Report Claims AirPower 'Doomed to Failure' Unless Apple Can Resolve Multiple Ongoing Engineering Issues

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Announcing a product well in advance of a possible release seems like it is doomed to fail.

They did with the original iPhone. It crashed constantly and had all types of problems. During the demo, Steve had a very specific workflow to follow. Open things in the wrong order or return to a previous app at the wrong time and it would crash the phone. Many of those involved in the development sat in the audience and would drink from a flask when their part of the demo was finished. By the end of the keynote, they were pretty drunk.

 

[Arbuthnott]

Despite the promise of a 2018 release date, Apple's long-awaited AirPower wireless charging mat remains unavailable, and almost all mentions of the device were last week removed from its website. This has prompted speculation over what could be behind the delay - and even whether the AirPower, which was announced over a year ago, will ever see the light of day.

Previous reports have touched upon the technical issues Apple has run into with the AirPower's design, but a new report published on Sunday by Sonny Dickson claims several pieces of exclusive information that shed light on the challenges Apple is still facing with the device, which is designed to charge the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once.

According to the report's multiple internal sources, many of those working on the AirPower project believe the device may be "doomed to failure" unless engineering solutions can be found for a host of currently unresolved issues ...

Article Link: Report Claims AirPower 'Doomed to Failure' Unless Apple Can Resolve Multiple Ongoing Engineering Issues

I suggest that this is not a technical issue! While there are perfectly workable alternatives available for less than A$10 a go, why would anyone bother with paying more than 10 times the price simply for an Apple label? And in addition, the watch will only charge in this way if you don’t have a bracelet. And the charging of the AirPods was never inconvenient in the first place.

The AirPower is a solution looking for a problem, and would be far to uncommercial to bother releasing. Unless it can do something clever like charging a phone or watch from maybe a metre away?

 

[falcn]

I've not read the article, but you'd have thought they'd been like 90% of the way into testing before announcing this thing.

They announced it because it sounded like a cool idea. They asked design team to make beautiful renders and a video. They forgot to include actual engineers in this process, because it's a freaking charging mat, how hard can it be, right? Right?

 

[ArtVandelay37]

This is typically the type of situation when you can assess how huge is the loss caused by the passing of Steve Jobs.

Just as he did with numerous technical challenges throughout Apple's history, he would have said to the engeeners : here is the design, here are the specs, MAKE IT HAPPEN ! period

And the magic would operate... once again.

 

[PickUrPoison]

They can't get a wireless charger right???

It’s not like any other wireless charger. No one’s figured it out yet, maybe Apple can.

 

[felixen]

So they’d rather compromise on the quality just to make it thinner and smaller even if this results in massive issues with heat... so basically it’s the same as their computers then

Not really, that's why it hasn't been released yet. Not willing to compromise on design means that their only desire is to keep working at it until it works as intended with the intended design.

 

[69Mustang]

Am I the only one who was looking forward to a pad where you could actually put your phone anywhere?

And those $20 “put-them-in-this-x-only” pads don’t count

There are multiple charging stands that eliminate the placement issue. You can't place your phone in the wrong place on one of these stands... unless you're intentionally trying to place it in the wrong place. Charge landscape or vertical. You can't miss the charge area.

 

[Kai Wang]

Basically:
Engineers: "We could get this to work if we made it a tiny bit thicker."

Jony Ive: "Over my dead body."

 

[DoctorTech]

I must be missing something. I have worked with inductive coil chargers before, clear back in 1991-3 with the GM EV1 "Impact" electric car. They aren't rocket science. Just clearly mark on the pad where the phone goes, where the watch goes and where the AirPod case goes and design around the requirement that the user puts the device where it belongs so 1 charger can charge all 3 devices at once. From the articles I've read, it seems like the idea of being able to place a device anywhere on the pad and the pad figuring out what and where it is is adding a lot of complexity to what should be a pretty simple device. The charging mat could still identify the device so it doesn't overcharge the watch if it is put in the space where the phone is supposed to go but it wouldn't have to charge it if it were placed in the wrong spot.

 

[falcn]

Why even bother? Just stick to the old fashioned way of charging devices: a 100% reliable, power cord.

and by 100% reliable you mean a non-apple cable

 

[PickUrPoison]

This is typically the type of situation when you can assess how huge is the loss caused the passing of Steve Jobs.

Just as he did with numerous technical challenges throughout Apple's history, he would have said to the engeeners : here is the design, here are the specs, MAKE IT HAPPEN ! period

And the magic would operate... once again.

Like the PowerBook G5?

 

[coolbreeze2]

That pad is nothing like Apple's concept. That pad has 3 specific zones of charging. One on each side and a watch charger in the middle. The devices still have to be aligned properly. That is not a place device anywhere charger that Apple envisioned.

I'm not trying to say Apple is a failure. I am just trying to understand from a layman's view. So if this pad I ordered works, why does Apple not want to do a similar design?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CP45WQW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[recoil80]

I just re-watched the announcement. I feel like they weren't too confident. Schiller uses words like, "Want, "Think" and "Idea".
"Our team wants to create something"
"We're going to give you a sneak peak of this Idea right now."
"We think we have an idea of how to make this a better experience."

It was a concept.

He also put a lot of emphasis on how they wanted other manufacturers to innovate and push the limits on the standard.

"But our team knows how to do this" but he may very well have been wrong.

But they had to have at least a prototype back then since they expected to ship in an year.
I guess they had huge problems last September, but they were confident they'd have been able to solve them in a few months. Turned out they were wrong.
In hindsight they should have skipped the announcement, iPhone is Qi compatible so there were dozens of pad available to buy at day one. It is not like having to announce AirPods alongside iPhone 7 to mitigate the removal of the 3.5 jack, Qi charging was something more as they didn't remove the charging cable.

 

[OllyW]

Announcing a product well in advance of a possible release seems like it is doomed to fail.

Not all of the time, Apple announced the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod well in advance of their actual release dates and they seem to have done quite well. When there are insurmountable problems and the product gets scrapped before it even reaches sale it can make a company look pretty silly though.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I'm not trying to say Apple is a failure. I am just trying to understand from a layman's view. So if this pad I ordered works, why does Apple not want to do a similar design?

That pad needs exact placement, not “put them down anywhere”.

 

[BvizioN]

Lesson: don't announce hardware products unless they are launch-ready.

They did with original iPhone, Original Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod but they were more detailed on the release time. I'm not fan of products being showed before they are close to being completed. I don't get why show something that is not 100% sure to be release. Personally I find it embarrassing. Not because they scrap a project but because they show it to the world as a product coming before being done testing and challenges. Still better than being released with flaws I think.

 

[gwaizai]

Not release a product because it has issues!
I'm shocked.
Usually Apple just makes the release and let's first adopters sort it all out for them.
Where's the Apple gone that we have grown accustomed to hate?

 

[zetti]

They did with the original iPhone. It crashed constantly and had all types of problems. During the demo, Steve had a very specific workflow to follow. Open things in the wrong order or return to a previous app at the wrong time and it would crash the phone. Many of those involved in the development sat in the audience and would drink from a flask when their part of the demo was finished. By the end of the keynote, they were pretty drunk.

Of course in some situations that happens; my point was it can go either way and in this case, it does not look good. Again just my opinion.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Before announcing any new products, always start it off with "Wouldn't it be cool if...."

 

[Piggie]

Sounds like a classic case of the "Designers" ruling over the "Engineers" and they'd rather it worked worse than change the design.

 

[zetti]

Not all of the time, Apple announced the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod well in advance of their actual release dates and they seem to have done quite well. When there are insurmountable problems and the product gets scrapped before it even reaches sale it can make a company look pretty silly though.

Hence why I said 'seems like', it might not be doomed to fail but announcing it when it's not even ready? Removing it from the website? Just seems like the odds are against them on this one.

 

[PickUrPoison]

and by 100% reliable you mean a non-apple cable

And this is why you should teach your dog not to chew on your cables lol

 

[coolbreeze2]

That pad needs exact placement, not “put them down anywhere”.

Ok I would love for Apple to do an exact placement for the watch, AirPods, and the phone! Who cares I can't just place it anywhere on the pad. I just want to charge all three at once. I think an exact placement that works and has Apple's standards certainly will be a big seller. What am I missing here?

 

[phoni]

With that level of complication the price would be way beyond acceptable levels. Wireless charging as it is now I find completely useless. There is no difference for me if i place phone or watch on the mat or hook it up via cable. I charge overnight anyway. Not to mention that efficiency is very low what directly translates to loss of power.
That technology is not promising. Once the real wireless technology will be available I will maybe change my mind. Lets say 3m range.

Wireless is a misnomer, it is 'inductive' charging, as the device requires direct contact to the charging power source. Just like a cable connected from a power source to a device. 'wireless' charging charges or powers a receiving device without being physically connected.

 

[az431]

I've not read the article, but you'd have thought they'd been like 90% of the way into testing before announcing this thing.

Who says they weren’t? Do you have inside info that we don’t or just pure soeculstion?