Mophie parent company Zagg at CES told Bloomberg that it is developing a wireless charging mat that has capabilities that Apple attempted to implement in the now-canceled AirPower, but was unable to make work.
The charging accessory will charge iPhones and other mobile devices regardless of where they are placed on the charging mat, a feature that the AirPower was supposed to have.
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It's not clear if the charging mat that Zagg is developing will be able to charge the Apple Watch or if it will be limited to Qi-based wireless charging. Apple wanted the AirPower to be able to charge the Apple Watch, iPhone, and AirPods, but had trouble implementing the overlapping charging coils that were necessary.
There are multi-device chargers on the market able to charge the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch at once, but each device must be placed in a specific spot on the charger. Zagg's solution would apparently work anywhere, and will be marketed under the Mophie brand.
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Unless the wireless charger Zagg is working on works with the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, it won't quite match what the AirPower was supposed to do, but multi-device charging regardless of position is still a challenge even when limited to Qi-based wireless charging devices.
Zagg marketing executive Brad Bell told Bloomberg that the company is pitching the charging device to retailers and gathering feedback, so it's not clear when this charging device might see a debut. There's also no word on what it might look like, though it could be a flat charging mat similar to the AirPower.
Zagg is also working on long distance charging that would charge devices from several feet away, but that charging technology is still "many years away."
Top Rated Comments
You're severely underestimating the problems of working in a huge organization...If Apple couldn't do it with the best and brightest engineers in the world and a nearly infinite R&D budget, these guys can't either...
Still livin' at moms level oversimplification there.Lol good luck. If Apple couldn't do it with the best and brightest engineers in the world and a nearly infinite R&D budget, these guys can't either... That being said, if they did pull it off (and that might just be the biggest "if" ever proposed in human history) then it would sure make Apple look foolish. I mean how embarrassing if they couldn't do it but some third-party accessory maker DID??
Even a small tweak to specification, or reduction in Apple's standards could likely get this working. A small advance from a part manufacturer since Apple packed it in could move it ahead. Nevermind of course that no-one here really knows who exactly was on AirPower development, or whether they were the 'brightest engineers in the world'. Seriously doubt the brightest engineers in the world are working on a stupid mat to charge a phone and a couple of accessories.
That there isn’t even a single charging “mat” Apple Watch in existence (even as a singular product that only charges the Apple Watch) despite the obvious usefulness of and market for such an accessory supports this conclusion.