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After missing its deadline for 2018, rumours are that Apple has finally put its wireless charger AirPower to production. The company had announced the AirPower launch during its September iPhone launch event in 2017.
AirPower, the company’s first Qi-compatible wireless charging mat was announced to go on sale sometime in 2018. However, Apple did not launch the product citing issues with the mat overheating that affected the charging rates of devices charging, and coil interference. There were also rumours that Apple couldn’t solve the device communication software bug. Part of the appeal of AirPower is the flashy animated iPhone lock screen that reports the battery status of each device on the mat, so communication issues represent a significant problem. Further, there was no response from Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, when questioned about the AirPower which resulted in speculations of Apple scrapping the product. Apple also had removed all details of AirPower from its website.
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After two annual launch events since the announcement of the AirPower, it is now rumoured that Apple has solved all the issues and put the charging pad on the assembly line. The device will be shipping in Q1 of 2019 as per reports. ChargeLab, a website known for news on charging peripherals, tweeted that the company has got information from a credible source in the supply chain at Luxshare precision that AirPower has finally been put into production.
Luxshare, a member of the wireless power consortium behind the Qi standard, was reported to be the primary supplier of AirPower. The supplier also assembles AirPods and USB Type-C cables for Apple. ChargeLab further reported that Apple has asked a second supplier, Pegatron, to manufacture the wireless mat in order to speed up the production. Pegatron is said to start manufacturing on January 21.
Back in October 2018, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple would launch the AirPower during the first quarter of 2019. ChargeLab’s tweeted information falls in line with the Kuo stated. However, the website’s past claims on rumours have been a hit and a miss. It claimed that Apple would launch the Xs lineup with an 18-watt USB Type-C charger. The website did show an accurate render of the charger, but it ended up being for the 2018 iPad Pro, so the rumour wasn't entirely off base.