Jon Prosser has now shared two more images
that allegedly showcase the revived AirPower charging mat more clearly. The
production in question, which is expected to launch in Q4 2020 or Q1 2021 for US$ 250, can be seen charging an Apple Watch Series 5 and a pair of AirPods Pro.
Apple announced the AirPower charging mat
in September 2017 with a promise to release it the following year. That never
happened and the project was eventually shelved officially in February 2019. Fast forward a year, and reports emerged
claiming Apple had restarted work on the controversial wireless charger. Now,
an image of what is allegedly an early prototype has leaked.
The low-resolution image, which arrives
courtesy of YouTuber and part-time leaker Jon Prosser, was taken by an employee
on the 'Sharing and Proximity' team who received a prototype unit to work on
from home. It showcases an upcoming product that is known internally as "C68"
and looks virtually identical to the original AirPower charging mat that was
scrapped last year.
That might seem a little odd to some
people, but it is perfectly possible because the issues with AirPower laid on
the inside. Apple faced problems with its internal layout due to the presence
of several overlapping coils which had a tendency to overheat.
The situation wasn't helped by the Apple
Watch, which uses a tweaked proprietary charging method that requires more
energy. In previous prototypes, when employees placed an Apple Watch on the
charging mat with other devices, it's claimed AirPower would simply overheat
and, in most cases, "combust."
The version that is pictured allegedly
uses the Apple A11 Bionic chipset on the inside to "dynamically manage
heat." The AirPower-like prototype reportedly has the ability to
"route power to specific coil regions" and wait for "temperatures
to drop before applying more power – preventing it from overheating."
Apple doesn't seem to have finalized a
release timeline for the revised wireless charging mat, which isn't surprising
considering it is still in the early stages of prototyping. But reports suggest
an iPhone with no ports is planned for release in late 2021, making an
introduction alongside that flagship product extremely likely. Of course, if the Tim Cook-led company can get
the prototype ready before that, an early launch is certainly possible.