Last year we already saw a video showing a prototype of AirPower, apple’s wireless charger that was canceled. Now the device has been analyzed and dismantled by channels 91tech and AppleDemo on YouTube, revealing more details of the accessory that never reached the shelves of Apple Stores.
Looking back, AirPower was a project announced by Apple in 2017 alongside the iPhone X, but unlike Apple’s first notch phone, it was never sold. The purpose of the accessory was to charge the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods with just a larger base, but problems caused the project to be cancelled.
The device analyzed by the channels mentioned today does not have the white exterior like the one released by Apple in 2017. This is because it is a prototype, which was not designed for sales. The positive point is that we can see its interior more easily, although it does not work for charging devices.
The reviewed Apple AirPower has 22 coils and can be connected to a Mac using the cable, Terminal, and developer tools that were not publicly available. Through this, it was possible to extract some data, such as the device’s firmware date, which is June 7, 2017, indicating that this model was created before the event where it was announced.
In the lower area we still find the AirPower controller boards, which are responsible for distributing energy and exchanging information between the devices positioned on it, as the iPhone should display the battery level of all the devices being charged on the lock screen when it is about AirPower.
Some of the issues that led to the project’s cancellation in March 2019 include accessory overheating and development difficulties.
Despite this, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that Apple is still testing chargers similar to AirPower, so there is still a possibility that the Cupertino company will launch something in this direction, but with a focus on MagSafe, which is the magnetic charging of the latest iPhones. .