Apple is reportedly working on a new, “less ambitious” wireless charging accessory following the high-profile cancellation of the AirPower charging mat last year, on which Apple had touted customers would be able to simultaneously charge three products – iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods wireless charging case – all at once.
Today’s new report from Bloomberg (via 9to5Mac) echos insights from leading Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo, who in January claimed Apple was working to release a “small wireless charging mat” that would likely charge one single device at once. Kuo claimed the new accessory would arrive in the first half of 2020, although the global health pandemic has likely thrown those plans off track.
Bloomberg mentioned the rumored new charging mat as part of a story highlighting new wireless charging technology developed by startup Aira for the Nomad Base Station Pro:
More than a year after AirPower’s demise, Apple is developing a less ambitious wireless charger for the iPhone. But while the Silicon Valley giant works on that product, Aira Inc., a startup based in Chandler, Arizona, this week is rolling out a technology called FreePower that aims to deliver on the original promise of AirPower, and works for devices from different manufacturers, including those from Google and Samsung Electronics Co. — not just Apple.
Leaker Jon Prosser has shared several images of what he claimed to be prototypes of a revised version of the AirPower charging mat, although those images have since turned out to be fake.
Apple announced its AirPower project was canceled in 2019, at the time saying the company wasn’t able to meet its high standards for hardware following numerous reports from industry sources claiming engineers were battling with overheating issues during testing.
With the exception of what was said to be a leaked marketing video for the unreleased AirPower charging mat, we haven’t seen much news surrounding the abandoned project since.