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"AirPower is not dead" – that's the latest message. Apparently, Apple hasn't completely stopped working on a charging mat.
Most of you know the story of AirPower. For everyone else, here's a quick recap. At the September 2017 keynote, Apple not only presented the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, but also a Qi-enabled charging mat - AirPower. But what exactly makes the mat so special - the Apple logo, for example? No - it's the freedom it offers users. For example, AirPower could have charged an iPhone, an Apple Watch and the AirPods at the same time - alternatively, four Apple Watch devices or two iPhone models with AirPods would have been possible. But the highlight of it - no matter how the devices were positioned, the charging process would still start. Unfortunately, Apple failed to implement it. According to insiders, AirPower had overheating problems.
Apple must introduce a Qi charging station
The reason for this was the arrangement of the charging coils, which do not specify a fixed charging zone. Ultimately, Apple officially gave up the project in March 2019. However, the well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo gave reason for hope a few weeks ago. According to his information, Apple is working on a new AirPower charging mat, which will be released this year. It will be a bit smaller, however. Now his statement has been confirmed. The YouTuber and leaker Jon Prosser has confirmed on Twitter that Apple is indeed continuing to work on the AirPower project. According to the Tweet:
AirPower is not dead 👀
The project is back up and running internally. There is no guarantee they will complete and release it, but they have not given up and are trying to redesign the coils to displace heat more effectively. Prototype development is underway.
According to this, Apple actually seems to be working on a new AirPower model. This is a good thing, because Kuo claimed a few months ago that the company might want to introduce the first iPhone without an open charging port in 2021. This means that the device will rely on wireless charging by default. This means that Apple must have a corresponding charging mat in its range if the company actually wants to take this step. But if you are looking for a real AirPower alternative in the meantime, you should take a closer look at the ZENS Liberty charging mat. This Qi charger is the closest to Apple's AirPower so far. (Image: Apple)
