Apple canceled its planned AirPower wireless charging pad accessory four years ago, but according to MacRumors, a similar solution remains on the company’s long-term roadmap.
First announced at the iPhone X launch in 2017, Apple AirPower was a wireless charging pad that could charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods charging case at the same time, with each device placed at random on the charging pad. Apple said at the time that the accessory would be available in 2018, but it has never been launched since, and was eventually cancelled by Apple in a rare move.
Dan Riccio, Apple’s former head of hardware engineering, reportedly said in a statement shared on March 29, 2019: “After much effort, we have concluded that AirPower does not meet our high standards and we have cancelled the program. However, the future is wireless, and we remain committed to driving the wireless experience forward.”
Apple never provided a specific reason for the cancellation of AirPower, but previous multiple sources said it was the overlapping charging coils inside AirPower that caused the product to heat up badly.
Last October, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his newsletter that he still believes an AirPower-like accessory will “eventually happen,” but it could take years.
