Apple is reviving its plans for AirPower, according to an insider who revealed that the Cupertino-based company is now working on a new wireless charging mat internally.
Apple announced the branded charging accessory in 2017 alongside the then hotly anticipated OLED iPhone X, but the project fell by the wayside and was eventually dropped entirely last year.
In a tweet over the weekend, tech analyst Jon Prosser revealed that “AirPower isn’t dead” and that work on the device has started again, though there isn’t a guarantee that it will eventually get an official release.
Prosser added that prototyping is now underway and Apple is attempting to update the design so that the coils in the mat can displace heat more effectively.
When it was unveiled three years ago, Apple said that the mat was able to charge three devices at the same time.
This would allow users to place an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch, for example, on the accessory and charge them simultaneously.
There is no indication that the new AirPower would replicate this functionality.
In January, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was gearing up plans to release a “smaller” wireless charging mat during the first half of 2020.
When cancelling the original accessory, Apple said that it did not meet its “high standards”, which suggests that there were unforeseen problems it ran into during testing.
A smaller or reengineered mat could be the solution, but fans will now have to wait and see if there is an official launch date on the horizon.
In other news, Apple has reminded iPhone and iPad users that it has a catalogue of free novels and audiobooks available in the Books app.
Navigating to the ‘Top Free Chart’ within the app will serve up the most popular content currently being consumed on smartphones and tablets.
The titles differ depending on the market, but there is a range of classics available, including works by Shakespeare.