About four years after Apple publicly unveiled its vision of wireless charging with AirPower — and two years after the device was discontinued — the company is reportedly continuing to work on bringing the technology to market.
In a report about new iPad models, Bloomberg reports that Apple is still working on a wireless charger capable of powering iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch simultaneously. Details aren't available, with sources saying only that the charger would work "similarly" to AirPower. Announced in 2017, AirPower was Apple's attempt to create a charging mat that would serve its entire mobile device ecosystem. The project was eventually canceled in 2019 after several delays, with later reports claiming Apple had been unable to overcome issues related to overheating. Rumors of a revival surfaced in 2020, when it was claimed that advanced power management would solve the overheating issues. But the project was reportedly put on hold about ten months later.
Apple is exploring wireless charging technology over longer distances
Apple began filing and issuing patents for technologies that would underpin a device like AirPower around the time the device was unveiled. These filings keep trickling out, with the latest patent grant coming this week. Apple is also researching wireless charging technology that works over longer distances than modern inductive charging solutions like Qi and its own Apple Watch system, according to Bloomberg. The technology could be based on a long and diverse line of patents covering long-range wireless charging methods, the earliest of which date back nearly a decade. Development of the system appears to be ongoing, as it will likely take several years before a product can be shipped, according to the report, should Apple decide to move forward with the initiative. So whether and when we'll see an AirPower-like product from Apple remains to be seen for now. (Image: Apple)
