This article may contain affiliate links. Learn more on our Partner Program page.
To this day, many fans are still waiting in vain. Apple's charging mat is supposed to be able to charge several devices at the same time - AirPower was introduced in September 2017. An Apple patent now presents the collaboration between AirPower and AirPods 2.
In September last year, AirPower disappeared almost completely from Apple's homepage - without comment. Many observers interpreted this as the quiet end of the charging station. Shortly afterwards, a report with insider information appeared. According to this, Apple had two problems with the charging mat. The first major problem was the overheating of the Qi mat. This was said to be so severe that even the connection between the device and the charging station was disrupted. Another problem lay in the arrangement, because the installed power coils were said to have been divided into three equal groups. Each of the coils is a different size. Due to a lack of space, this is said to have led to overlapping one another, which is one of the reasons for this severe overheating.
Apple has done it
At the beginning of the year, the good news came - Apple is said to have solved the problem. Mass production of the long-awaited charging mat is said to have started at the end of January. A patent application granted by Apple by the US Patent and Trademark Office now shows the collaboration between AirPower and the new case for the AirPods 2. What is special is that both products are expected this spring. The description of the patent does not contain the names AirPower and AirPods 2 - but Apple describes two devices that apply to them - and the drawings leave no room for doubt. According to this, the new charging case for the AirPods should also contain coils - similar to AirPower. This means that the user is free to choose the position in which the case is placed during the charging process - there is no need to adhere to a specific zone. The Apple Watch and the iPhone should also enjoy this freedom - this is already clear from an earlier AirPower patent Of course, the patent should not be interpreted as a promise for an actual release of both products. However, numerous rumors and isolated leaks in the current iOS 12.2 beta give hope for an imminent market launch of AirPower and the AirPods 2. The next Apple Keynote is expected at the end of March.
