When Apple introduced the AirPower mat during the iPhone X launch event last year, it gathered applause and much praise from the audience sitting in the auditorium. They did not know that it’ll take too long for them to get their hands on the charging pad. The tech was extensively reported to launch with the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone XR but it didn’t. Now a report may have given us a reason why Apple didn’t talk about the much-awaited charging mat this year.
Citing reports The Verge says that overheating and communication interference issues are still plaguing the development of Apple’s AirPower wireless charging pad, which is said to charge AirPods (with compatible case), Apple Watch, and iPhones simultaneously. For US-based blogger John Gruber, the main problem with the AirPower mat is its multi-coil design which is allegedly causing the device to overheat. According to tipster Sonny Dickson, the AirPower mat is also allegedly struggling to communicate with the devices it is charging, which means that the mat doesn’t know the charge levels of the devices that it’s filling with power. Also, the attempt to charge multiple devices simultaneously is reportedly leading to interference issues.
Unlike normal wireless chargers which contain a single coil to charge a single device at a time, the AirPower mat reportedly contains between 16 and 24 overlapping coils of different sizes to charge multiple devices simultaneously. The whole net of coils is reportedly causing overheating and communication issues. Neither Gruber nor Dickson claim that the device has been delayed or cancelled entirely, but both of them reportedly say the situation is not good for Apple. Dickson suggests that people shouldn’t expect AirPower to return any time soon and “we might see the name re-applied to an all-new product at a later date.”