Rumor Claims 'AirPower Isn't Dead' After Ming-Chi Kuo Says Apple Working on 'Smaller Wireless Charging Mat'

TwoBytes said:
This is dead.
All the copycats and alteratives have saturated the market and if you have a charging matt, you won't' want to buy another so Apple has lost the customer base already
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"copycats and alternatives". To a product that never existed? Anyone would think that only Apple ever developed anything.
 
I think the idea that you need to be able to place any device anywhere on a charging mat is misguided. What it seems like to me, is that what Apple really wants / needs is wireless over the air charging, where you can place any of your devices wherever you want on a desk / table and have them charge.

Today, it’s not like we need to, or ever would, simply toss our iPhone or Watch carelessly onto a mat, expecting them to then charge. Apple could have simply designed the charging pad to accept an iPhone, AirPods and Watch next to each other, even if the Watch requires a specific location on the pad (with the iPhone and AirPods case being interchangeagle location-wise) because of it’s proprietary charging requirement.

I’m one of those people that hates having my iPhone and Watch (don’t currently have or use AirPods) charge flat on a table or desk, preferring to be able to see them face me when working or when in bed. I’ve got my iPhone on a Qi charging stand that holds it at an angle that makes it easy to look over at, and touch, to be able to see notifications. And I’ve got my Watch charging puck magnetically stuck to the base of metal lamp, that allows the Watch to be in nightstand mode, again allowing me to see the time in easy glances.

I’m already thinking of designing an add-on stand for my iPhone that can connect to the soon to release Magic Keyboard Folio for my iPad Pro 12.9”, which could actually be used to power the phone through the extra USB-C charging port on the hinge, so I can have both the phone and my iPad Pro facing me at a natural angle while working. Right now I’m using an old Lightning stand with my iPhone Pro Max (not typically powered as it already gets me through the day without extra charging. And having it next to my iPad Pro facing me is such a perfect setup.
 
jmgregory1 said:
I’m already thinking of designing an add-on stand for my iPhone that can connect to the soon to release Magic Keyboard Folio for my iPad Pro 12.9”, which could actually be used to power the phone through the extra USB-C charging port on the hinge, so I can have both the phone and my iPad Pro facing me at a natural angle while working. Right now I’m using an old Lightning stand with my iPhone Pro Max (not typically powered as it already gets me through the day without extra charging. And having it next to my iPad Pro facing me is such a perfect setup.
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There is no indication the port on the hinge can do anything other than charge the iPad.
 
AirPower was quite ambitious, especially because of its ability to charge both standard Qi devices and the Apple Watch. As the Watch becomes more popular I really hope Apple does offer something to make it more convenient to charge. An “AirPower Mini” that charges any 2 devices at a time, in specific locations side by side, including watches/phones/AirPods/Air Tags (Apple Pencil?) would be enormously useful for me. So that’s what I’m hoping for!
 
easy4lif said:
Here’s a theory I’ve had in my head since the cancellation occurred...

Apple did in fact figure out all the design issues and had a working prototype. However, when it came to mass produce it, manufacturing cost would have made either AirPower too expensive ($299+) or too many were failing quality control. So apple just “canceled” the project. Which by the way they’ve never done publicly I think.

I figured apple decided to just place AirPower on the back burner till it became economically viable.
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I think they did solve all the issues, but it became a ridiculous expensive device. I’m guessing it prob cost 299 just to mass produce it. No ones gonna pay $399 + just to charge via apple.

before I get ripped a new one. There were rumors that it had entered mass production a month before cancelation
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It was expected to retail around $150, $299 to mass produce is absolutely bonkers and in no way possible. The likely cause for cancellation was a heat issue.
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Vjosullivan said:
But it's cool. Nobody cares about the downsides like using twice as much electricity to provide the same amount of charging.
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The efficiency has increased greatly from those days.
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Veinticinco said:
Straw-clutching over vaporware.

Apple would be infinitely better served by moving on, as would customers STILL holding out for this unnecessary and commercially obsolete product.
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Obsolete? So we've moved on from charging mats? Even the best ones out there have issues to be resolved.
 
cmaier said:
There is no indication the port on the hinge can do anything other than charge the iPad.
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Yep, that’s what I was thinking. That port could power an iPhone with some type of integrated stand that connects to the new Magic Keyboard Folio, or conversely, the normal iPad Pro port could be used, leaving the keyboard port open to charge the iPad Pro.
 
Jury said:
I doubt the inductive power matt could be resurrected due to a guy like Tim Cook turning Apple into a generic technology company.
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The AirPower fits the definition of what a “generic tech company “ would manufacture.
 
The only mistake made with the Airpower, was that it was announced to early, not that it didn’t actually come to fruition. Apple isn’t concerned about the fact it ‘didn’t make it to the market’, it’s better that they didn’t release something that may have had potential hardware issues, versus say...they release something revamped in the future that Rectifies the issues the original Airpower was facing. There’s plenty Of time/room for this product to make it to the market, and there’s definitely a demographic that will be interested in Coupling devices to charge all on the same product.
 
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