The Apple AirPower charging pad was conspicuously absent from the company’s iPhone event last week, marking an entire calendar year since Apple first announced the wireless solution.
Furthermore, following the event, all-but-one mention of the device disappeared from the Apple website. Now we’re hearing that technical issues plaguing the device may be unassailable.
According to noted Apple tipster Sonny Dickson the product is “doomed to failure” unless Apple engineers overcome multiple issues, including overheating issues that are affecting AirPower’s ability to effectively charge the devices.
He says the device – which is supposed to charge an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch simultaneously – may be cancelled completely, ‘dramatically’ delayed even further or completely re-envisioned from the sneak peak Apple unveiled back in September 2017.
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In a blog post he writes: “Currently the device produces far too much heat, which causes performance setbacks, and can affect the ability of the devices to charge if they become too warm in the process. It also affects the ability of Apple’s custom charging chip, which runs a stripped down version of iOS, to function as intended.”
He goes onto detail ‘buggy inter-device communication’, issues with charging activation, speed and accuracy of charge levels. There’s also several mechanical and interference issues to overcome, Dickson says.
He adds: “Apple’s engineers have been experiencing both hardware and software issues with the communication between AirPower and devices placed on the mat, -especially- the communication of Apple Watch and AirPod charging data to the iPhone, which monitors the charge level of all devices placed on the mat.”
The outright cancellation of the product would be a dramatic development, considering Apple is synonymous with engineering excellence. Even if the company does get it out eventually, AirPower is the latest Apple product subject to a lengthy delay. Both AirPods and HomePod arrived long after the promised release date.
Do you think Apple will ever deliver AirPower? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.