2018 has come and gone, and Apple didn’t keep its promise of releasing the AirPower charging mat during 2018.
The charging accessory, first revealed at Apple’s September 2017 iPhone media event, promised to simultaneously charge a user’s iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch using a single, compact charging mat. Users would be able to place their devices anywhere on the mat, offering greater charging flexibility.
The mat would be able to charge an Apple Watch, AirPods, and an iPhone all at once, or could charge two iPhones simultaneously. All charging percentages would be displayed on the iPhone lock screen.
At the event, Apple SVP promised the AirPower would debut in 2018:
We hope people love it, that it encourages others to create more advanced solutions based on technology like this. We’re going to be working with the Qi standards team to incorporate these benefits into the future of the standards to make wireless charging better for everyone. So look for the AirPower charger next year.
Apple has likely faced challenges in getting the AirPower to work properly perhaps in the flexibility of allowing the user to place their devices wherever they wish to on the mat. However, no one knows for sure, due to Apple’s radio silence regarding the issue.
Apple has also remained silent on what the price of the charging mat might end up being, and has also failed to mention when the wireless charging case for the company’s AirPods wireless earbuds might also debut. The case had been announced alongside the AirPower.
Apple has been uncharacteristically silent when it comes to sharing details on the AirPower’s status, failing to even acknowledge the product during its September and October press events. Will the wireless charging mat ever make an appearance, or is Apple hoping we’ll all eventually forget all about the accessory that promised to be so innovative? We’ll keep you posted.