Apple's AirPower wireless charging mat is still MIA

Apple unveiled its AirPower wireless charging mat at its iPhone event last year, promising a way for those with multiple Apple devices to be able to wirelessly charge them all at the same time. The company showed how an iPhone, an Apple Watch and a set of AirPods could all be tossed onto the mat to charge simultaneously, noting that AirPower would be available sometime in 2018. But a year later we still don't have it and today as Apple showed off its latest round of iPhones and the Apple Watch Series 4, there was not a single mention of AirPower. And the device has largely disappeared from the company's website.

You can see an image of AirPower on Apple's AirPod page and the device is listed on the company's list of trademarks. But that's about it. And not only was AirPower not mentioned today, Apple didn't say anything about wireless charging in relation to its new iPhone models either. The company's silence on a device it was quite keen to show off a year ago is rather odd and could mean that AirPower has proven a bit more difficult to develop that Apple once expected.

There was already speculation that all was not right with AirPower earlier this year. Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg in June that technical issues had held up the device, with overheating, the need for multiple charging sensors and having to accommodate different kinds of devices on one mat causing problems for the company. ZDNet also reports today that experts in the accessories and charging side of the industry say AirPower, and what it aimed to do, was too ambitious. And because the company has implemented different wireless charging protocols for the iPhone and Apple Watch, that complicated matters further.

AirPower's notable absence doesn't mean it's totally dead in the water, but if Apple's silence is anything to go by, it's not likely to be available anytime soon.

Follow all the latest news from Apple's 2018 iPhone event here!



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2COxiPi
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me


Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs?
Read more