Mophie parent company Zagg Brands is preparing to release a wireless charger sometime this year similar to that of Apple’s canceled AirPower, according to a published report.
A company spokesman told Bloomberg on Tuesday that it is developing a wireless charging mat with the capabilities to power wireless devices, something Apple attempted to devise in the now-aborted AirPower.
“Zagg plans to make its attempt under the Mophie brand later this year,” according to the published report. A specific time period or price range was not announced.
A spokesman for Zagg Brands confirmed to Cult of Mac Tuesday night that the Bloomberg story is “accurate,” but that they were “not prepared to elaborate any further” at the present time.
The mobile accessory maker is pitching the charging device to retailers at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week and is gathering feedback, according to company marketing executive Brad Bell.
The accessory will charge iPhones, the Apple Watch and other mobile devices regardless of their position the charging mat, a feature that the AirPower was supposed to have had.
Apple revealed AirPower at its iPhone X keynote in September 2017. Numerous engineering problems caused Apple to push its launch back, missing a 2018 launch date. The product was then canceled in early 2019 citing quality issues.
The company never gave an official reason for the AirPower cancelation, but rumors suggested heating issues caused by the close proximity of charging coils to one another was the main culprit.
“After much effort, we’ve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have canceled 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 pushing the wireless experience forward,” said Dan Riccio, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in a statement to TechCrunch in March of 2019.
