Apple will release a single-device wireless charging pad in addition to the larger, multi-device mat rumored to be much like the doomed AirPower, according to an unconfirmed report Sunday.
The latest rumors come a year after Apple canceled the AirPower wireless charger the company announced in 2017 without ever releasing it.
Apple is working on a totally re-designed, wireless charging pad with the ability to route power to exact areas to prevent overheating, according to Front Page Tech analyst Jon Prosser.
Prosser reported Friday that engineers on Apple’s Sharing and Proximity team and working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic recently received prototype units of something called “C68”. AirPower isn’t mentioned by name, but descriptions and details appear to match Apple’s failed charging mat.
Huawei added cutting-edge features to its iPad Pro rival. A MatePad Pro update includes 5G built-in cellular-wireless networking. And it offers two-way wireless charging, so the tablet can send power to another device.
These features were added to a device clearly made to resemble Apple’s top-tier iPad.
The Scoshe BaseLynx modular charging system just became an Apple Store exclusive. This can wirelessly power an iPhone and an Apple Watch, and it has slots to hold several iPads or iPhones while they charge.
It not the only such multi-device charger that Apple offers to customers in the wake of its botched attempt to create its own AirPower charger.
PopSockets was a wildly successful brand that was in danger of losing its grip.
Wireless charging is becoming a standard feature in smartphones and the stick-on PopGrip it created for reducing drops suddenly looked like an unintended battery barrier.
But the company finally figured out a way forward in the emerging wireless world with a round wireless charging pad with a hole in the middle.
The AirPods Pro come in a Qi-enabled wireless charging case, which means you can just drop it onto a charging mat, grab them a while later, and everything is topped up and ready to go. But the LED indicator on the case blinks off soon after you start charging. What’s up? How do you find out if your AirPods are full yet?
There are wall-to-wall alternatives on the market for what was supposed to be AirPower. One actually mounts to the wall and looks like a piece of art while it charges multiple devices.
The MagEZ Bar from Pitaka charges two phones simultaneously. It holds them in place with strong magnets that easily align the phones or AirPods with the charging coils. To the right of the charging coils, a hidden magnetic array provides a space for keys or AirPods.
Buried in the iPhone 11 Pro Max are hardware quirks that iFixit suggests might be for reverse wireless charging, a feature reportedly planned and then dropped from this model.
Watch a video of techs from this repair company carefully disassembling Apple’s new flagship smartphone:
One feature we expected but didn’t get from the iPhone 11 lineup is two-way wireless charging. But Apple could surprise us with it later.
A new rumor claims the 2019 iPhones come with the necessary hardware, but Apple disabled the functionality in iOS. If true, Apple could activate the feature for iPhone 11 owners at a later date.
The Apple logo on the back of this year’s iPhone 11 lineup will shift to make way for a brand new feature, according to a new report.
The logo won’t disappear, but it will be perfectly centered for the first time in the iPhone’s history. The change will allow for a huge upgrade in wireless charging functionality.
