Apple's charging mat is supposed to be able to charge several devices at the same time - AirPower was introduced in September 2017. Now a new patent has emerged that describes the capabilities of AirPower.
The description of the patent is very insightful - there have never been so many details on the subject of AirPower. According to the patent, AirPower allows the iPhone, Apple Watch and the AirPods charging case to be charged at the same time. During the charging process, the user is free to choose the position in which the device is placed - there is no need to stick to a specific zone. It goes on to say that if an iPhone is placed during the charging process, it acts as a charge level indicator - this is made possible by AirPower's ability to automatically recognize the largest device.
Not only Qi is supported
In addition, Apple's charging station is not only set up for Qi. AirPower is also supposed to support the Power Matters Alliance technology and other charging standards. The topic of privacy is not left out either. In order to display the charging status, a small amount of data must be exchanged. This also enables the display animation.
This feature could be exploited for attacks. To prevent these, AirPower automatically assigns individual ID numbers to each device. This means that the small amount of data exchange can be carried out without worry.
Notes in iOS 12
The quick start guide in the iPhone Xs packaging still recommends Apple AirPower. In addition, an update to the AirPower controls was already found in the iOS 12.1 developer beta. All of these clues suggest that Apple has not given up on the AirPower project. When Apple will actually release the much-anticipated charging station remains unknown.
