March 31 (UPI) — Apple has cancelled plans to produce the AirPower wireless charging mat, saying the product does not reach its standards.
In 2017, the company said it was developing the product as capable of wirelessly charging an iPhone, AirPod headphones and an Apple Watch at once.
At a press gathering that included unveiling the iPhone X and iPhone 8, Apple said the charging mat was “coming in 2018.” But that never happened.
“This is a major black eye for Apple. A product that was touted by Tim Cook himself never even makes the shelves, it’s a complete shocker,” Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives told CNBC. “Does not move the needle financially speaking, but it’s a hit to the golden Apple brand.”
The company seemed to have problems with heat management interference, as well as charging accuracy and speed.
“If AirPower was overheating, which is what some had said, Apple could not bring it to market,” Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi told CNET.com. “Considering others have multi-device mats, Apple could have brought to market a different design, but I think that would have been even more disappointing.”
Samsung produces the Wireless Charger Duo.
AirPower had been planned to help devices communicate with each other to manage power consumption.
On Monday, Apple announced a new video-streaming service, a news subscription plan and an Apple credit card.
