Apple to Launch AirPower Wireless Charging Pad This Month [Report]
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Posted March 13, 2018 at 6:53pm by iClarified
Apple is planning to launch its AirPower wireless charging pad by the end of March, reports DigiTimes.
AirPower is a wireless pad designed to charge three new-generation Apple devices at once, such as the iPhones, Apple Watch and Apple AirPod, which will all incorporate a wireless charging function. AirPower will have a maximum charging performance of up to 29W, compared to 7.5W for other brands of wireless charging pads usually suitable for only one device at one time, the sources indicated.
Suppliers of glass passivated package (GPP) bridge rectifiers needed for the charger are expecting their shipments to double in the first quarter of 2018 from the previous quarter and continue to rise in the second quarter. Taiwanese makers have been delivering small-volume shipments since 2Q17; however, shipments are expected to rise drastically alongside the AirPower's launch.
This report corroborates an earlier one from Macotakara which also said the AirPower charger would launch in March. It's predicted to cost around $199.
I think we will pick up two; one for the kitchen where things get dropped off (and for guests to charge their devices) and in the home office where I spend most of my day. Being able to set the phone down and have it fully charged is great for those days when I need to get out.
I have a new iPhone X and I start at about 5am each morning and the battery is totally gone by about 4pm. The price is steep but so is not having a charge at the end of the day to help my clients.
It’s not even available yet, it’s in the prototype stage. Which means no one knows if it’s ever going to come to market. Also the design blows. The phone can only be used in the very center. The innovative aspect of the Apple air charger is that any device can be placed anywhere on the surface.
The problem with charging the Apple Watch on a pad is that it won't go into nightstand mode, which is very convenient at night, especially when you can just bump it lightly to make the display come on.
One of the top features of WatchOS 4.3 is nightstand enabled in portrait mode. Once there is an easy way to have this charger stand up, problem solved.