Apple AirPower charger apparently still in the works
Apple hasn’t given up on its AirPower wireless charging concept, according to a new report.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has claimed that Apple is still working on a similar concept to the original AirPower charger, which was supposed to be able to wirelessly charge multiple Apple devices at once.
The original AirPower was announced in 2017, promising to unify Apple’s wirelessly chargeable smart gizmos on one all-encompassing mat. The idea was that you could place your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch in any configuration on a single sleek charger.
Apple soon ran into trouble with its concept, however, and was unable to hit its 2018 release target. In 2019, the company admitted defeat and officially cancelled the AirPower.
An alleged teardown of a supposed prototype version of the AirPower seemed to point to an overly complex internal design comprised of a total of 14 wireless charging coils.
Since the product’s cancellation, however, we’ve heard several reports claiming that the AirPower concept was far from dead within Apple HQ. Early last year, reports emerged that Apple had restarted work on its ambitious wireless charger.
This latest report would seem to suggest those reports are on the money.
It’ll be interesting to see how the final AirPower-like design changes from the original flat pad concept. Apple has since re-introduced MagSafe as a magnetic charging system, and the MagSafe Duo already covers some of the same ground as the AirPower – albeit with two devices rather than three.
Interestingly, this latest report also suggests that Apple is looking into new wireless charging solutions that don’t rely on physical contact at all. He also claims that Apple is looking at a future where all Apple devices can wirelessly charge one another.