AirPower is dead

[DrMacintosh]

Today Apple confirmed that its infamous AirPower wireless charging mat is dead:

 

The device would have offered the ability to charge up to 3 devices at a time. Specifically an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and AirPods. 

Quote

After much effort, we've concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have cancelled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward. -Apple Senior Vice President Dan Riccio

This announcement comes 19 months after Apple announced the product at the 2017 iPhone event. AirPower was plagued with overheating issues and gaining federal approval. So rather than release a subpar product, Apple has canned it. 

 

It would have been a nice product, but at the end of the day it is not critical to the end user experience as any Qi wireless charging mat will be able to charge Apple devices, just not as elegantly. Though I'm not sure if the Apple Watch can be charged on anything but its charging puck. 

 

Source: https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/03/29/apple-cancels-airpower-wireless-charging-mat

 

 

[rcmaehl]

Row Row Fite The ^Airpowah

[PlayStation 2]

I guess Sega really does what Ninte-wait, wrong companies.

[79wjd]

I guess $1 trillion isn't enough to copy [*insert Chinese knockoff here*] wireless charging.

 

/Joke

 

 

The best part is that there is marketing for air power on airpods2.

[Giiman95]

Press F to pay respects

RIP AirPower

[TVwazhere]

11 minutes ago, rcmaehl said:

Row Row Fite The ^Airpowah

[Drak3]

Can it die if it never really lived?

[Valentyn]

Now please put USB C on everything!

iPhones, iPods, and most iPads are on Lighting, Watch wireless, new Airpods Wireless, Macs USB C, iPad Pros USB C.

I need too many adaptors, and cables! STOP! Get some help.

USB C for all; or get Air Power working correctly; and get it out.

[Dabombinable]

Apple decided to not release a sub-par product? I think the lack of federal approval was the main reason for it being cancelled.

[Guest]

Fine I’ll make my own.

[Derangel]

40 minutes ago, Valentyn said:

Now please put USB C on everything!

iPhones, iPods, and most iPads are on Lighting, Watch wireless, new Airpods Wireless, Macs USB C, iPad Pros USB C.

I need too many adaptors, and cables! STOP! Get some help.

USB C for all; or get Air Power working correctly; and get it out.

While I'd prefer their phones using USB-C, I really like the magnetic charger for the Apple Watch.

[Chett_Manly]

That is just pathetic. Its just a triple charger. Anker should make it one for $50.

[79wjd]

7 minutes ago, Chett_Manly said:

That is just pathetic. Its just a triple charger. Anker should make it one for $50.

Except that the intention was probably to get rid of dedicated charging zones and instead allowing the devices to be placed anywhere regardless of where any other device is placed, as it is otherwise trivial.

[Valentyn]

28 minutes ago, Derangel said:

While I'd prefer their phones using USB-C, I really like the magnetic charger for the Apple Watch.

If they put USB C on everything bar the Watch I'd be happy.

 

Damn annoying the launched the iPhone Xs series with lighting, when the iPad Pros from the same launch went USB C. 

[Drak3]

1 minute ago, Valentyn said:

Damn annoying the launched the iPhone Xs series with lighting, when the iPad Pros from the same launch went USB C

More people would probably be annoyed that everything they bought for their 7/8/X no longer works.

[yolosnail]

Out of all the companies to fail at making a wireless charger, I wouldn't have thought it would be Apple.

I think the problem is that they announced too much information at 'launch'. If they hadn't mentioned that you could put 3 devices anywhere on the pad it would have been out last year as planned, but when they realised they announced something that is physically impossible with current technology they did the typical Apple thing is ignore it completely until people have forgot about it and then put out a little statement hoping nobody will notice.

 

1 minute ago, Drak3 said:

More people would probably be annoyed that everything they bought for their 7/8/X no longer works.

People were annoyed when they switched to Lightning, people were annoyed when they got rid of the headphone jack, people were annoyed when they got rid of Touch ID.

I don't think Apple care if they annoy people, their fans are loyal enough to buy everything again anyway, and lets be honest, if Apple can make you repurchase all your accessories, they will!

[Valentyn]

4 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

More people would probably be annoyed that everything they bought for their 7/8/X no longer works.

There's already adapters for those. Just miss-matching the launch items is worse.

Now the line is even more broken up; instead of slowly shifting to the proper universal connector.

[Drak3]

2 minutes ago, yolosnail said:

People were annoyed when they switched to Lightning,

That was a huge improvement over the preceding 30pin. For the products still using Lightning, USB-C over Lightning isn't.

 

3 minutes ago, yolosnail said:

people were annoyed when they got rid of the headphone jack,

That also only required 1 new product to be purchased. Whereas anyone running any other accessories now has to replace them all or buy adapters.

 

8 minutes ago, yolosnail said:

people were annoyed when they got rid of Touch ID.

Here's the thing, they still sell the 7 and 8 for people that want touchID.

 

7 minutes ago, Valentyn said:

Just miss-matching the launch items is worse.

Not really. The iPad Pros are not aimed at the same market segment as the iPad, Air, and Mini, nor are any of them in the same segment as the iPhones.

[yolosnail]

2 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

Here's the thing, they still sell the 7 and 8 for people that want touchID.

 

By that logic, they'll still sell older phones for people who want Lightning 

[Drak3]

Just now, yolosnail said:

By that logic, they'll still sell older phones for people who want Lightning 

Again, switching to USB-C right now doesn't provide an improvement for these devices.

[Nowak]

 

Obligatory

[Sauron]

1 hour ago, 79wjd said:

Except that the intention was probably to get rid of dedicated charging zones and instead allowing the devices to be placed anywhere regardless of where any other device is placed, as it is otherwise trivial.

Does that really make a difference to the user when the mat is only a couple of phones wide?

 

Wireless power is already very wasteful as it is, maybe we shouldn't look for ways of making it even less efficient for style points.

[BuckGup]

Couldn't you just make one giant ring with tight coils or 3 interconnected coils spread equally apart?

[79wjd]

2 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Does that really make a difference to the user when the mat is only a couple of phones wide?

 

Wireless power is already very wasteful as it is, maybe we shouldn't look for ways of making it even less efficient for style points.

It definitely would make a difference. I've placed my phone on the wireless charger several times only to wake up in the morning and realize that it was just slightly misaligned.

[Sauron]

5 minutes ago, BuckGup said:

Couldn't you just make one giant ring with tight coils or 3 interconnected coils spread equally apart?

If you wanted to waste 90% of the current you put in, yes.

5 minutes ago, 79wjd said:

It definitely would make a difference. I've placed my phone on the wireless charger several times only to wake up in the morning and realize that it was just slightly misaligned.

Sounds like a problem a small barrier on the side would prevent without adding much of an inconvenience.