A ‘bare bones’ iOS version slated to work on Apple AirPower, set for release in September.
A ‘bare bones’ iOS version slated to work on Apple AirPower, set for release in September. The release of the eagerly awaited AirPower by Apple was expected sometime in 2018. The innovative item was announced in September 2017 at the same time as the new iPhone models – (iPhone 8 and iPhone X), and the time frame was never further specified. We’re in the mid-2018, and no one had yet seen the product. According to Bloomberg, AirPower was supposed to hit the shelves in June, but technical difficulties, specifically, overheating, is causing the delay.
Much more than a regular Qi charging mat, AirPower is far more complex. Apple Watch, AirPods and other iOS devices communicate with the mat, where a simplified version of the iOS is running for the purpose of managing power and the rather intricate circuitry.
Eventually, even more ports will be removed from the iPhone, to the joy of some and disappointments of others, and the charging port is slated to become one of the extinct ones. There were discussions regarding this issue as iPhone X was under development, but it did not prove viable due to the fact that wireless charging is nowhere near being as quick and convenient as a fast-charge cable, which will become a part of the package starting with the 2018 models. While there are apparent indications that there are technical issues with the manufacturing of the item, the release is coming closer. There is some unofficial information that some of the engineers are already using the charging mat prototypes in their offices. Although the product has obviously faced production issues, it seems like it is getting closer to release. Bloomberg says some engineers are now using the charging mat in their personal offices.
There is a feature that makes AirPower a far more advanced device that the entire line of Qi chargers currently available is the fact that it is capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously. The Qi mats require only one device to be placed in the very center, or in another precise position so that it would be charged. The upcoming device is expected to be able to charge an Apple Watch, an iPhone and AirPods at the same time on the AirPower mat. However, the exact range of products to be charged is not stringently set, and it has been demonstrated that it’s flexible enough to charge two iPhones at the same time as well.
The following products are compatible with the AirPower mat are: iPhone 8, iPhone X, Apple Watch Series 3, AirPods equipped with a wireless charging case, which is coming soon. A single Lightning cable is sufficient to plug the mat into the power network.
Much about the upcoming AirPower mat remains unclear. Apple has kept many things a mystery, including the price of the AirPower mat itself or the wireless AirPods charging case, which is yet to be released. The precise combination of the devices for simultaneous charging has yet to be revealed, as is the band compatibility. For instance, the Apple watch is likely to be required to lay flat on the mat, which will make it inconvenient for those watch owners whose bands do not split into two halves when it’s off the wrist.
Whenever a device is placed onto the mat to charge, the phone displays a SD animated image of a charging phone and the current battery level. Apple had assured that with time its multi-device technology will be shared with the standards authorities in order for other manufacturers to be able to produce similar multi-product charging mats. There is a small chance that Apple may, in fact, release AirPower as late as 2019, but, apparently, the company is slated to release it earlier than that.
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