Apple AirPower Wireless Charging Pad Release Imminent According To iOS 12.2 Beta
Had things gone they way there were supposed to, Apple would have launched its own wireless charging mat called AirPower in 2018. However, here we are getting ready to close out the first quarter of 2019, and Apple still has not released the AirPower mat. It is at least in sight, though, and could be launching soon if the iOS 12.2 beta is any indication.
The promise of the AirPower mat is that its wide stance allows it to wirelessly charge numerous compatible Apple gadgets at the same time.
"The new Apple-designed AirPower mat, coming in 2018, can charge iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously," Apple stated in a news release announcing the iPhone X.
That would be a huge convenience to anyone who is knee deep in Apple's ecosystem. I'm one of those people, though I do not own a set of AirPods, and don't plan on it if Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay H9i wireless headset turns out to be rad (I just order it this week). Still, plopping an iPhone and Apple Watch onto the same mat when going to bed is a convenient way of charging them.
On Monday, Apple released the sixth developer beta of iOS 12.2, and the underlying code references changes to the wireless charging function. Those changes include "code responsible for identifying that two devices are charging on the same mat," according to 9To5Mac.
The AirPower mat can actually charge three devices, but the code also contains changes to the 3D animations that get displayed on the largest of the charging devices. For example, if you have plop an iPhone XS Max, Apple Watch Series 4, and second-gen AirPods onto the mat, the charging levels of each device would be display on the iPhone.
This all suggests that a release is right around the corner. Apple has been staggering its announcements of new products as of late, including the new iPad Air and iPad mini tablets, followed by new iMacs. It's rumored that a new iPod Touch will be announced tomorrow. Finally launching the AirPower mat would be a nice way of rounding things out.
