Apple AirPower Price and Release Date Revealed in New Report
The long-awaited charging pad is almost here.
AirPower, Apple’s wireless charging mat, is almost here. That’s according to a Friday report that claims the long-awaited peripheral is due for launch at a September press conference, alongside a cheaper MacBook and three new iPhones.
It’s the latest sign of an imminent launch for Apple’s charger, announced at last September’s iPhone X press conference alongside the company’s first wireless-supporting phones but missing in action ever since. The device, which uses a Lightning charging port to receive power, can charge up to three devices at once as long as they support the Qi standard. The pad will also support an extension to the Qi standard that enables support for smaller devices, like the Apple Watch Series 3. The DigiTimes report claimed that the pad would cost somewhere around $161 to $193, placing it at the high end of charger prices.
Phil Schiller introduces AirPower.
See more: Apple Secures Patent for Its Upcoming AirPower Wireless Charger
The AirPower is set to launch at Apple’s September event, the report claims, alongside a new MacBook. The $1,200 machine will use Intel’s 14-nanometer Kaby Lake, contradicting previous reports that the machine could cost less than $999. The report also reiterates that Apple plans to release a cheaper 6.1-inch LCD iPhone alongside a 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED iPhone, all three of which will support face recognition.
Without AirPower in stores, Apple has worked with Logitech to produce a potential alternative. The $69.99 Powered Wireless Charging Stand, a collaborative design between the two companies, charges one Qi-supporting device in either portrait or landscape orientation. The 0.9-pound dock offers a five-foot cable to a pad that holds the phone at 65 degrees, providing 7.5 watts of “fast charging” power versus the five watts found in regular pads.
Of course, consumers can charge their existing iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X using almost any Qi-supporting charger. Apple is likely to continue this support with next month’s phone launches, solidifying its support for a widespread charging standard that also charges select Android phones.
