Apple’s AirPower was canceled in 2019 and never saw the light of day. However, a few people have got their hands on prototype units – some of them partially functional. Now, thanks to an Apple prototype collector, we can take a look at an AirPower prototype recharging an Apple Watch for the first time.
AirPower prototype can recharge Apple Watch
A video shared by an X user known as “Apple Demo” shows a working AirPower prototype charging an Apple Watch Series 4 prototype (via MacRumors). This particular prototype has 16 coils, while there are some other prototypes with 14 and even 22 coils.
Again, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a working AirPower prototype. However, it is the first time we’ve seen one that works with the Apple Watch. That’s because the That’s because the Apple Watch charger is proprietary and regular Qi chargers can’t recharge the Watch. However, this Apple Watch Series 4 prototype and this AirPower prototype work just fine together.
However, according to the collector, the Apple Watch gets quite hot when recharging on AirPower, which may have been one of the reasons why Apple ended up scrapping the product before its launch.
For those unfamiliar, Apple announced AirPower as a seamless solution for wirelessly charging multiple Apple devices at the same time. AirPower would have multiple coils, so users wouldn’t have to worry about lining up their devices on it to charge. It would be able to charge two iPhones simultaneously, or an iPhone and an accessory – such as AirPods or Apple Watch.
Despite the announcement in 2017, Apple never shared more details about the availability of AirPower, or even sent review units to the press. In 2019, the company confirmed that the AirPower launch had been canceled. Rumors suggested that the internal prototypes were inefficient and had heating issues.
A year later, Apple introduced MagSafe as a new solution to improve wireless charging. Unfortunately, the company really seems to have given up on introducing something like AirPower again. However, you can find some Qi chargers that recharge multiple devices at the same time.
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Jessica Irvine is a tech enthusiast specializing in gadgets. From smart home devices to cutting-edge electronics, Jessica explores the world of consumer tech, offering readers comprehensive reviews, hands-on experiences, and expert insights into the coolest and most innovative gadgets on the market.
