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Photos Depict Alleged Internals of Canceled AirPower
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What is so different in the watch that other wireless chargers can't charge the watch and watch charger cannot charge an iphone?
I understand Apple's thinking about making a charging pad that would allow you to just set your devices down and have each and every one charge, regardless of where they're put. It seems like it would be the easy solution, because that's what people often do when taking their keys or change out of their pocket.
But the devices that we need to charge, our iPhone and Watch in particular, aren't like a set of house or car keys, or a bunch of loose change. Those items have no use when you're in bed, so there is no need to have them set in a particular spot that you can easily look at, or pick up if you wanted to interact with them while in bed.
But with the iPhone and to some extent the Watch, chances are much greater that you're actually going to use them while in bed, even if it's just to look at the time. So this idea that they need to be able to be set down in random places makes less sense. I would suggest that in both cases, iPhone and Watch would be better to not be set down flat on a bedside table, but rather placed in a stand that keeps them at an angle that allows for easy viewing while laying down.
The benefit of a stand charger, is that you limit the potential for being off-axis in at least the vertical axis, and the fact that you can easily see messages, or even watch videos while it charges, and see the Watch for time keeping purposes.
But the devices that we need to charge, our iPhone and Watch in particular, aren't like a set of house or car keys, or a bunch of loose change. Those items have no use when you're in bed, so there is no need to have them set in a particular spot that you can easily look at, or pick up if you wanted to interact with them while in bed.
But with the iPhone and to some extent the Watch, chances are much greater that you're actually going to use them while in bed, even if it's just to look at the time. So this idea that they need to be able to be set down in random places makes less sense. I would suggest that in both cases, iPhone and Watch would be better to not be set down flat on a bedside table, but rather placed in a stand that keeps them at an angle that allows for easy viewing while laying down.
The benefit of a stand charger, is that you limit the potential for being off-axis in at least the vertical axis, and the fact that you can easily see messages, or even watch videos while it charges, and see the Watch for time keeping purposes.
As you implied, it's worth watching the video.
Two very different engineering approaches to the same problem between Xiaomi and Apple.
One a self-positioning single transmitter coil inside a plastic case, but otherwise unremarkable compared to the typical $10 wireless charger on Amazon. The other a multi-layered, multi-coil design, each with its own mini controller board mounted on a backing plate, with an additional isolation/heat sinking frame to segregate them. And a master controller to oversee them.
It is plainly evident that one of the mouse traps had a much higher level of effort, and cost put into it, and might have presented a difficult business case even if the performance issues were overcome.
I'm referring to how you said multiple layers of rings was already solved. From what I'm reading, it's not.
This guy does not deserve a mention in the article at all. Hate his arrogant attitude and he shared fake images to catch attention.
Yes, dear, I agree. However, this was one of the rarer cases where a marketing nut forced the skilled engineers at Apple to do a Mission Impossible. I hope that the decision-making processes will now be more fact-based, based on technical feasibility.
One could argue that the original iPhone would never have been created had Steve Jobs not done exactly that... challenged his engineers to ‘make the impossible’.
The difference between price and value.
Yes, based on the sheer amount of R&D that went into it, I doubt Apple could ever recoup its initial investment even if they eventually made AirPower work and released it for sale. That said, I can see Apple still working on it even till this day just because they are too stubborn to concede defeat.
However, make it too expensive and people will just opt for one of those cheaper integrated charging pads you find on amazon. Being able to place my iphone, Apple Watch and AirPods anywhere I want on a pad and have them automatically charge sounds like a convenient thing to have (especially when I have had my iPhone somehow just slide off my wireless charger overnight a couple of times), but nothing I am going to pay an exorbitant amount of money for.
I would have been more impressed with confirmed news of the resurrection and forthcoming release of AirPower2 (AKA “Portable Air Power Waffle Maker” * curtesy Anger Danger Productions).
Looks over designed.
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Or added a fan?
Me too! Apple has a long history of using red boards for prototypes. This has a black board. Unless the actually produced them for distribution and buried them in a desert (another habit of Apple from the past) this almost screams fake. And no Apple printed on the circuit board? Hard to believe. Even the smallest of boards have the Apple name on them in everything that I've disassembled. Occam's Razor? Signs are pointing to fake...
Have you seen leaked iPhone logic boards for the past several years? They have none of the characteristics you describe.
Oh, no I haven't. Hmm. They changed that I guess. Last I heard, and saw, was that they were still using red boards. *sigh* Things change. I guess it makes red board Apple products more valuable? Thanks for the update.
It looks like something where a whole bunch of somebodies said "yes" 999 times, instead of "no".
You should give it up. Fake news!
Apple would clearly never conceive of such a thing, and make it so elaborate and complex.
Pure fantasy from some Chinese prankster!
And I love the quote from the original story: "We don't know if these photos actually depict the AirPower as there's nothing in the design that specifically ties them to Apple."
No, nothing at all!
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You should give it up. Fake news!
Apple would clearly never conceive of such a thing, and make it so elaborate and complex.
Pure fantasy from some Chinese prankster!
And I love the quote from the original story: "We don't know if these photos actually depict the AirPower as there's nothing in the design that specifically ties them to Apple."
No, nothing at all!
This needs to be voted up more!
I own one of those "multi coil" matts that was pushed here on the forum via a review (that MacRumors then deleted). It's a piece of crap - you have to have things jusssst right to charge, specially the watch. I've woken to many morning with either my watch or phone depleted because I didn't get it right.
Would have bought the Apple one in a heartbeat.
Would have bought the Apple one in a heartbeat.
This reminds me of a product concept demo I have seen at IFA (Berlin), several years ago. As you know, IFA is not just about TVs, phones and such, but also household appliances.
I think it was Samsung (but don't take my word for it).
They were making meals on a large induction cooking surface. It had a "large number" (whatever that means) of small coils. You could move your cooking vessels freely on that surface. The heat allways followed the vessels, but the cooker did not heat up smaller objects like spoons (one could safely pick them up). It also detected when something got too hot and prevented overcooking automatically. Basically the kilowatt Version of Apple's wireless charger.
I don't know if that ever went into production. But a cool idea.
Charging your phone in two minutes while making delicious pasta is just a software update away.
I think it was Samsung (but don't take my word for it).
They were making meals on a large induction cooking surface. It had a "large number" (whatever that means) of small coils. You could move your cooking vessels freely on that surface. The heat allways followed the vessels, but the cooker did not heat up smaller objects like spoons (one could safely pick them up). It also detected when something got too hot and prevented overcooking automatically. Basically the kilowatt Version of Apple's wireless charger.
I don't know if that ever went into production. But a cool idea.
Charging your phone in two minutes while making delicious pasta is just a software update away.
There are Android watches that use Qi charging, but the vast majority of Qi chargers use coils that are too large and don't line up with a small watch. So you still need a dedicated charger for the watch because you can't just use any Qi mat.
I don't know about Apple, but I assume they have the same problem since the watches are small.