Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Apple's AirPower, Unveiled in September 2017, Officially Misses 2018 Shipping Deadline (9to5mac.com)

Posted by msmash on from the dude-where-is-my-AirPower? dept.

From a 9to5Mac report: As the new year begins in Pacific Time, where Apple's Cupertino headquarters are based, the AirPower charging mat has officially missed its 2018 release window. The charging mat promised to charge iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods on a single compact mat with flexibility on where devices can be placed. However, the product has been rumored to have faced internal development challenges as late as this past summer, which prevented Apple from bringing the product to market as smoothly as it expected.

[...] Unusually, Apple has not provided a statement to press with an update on AirPower's status. Apple refused to acknowledge the product at its September and October events, and has not responded to press requests for comment at the end of December. The product therefore enters 2019 still in limbo.

48 of 137 comments (clear)

  1. Re:AirPower - worse than a wire by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 1

    In any case it hasn't missed it's 2018 shipping window at all, there's still plenty of chance for it to ship in in Quindecember or even Vigintiseptember 2018.

  2. Or.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Just don't give us constant updates on this sh**. Seriously, why is it journalists feel we need updates on all of Apple's stock movements constantly. Does anyone care about this, and is anyone surprised N

  3. Feckless hiptards by Hognoxious · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Charging mat - for people who are too lazy & feckless to plug in a cable.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    1. Re:Feckless hiptards by TeknoHog · · Score: 2

      I'm pretty sure these charging mats use some kind of induction, which doesn't spew EM radiation all over. Still more wasteful than plugging in, though.

      I don't really understand the benefit of these, since it won't reduce cable clutter around your desk. I guess one might make sense if one charger replaces lots of small ones in a workplace etc. Otherwise, it sounds about as useful as a Wifi AP that only works within touching distance.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    2. Re:Feckless hiptards by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      That's not how these things work. The losses are small, about 10-15%.
      My new car will have one, which is nice. Sure beats fiddling with a cable.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    3. Re:Feckless hiptards by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      They save wear on the charge port, and I bet Apple is moving towards a phone with no ports at all eventually.

      Also very useful for cars because you don't need cables trailing all over the place. Some cars have the charging mat built in now so you literally just put your phone in the provided holder and that's it. All they need to do now is get Android Auto working wirelessly too, although for now you can do stuff like have the Bluetooth auto-enable and disable.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re:Feckless hiptards by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      I use wireless charging mostly doe to the fact that I don’t damage my cable and connector.
      Over the past 22 years of cell phones.
      The first one I replaced because of a cracked screen.
      The second one was because the charging connector on the phone got corroded.
      The third one the charging cord broke and couldn’t get a compatible charging cord anymore.
      The forth one went threw the wash
      The fifth one (the original iphone) actually still works but just outdated.
      The sixth one charging connector was loose and failing home button
      The seventh one the battery failed to keep its charge.
      And I am on my eighth phone now.

      The cable charging is the weak spot on the phone for almost all make and models.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    5. Re:Feckless hiptards by omnichad · · Score: 1

      It's a very short distance, and possibly the reason it's taking so long is that they plan to use some sort of beamforming from the multiple antennae. It seems very logical to try this, but completely crazy to announce what turned out to be an unfinished product that hasn't made it out of R&D yet.

    6. Re:Feckless hiptards by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Induction means to induce current with generated EM emissions. It's generally pretty efficient, but it's not an inaccurate description.

    7. Re:Feckless hiptards by JBMcB · · Score: 1

      I don't really understand the benefit of these, since it won't reduce cable clutter around your desk.

      They want to get rid of every port and make the case completely sealed. Much easier to make them waterproof / dustproof / etc...

      --
      My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
    8. Re: Feckless hiptards by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Exactly... I've never had any of this happen, going on 10 Android devices now in the whole family.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    9. Re:Feckless hiptards by dfghjk · · Score: 1

      "spews EM in all directions" is inaccurate not because it's not EM but because it's not "in all directions" and it doesn't "spew". Furthermore, a charging mat is not accurately described as a "tiny radio station" nor is is it "just for people who can afford to waste power" by operating such a relatively useless "radio station". In summary, the entire description is inaccurate except for EM being involved, the one thing you zeroed in on.

      Also, your definition of "induction" is inaccurate.

    10. Re:Feckless hiptards by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      The loss per charger is like 2W. Compared the the gains made in vehicles and light bulbs (60W incandescents to 7W LEDs), that's a rounding error.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    11. Re:Feckless hiptards by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      The forth one went threw the wash

      You chucked one off a bridge in Scotland and it landed in Lincolnshire?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    12. Re:Feckless hiptards by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      I have a master's degree in physics so I could probably explain a thing or two about the differences between EM waves (radiation) and inductive charging. Or maybe you could look it up somewhere like Wikipedia, instead of spewing around any inaccurate emissions.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    13. Re:Feckless hiptards by omnichad · · Score: 1

      And what exactly do you think induction is, then?

    14. Re:Feckless hiptards by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Oh, and feel free to cite the Wikipedia article on EM induction.

    15. Re:Feckless hiptards by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      EM waves do induce currents, that's how radio reception works. But EM waves are not used for inductive charging, because of the obvious waste of energy.

      Inductive chargers involve what's basically a transformer in two parts: one coil (the charger) is used to generate an oscillating magnetic field, which induces current in another coil (the phone).

      EM waves/radiation are a rather special case where electric and magnetic fields oscillate together, basically inducing each other to make the wave go on. But you can have oscillating fields and induction without the EM wave mechanism.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    16. Re:Feckless hiptards by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Near field EM is still an EM wave. And it's still coupled with the fluctuating electric field in the coil. It's just that since the near field radiation is what's important, there is not enough power to generate significant amounts of far field.

    17. Re:Feckless hiptards by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure these charging mats use some kind of induction, which doesn't spew EM radiation all over.

      Yes it does, whatever gave you the idea that induction doesn't leak EMF? Hint: induction = EMF.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    18. Re: Feckless hiptards by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      If they were smart they would have plugged the phone into the charger the previous night before they went to sleep. Ta-da! Wake up to a fully charged phone ready for the day, and you get better battery longevity since you can slow-charge it overnight instead of fast-charging it the next day.

    19. Re:Feckless hiptards by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      "ElectroMagnetic Field". Moron.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    20. Re:Feckless hiptards by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      But, considering the field strength falls off exponentially with distance

      It does not.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    21. Re:Feckless hiptards by Agripa · · Score: 1

      Apple should learn from those unboxers on YouTube who go "ohh, braided cables" when opening a box. They say that for a reason.

      But how do you make a shiny braided cable which is hard on the eyes?

  4. Sounds like the Reality Distortion field by bobstreo · · Score: 1

    is starting to have a negative impact on delivery dates. /s

    1. Re:Sounds like the Reality Distortion field by markdavis · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yep.

      And that last article about people not willing to pay Apple's insane prices anymore is amusing. And the article before about them eying 3D cameras, although phones have already done that. And Apple users laughing at phones with fingerprint sensors, then Apple "inventing" it. And laughing at large-screen phones, then "inventing" it. And laughing at the capacitive Samsung S Pen, then "inventing" the concept with the Apple Pencil. Other companies were first with OLED displays, wireless charging, optical stabilization, touch screens, smart watches, keyboard covers, zoom pinching, face ID, removal of home button, slim bezels, dual rear cameras, RFID payments, water resistance... but the distortion field says that either Apple invented them or somehow only Apple could make it work right.

      But let's give them credit- they were among the first with no headphone jack, non-user-replaceable batteries, and strange cut-out areas on the display.

    2. Re: Sounds like the Reality Distortion field by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"Yet another slashdot whiner who canÃ(TM)t grasp that Ãoeworks wellà is far more important than being ÃoefirstÃ."

      And yet, I have used examples of all of those technologies, working very well, in various non-Apple phones, before Apple "invented" them. So, sorry, that doesn't fly.

    3. Re:Sounds like the Reality Distortion field by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

      But let's give them credit- they were among the first with [...] strange cut-out areas on the display.

      They weren't the first with that.

      --
      I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
    4. Re:Sounds like the Reality Distortion field by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"They weren't the first with that."

      That is why I said they were "among the first"...

  5. Development Issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Apple delayed because they couldn't find a way to make it incompatible with any other wireless charging system.

  6. Re:Is based. Where the HQ is based. by ledow · · Score: 4, Informative

    You're not.

    Headquarters is derived from head quarters (the quarters - living areas - of the people leading the organisation).

    Quarters is the plural of quarter.

    "The word is plural in construction and can take singular or plural verbs."

    Thus "headquarters is" and "headquarters are" are both perfectly valid English (depending where you live) while the obvious plural (ending in 's') will tend to lead people to use it as a plural instead of singular.

    There is not one "headquarter". Nobody uses that term except US English. There is one set of "headquarters". Though language evolves, the plural is the original, just as valid today, and more common worldwide.

  7. Re: A theory by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

    The sign of someone who can't figure out his iDevice.

  8. Re: A theory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You're holding it wrong again.

  9. Re: Class Action by ElitistWhiner · · Score: 1

    Somewhere between _vaporware â" exclusive_ is a concept. If I had to guess⦠itâ(TM)s simply * unsupportable * at this stage. SO Apple AirPOWER doesnâ(TM)t exist but the marketers are first to blame.

  10. Re:Is based. Where the HQ is based. by dfghjk · · Score: 1

    "The word is plural in construction ..."

    This makes no sense. "quarters" is plural but that doesn't make "headquarters" plural, "headquarters" being a specific one (the head one) of the quarters. There could be one or more "head" quarters, therefore the "construction" is ambiguous.

    '"There is not one "headquarter". '

    No, but there could be one "headquarters", as above.

    "Though language evolves, the plural is the original..."

    A misreading of the origin of the word.

  11. Re:I think Apple dropped it by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    They can't drop it since it doesn't exist.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  12. Re:dear author... by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    What do you mean? AirVapor or VaporPower?

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  13. Re:Spite much? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    The author is a moron. I knew as far back as 2025 that Apple would never ship AirPower in time.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  14. Available now ! by speedlaw · · Score: 1

    Scanning the options sheet for Mercedes...a charging mat is an option.....

  15. That's some next level Apple Hater messaging by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    I think it's absurd to beat up Apple over the inability to ship a charging mat that they mentioned just once!! Come on, was it really a huge problem for Apple they could not ship something that you can buy a score of near equivalent products for?

    If you really wanted a story about Apple missing deadlines, it seems like, oh, I don't know, maybe the Mac Pro would be a better target for that? Since there is no word about that yet and at one point we were all expecting it to arrive at the end of 2018. Mac users would really be chomping at the bit if they hadn't been placated to some degree by the iMac Pro and updated Mac mini, but there are indeed some users that really need a Mac Pro, it would be great to have word from Apple about that... now it seems like maybe we'll not hear about it until June.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:That's some next level Apple Hater messaging by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      Apple not being able to ship a charging mat is just plain comical. While your indignation is totally understandable, that doesn't make it not pathetic.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  16. Re: A theory by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

    I suspect Slashdot is harder to change than turning off "smart" quotes in your keyboard settings but if you're happy with people here laughing at you then keep that setting you don't need.

  17. Re: A reality by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

    ASL?

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  18. Re:uBeam ?... by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

    Meredith stepped down as CEO, and they have pivoted to trying to license what they have learned so far... No longer looking to make product. I've been doubtful about them from the beginning, mainly because an incredibly efficient audio transducer is about 3% efficient - and you have that loss both ways. With huge arrays of transmitters and receivers, and heavy focusing, you maybe can bump that up to 10% each way - which means about 1% overall. 100W of acoustic power to get 1W of charging power.

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  19. Apple vs physics by Tough+Love · · Score: 2

    Apple vs physics: physics wins. Maybe consider letting engineers design products instead of powerpoint managers.

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    1. Re:Apple vs physics by radarskiy · · Score: 1

      "letting engineers design products instead of powerpoint managers."

      Joke's on you: engineering is 50% powerpoint.

  20. They actually very much can by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    They most certainly can not. They use some proprietary Apple extension to Qi to charge and require special mats to charge on.

    Fake news. Find on Amazon a SINGLE Qi charger that says it is not iPhone compatible. You cannot, because they are... the typical text reads:

    The magic array wireless charger adapts to all Qi compatible devices, including iPhone 8/ iPhone 8 plus/ iPhone X/ XR/ Xs/ Xs

    Now Apple DOES have some custom additions to support a faster charging rate, But even there iPhones can still use something like 7.5W of the total charging ability of devices that support greater charging ability, instead of the base 5W. I think Samsung can support up to 10W with it's own custom QI extension... or maybe it's just supporting a faster Qi standard, I am murky on that point since I consider "wireless" charging technology kind of useless overall since it all actually has wires..

    The Apple charger I think would have been something like 10-15W so it would be faster. But again, its not like the other chargers do not work and ALL of them are somewhat slow compared to a wall charger, so they are about as useful.

    Frankly even if Apple had shipped the charging mat I would not have even bought it as other wireless chargers have configurations I prefer.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  21. Huh? by Shotgun · · Score: 1

    I don't get it. Apple is having trouble designing a Qi charger? I've been using a wireless charger for a couple years now. My current phone, a Kyocera, came with it built in, but I had to add a $5 coil into the back of my Samsung S6 for it to work. The Samsung charging pad cost about $15. I don't understand why Apple is having issues.

    --
    Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
    Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba