 

[haruhiko]

As I remember, Apple said for the AirPower charging mat, you don't need to put the phone in a specific location to start charging. I think this is the difficult part.

 

[DTECHQUE]

I miss the days when Apple waited to announce things until they were ready to launch within a month of that announcement.

Yeah, you mean like the first generation iPhone or Mac OS Leopard?

 

[Dave245]

Serious question.... why is this so difficult to design/manufacture/release? It’s a charging mat. Is there something unique about Apple’s over third party offerings?

Yes, Apple are making it so that you can place all 3 devices (iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods) anywhere on the mat and it will charge.

 

[where is it]

Hopefully, it has some magical feature that we don't know about. I mean, it's a charging mat.
Yes...I know...you can place your phone, Watch, and AirPods on it to charge at the same time. Buuuut, that just doesn't seem that amazing to me.

Magical feature? Yes, it magically relieves your wallet of precious funds.

 

[AnthonyHarris]

And a price?

$49 ?
$99 ?
$149 ?
$199 ?
$249 ?
$299 ?

I'd guess between 99 and 149

$499

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

Serious question.... why is this so difficult to design/manufacture/release? It’s a charging mat. Is there something unique about Apple’s over third party offerings?

Why is this such a complicated thing? Does it do something aside from charging gadgets?

As I remember, Apple said for the AirPower charging mat, you don't need to put the phone in a specific location to start charging. I think this is the difficult part.

Yes, Apple are making it so that you can place all 3 devices (iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods) anywhere on the mat and it will charge.

If you look at any picture of AirPower, there are literally 3 devices on one mat, charging from one cable, and you can place your devices anywhere on them.

No other charger in existence does that. As stated in the article itself, Apple is looking to have their additions added to the Qi spec.

 

[haruhiko]

If you look at any picture of AirPower, there are literally 3 devices on one mat, charging from one cable, and you can place your devices anywhere on them.

No other charger in existence does that. As stated in the article itself, Apple is looking to have their additions added to the Qi spec.

How was mine ignorant?

 

[cocky jeremy]

I don't get the "technical issues". It's just a stupid charging pad. Thousands of companies make these.

 

[groovyd]

The hubris is deep in this one lol... needing to run a version of iOS just to power a wireless charger?! No wonder everything new is delayed by a year among technical difficulties. How hard is it to maintain 36 forks of an OS?

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

i can't but those bose or apple speakers with the tiny holes cause my 1 year old cats might get their claws caught, 3AM in the morning!

This morning I was woken up by the sound of one chewing on a ziplock bag containing computer literature and a power cable; he had dragged it in from the kitchen table. This was then followed by him chewing on the sleeve for my Vagora/Darrow Chemical Company 7" split. One of only a few in existence.

 

[freezelighter]

AirPower is said to include a custom Apple chip running "a stripped down version of iOS" for power management and pairing with devices:

Oh wow, so I can play one of those farm games on my AirPower using AirOS

 

[BlankStar]

I am soooooooooo excited. The best charger in the market is coming. Awesome!!!!!!!

How can you even know it's the best charger? Fanboy anyone?

is that safe for cats?

Depends, is your cat compatible with wireless charging?

Serious question.... why is this so difficult to design/manufacture/release? It’s a charging mat. Is there something unique about Apple’s over third party offerings?

I don't get the "technical issues". It's just a stupid charging pad. Thousands of companies make these.

As stated: other companies make a pad that can charge one device. This pad will charge different devices with a different power requirement whereever you place them.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

How was mine ignorant?

I edited that out. Just because I've had a rough morning, doesn't mean I need to make anyone else's rough.

But since you asked, I quoted your post in agreement; I should have been clearer about that in the original iteration of my post. My apologies.

 

[TimUSCA]

It’s a wireless charger puck for God’s sake. Should have been out a year ago.

If it was "just a wireless charger puck", then people would even care that it's delayed. But it's obviously more than that, and a lot more complicated than its competition. It runs a stripped down version of iOS for goodness sake just to handle the multiple coils.

They obviously shouldn't have announced it yet, but simplifying it as "just a wireless charging puck" is just plain wrong.

 

[wemax]

early 2018 = september

k

 

[Danoc]

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