Xiaomi Unveils Apple AirPower-Like $90 Wireless Charging Pad Capable of Charging Three Devices Simultaneously

[MacRumors]

At its product launch event today, Xiaomi announced a wireless charging pad that's capable of charging three devices, each up to 20W simultaneously, for a total of 60W across the pad.

Xiaomi says the charging pad includes 19 wireless charging coils, enabling devices to be charged anywhere they're placed on the pad. Typical wireless chargers require precise and nimble placement of devices for them to receive a charge. Xiaomi is looking to challenge the status quo, giving customers more freedom as to where they place their devices.

The pad will charge any device that supports Qi wireless charging, including newer iPhones and AirPods. Xiamoi's pad bears striking similarities to Apple's now canceled AirPower charging mat, which it announced in 2017, only to cancel two years later due to its inability to meet its own high-quality standards.

Apple never announced a price for AirPower, so a comparison is hard to make. Xiamoi's wireless charging pad will retail for $90.

Xiaomi's devices, ranging from smartphones to tablets, have been publicly criticized in the past for heavily borrowing design elements from Apple's iPhones and iPads, and adopting marketing materials tactics similar to Apple's.

Article Link: Xiaomi Unveils Apple AirPower-Like $90 Wireless Charging Pad Capable of Charging Three Devices Simultaneously

 

[zeezun]

xiaomi for the win

 

[Ifti]

Xiaomi does yet another thing that Apple couldn't - yet this won't be labelled as 'revolutionary' until Apple create their own??!

 

[awhk]

I will get one if it really can charge an Apple Watch.

 

[kildraik]

$90? And I was cruising for the Nomad Base Station Pro. I’ll take it!

Dodged (what likely would have been) yet another $299 bullet from Apple! Sometimes when “innovation,” fails, the customer wins.

 

[AmazeSE]

Xiaomi did something which Apple couldn’t do.
The best Apple could do is the MagSafe Duo which costs $129 and can only charge two devices and it does not come with a power adapter.

For $90 this is an amazing deal.

Edit: Just found out that this $90 wireless charger comes with a huge 120W power adapter included. Source see last para.

 

[Spidder]

Xiaomi - Think Apple

 

[69Mustang]

Xiaomi's pad works because every item it charges supports the standard Qi charging protocols. Imo, Apple's Air Power didn't work because they could never get the standard Qi used in charging iPhones and AirPods to play nice with the proprietary Qi fork Apple used for the Apple Watch. If the AW used standard Qi, I think AirPower would have been delivered on time as originally promised.

 

[I7guy]

It sounded like a good idea when Apple announced leaked the airpower (purposefully or accidentally), however, today, I don't see a need for this...in my use case only.

But good job to Xiaomi for making Apples' idea work.

 

[DrRadon]

Looks great. Will consider buying to reduce cable clutter

 

[Kylo83]

Why couldn’t apple do this all we got is a MagSafe duo that is pointless

 

[ian87w]

Xiaomi does yet another thing that Apple couldn't - yet this won't be labelled as 'revolutionary' until Apple create their own??!

Sometimes Xiaomi made stuff that look awesome on the appearance. Real life utility is another story. There are always quirks. I have Xiaomi router and set top box. The router has great spec for the price, but cannot reliably connect to its own configuration app on my phone. The set top box is very inexpensive, but I have to restart it every time I want to use it because it keeps disconnecting its own remote. So... YMMV.

As for price, Xiaomi already stated that they only take about 5% margin from their pricing.

 

[I7guy]

Why couldn’t apple do this all we got is a MagSafe duo that is pointless

With magsafe, one can at least use the phone while you are relaxing or laying down. Not so much with the charging pad.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Cool innovation, Xiaomi. AirPower was only gonna have 16 coils and it still fell flat on its face.

It's too bad Apple Watch is still using proprietary charging mehtods.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Wow! That’s pretty impressive. Good job Xiaomi.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

It sounded like a good idea when Apple announced leaked the airpower (purposefully or accidentally), however, today, I don't see a need for this...in my use case only.

But good job to Xiaomi for making Apples' idea work.

We're calling keynote unveilings leaks now?

 

[NewUsername]

Cupertino, start your photocopiers.

 

[Spock]

My only thought is, what prevented Apple from doing this and was it a potential fault that xiaomi is willing to do deal with? I heard that Apple was having troubles with it overheating, I wonder if that will be the case with this device.

​

 

[jmgregory1]

I think Apple made the correct decision in shifting to magnet-centered MagSafe Qi charging. The idea of just setting your device down anywhere on a pad was a good concept IF it was setting your device down on a large surface desk or table top - not a small pad where you still kind of have to be careful where it goes.

I can say that both my wife and I love being able to have our iPhones charge magnetically suspended on one of those cheap amazon stands that hold the MagSafe puck, next to our bed. It’s easy to glance it in the night, or to pick up the iPhone when needed, then let the magnet grab it when you’re done and not worry about whether it’s set perfectly on a coil.

 

[calstanford]

I don't believe Apple Watch for a second

 

[Will Co]

Wireless power transfer requires extremely tight electromagnetic coupling between the transmitting and receiving devices. Coil size, impedance, frequencies and crucially the alignment, in 3D, between the two is absolutely critical. If any of these are off, the required resonance will not occur, or at least will not be as effective, leading to poor energy transfer. This often gives rise to wasted energy in the form of heat. There's a reason why Apple uses magnets to pull the devices into position and get the all important alignment needed for optimum power transfer. As others have said, I wouldn't be surprised if the Xiami product doesn't work as efficiently as one might hope, unless care is taken to align devices. I can't see how simply throwing your phone down onto the charging pad is going to give great power transfer. Might still give *some* power transfer.

 

[I7guy]

We're calling keynote unveilings leaks now?

Wouldn't quite call whatever Apple did a keynote unveiling.

 

[I7guy]

My only thought is, what prevented Apple from doing this and was it a potential fault that xiaomi is willing to do deal with? I heard that Apple was having troubles with it overheating, I wonder if that will be the case with this device.

​

All of the detail about the Xiaomi charging pad is not out yet. So we don't know if this implementation was the original vision of the Apple Wireless Power. (I'm guessing there are significant limitations)

 

[mazz0]

Apple never announced a price for AirPower, so a comparison is hard to make. Xiamoi's wireless charging pad will retail for $90.

Lol! I think we can hazard a guess! It's three digits, the first of which is a 2.

With magsafe, one can at least use the phone while you are relaxing or laying down. Not so much with the charging pad.

Your MagSafe cable must be longer than mine!

 

[FightTheFuture]

Cool innovation, Xiaomi. AirPower was only gonna have 16 coils and it still fell flat on its face.

It's too bad Apple Watch is still using proprietary charging mehtods.

Never heard anyone complain about the Apple Watch charger. Wouldn’t want something as clumsy as Qi charging your watch.

Cupertino, start your photocopiers.

Apple has the Magsafe Duo. They don’t need to revisit AirPower.