Well that is disappointing, it’s the thing I’ve been most excited about for some time. I too will be cancelling my order for the new AirPods with wireless case. That was the whole point of it. And it’s rather frustrating that the series 4 watch I bought is locked into a proprietary wireless standard; which I still struggle to understand considering the AirPower was Qi compliant. Oh well... Perhaps it can be addressed via a firmware update, if it’s not hardware dependent?! Totally bummed
Thank Gawd! Airpower was overrated. Wireless charging is easy and cheap yet Apple Fanboys had this irrational fixation on Airpower like it was somehow magical. Let's move on from an idea that wasn't that stellar in the first place.
Disagree, it would have been a fine product, as the disappoint here confirms. A small, light item to toss in my travel bag with a single cable to charge my phone, watch, and headphones. Why wouldn't I want this?
I doubt this product is impossible to produce and meet their standards. I hope that Apple keeps trying in the background to bring us a good wireless charging solution for all 3 devices. 3rd parties already have similar charging solutions for 2 devices. Hopefully they’re able to work it out in the future.
It may be a little embarrassing. However I don’t see too much of a downside because I like the flexibility of still using my phone while it’s being charged via lightning cable. Not possible using wireless charging. What would be a game changer for me would be if Apple stopped using that rubbery type of cable material that breaks down because of the natural oils in our bodies.
Perhaps it will teach Timmy & Co to go back to good, old, well tested Apple product management practices of NOT announcing product till they are ready to ship (meaning they are also properly tested)!
Now if they had done the same with certain keyboards too, a lot of grief on both sides of the coin would have been avoided.
announce wireless AirPods, take all the orders for a week or two then cancel the wireless charger everyone was expecting to plop them on, never change apple
Certainly it’s disappointing, but:
A. I’m way happier with them cancelling it than with shipping a product that could become dangerous due to overheating or other quality issues;
B. I strongly suspect the technology they were working on and the lessons learned from this failure will — as has happened a number of times in the past — be put to future good use, starting with “don’t pre-announce products so far ahead”;
C. I’m much consoled by the fact that nearly all of the haters complaining about this cancellation above would be tearing the company a new one when they saw the price of the AirPower. It was likely going to be 4x more (at least) than a standard Qi charging pad, and at least double or even triple the price of the deluxe models (dozens of which are already out there) that can charge all three devices at once, but you have to place them more precisely on the mat (gasp! shock! outrage!) than you would have with the AirPower. Some of you guys are great, but most of you need to face the reality that you’re terrible hypocrites.
In fact, I’d bet that in the end they actually had the technical problems mostly or entirely licked — but the thing would cost north of $300 due to the precision manufacturing and high technology required (you know, same reason we haven’t seen any $35,000 Model 3 Teslas, either).
Entitlement invites disappointment. Disappointment has become the standard now. What must it be like to muddle through life disappointed with everything? No excitement, no joy, no happiness, just perpetual disappointment and depression. Is this the state of arrogant faux techie life now? Just bought a new car but disappointed it doesn’t support wireless CarPlay so I returned it. Just bought a new AVR but disappointed it doesn’t support HDR 10 or dolby Atmos so I returned it. Techie life is hell.
Now I need to return my wireless-charing AirPods for the normal...if a mat can't do all three devices it isn't worth it to me.
Fortunately the AirPod 2 is compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard like the new iPhones. Unfortunately the Apple Watch must use the MagnaSafe puck provided by Apple. It is hit and miss using a Qi device from what I have read.
Certainly it’s disappointing, but:
A. I’m way happier with them cancelling it than with shipping a product that could become dangerous due to overheating or other quality issues;
B. I strongly suspect the technology they were working on and the lessons learned from this failure will — as has happened a number of times in the past — be put to future good use, starting with “don’t pre-announce products so far ahead”;
C. I’m much consoled by the fact that nearly all of the haters complaining about this cancellation above would be tearing the company a new one when they saw the price of the AirPower. It was likely going to be 4x more (at least) than a standard Qi charging pad, and at least double or even triple the price of the deluxe models (dozens of which are already out there) that can charge all three devices at once, but you have to place them more precisely on the mat (gasp! shock! outrage!) than you would have with the AirPower. Some of you guys are great, but most of you need to face the reality that you’re terrible hypocrites.
In fact, I’d bet that in the end they actually had the technical problems mostly or entirely licked — but the thing would cost north of $300 due to the precision manufacturing and high technology required (you know, same reason we haven’t seen any $35,000 Model 3 Teslas, either).
^This^
Apple no doubts regrets announcing AirPower, and in retrospect the should have canceled it sooner, but they must have thought they were this close to working out the final kinks time after time. But it would have been much, much worse if they put out a product that didn't do what the prototype promised or it were a price so high to invite ridicule (even if the tear downs would show amazing engineering packed into a tiny space compared to competing products).
As to the people regretting their wireless AirPod purchases in the past two weeks, there is still plenty of time to change those orders--or return them once you get them. Or, you know, buy a non-Apple Qi charger and see if "wireless" charging is worth the hype.
Comments
Totally bummed
Thanks but that style isn't really my cup of tea.
Perhaps it will teach Timmy & Co to go back to good, old, well tested Apple product management practices of NOT announcing product till they are ready to ship (meaning they are also properly tested)!
Now if they had done the same with certain keyboards too, a lot of grief on both sides of the coin would have been avoided.
A. I’m way happier with them cancelling it than with shipping a product that could become dangerous due to overheating or other quality issues;
B. I strongly suspect the technology they were working on and the lessons learned from this failure will — as has happened a number of times in the past — be put to future good use, starting with “don’t pre-announce products so far ahead”;
C. I’m much consoled by the fact that nearly all of the haters complaining about this cancellation above would be tearing the company a new one when they saw the price of the AirPower. It was likely going to be 4x more (at least) than a standard Qi charging pad, and at least double or even triple the price of the deluxe models (dozens of which are already out there) that can charge all three devices at once, but you have to place them more precisely on the mat (gasp! shock! outrage!) than you would have with the AirPower. Some of you guys are great, but most of you need to face the reality that you’re terrible hypocrites.
In fact, I’d bet that in the end they actually had the technical problems mostly or entirely licked — but the thing would cost north of $300 due to the precision manufacturing and high technology required (you know, same reason we haven’t seen any $35,000 Model 3 Teslas, either).
This one wasn't vaporware. Now had it been someone else....
It still would not have been vaporware.
Apple no doubts regrets announcing AirPower, and in retrospect the should have canceled it sooner, but they must have thought they were this close to working out the final kinks time after time. But it would have been much, much worse if they put out a product that didn't do what the prototype promised or it were a price so high to invite ridicule (even if the tear downs would show amazing engineering packed into a tiny space compared to competing products).
As to the people regretting their wireless AirPod purchases in the past two weeks, there is still plenty of time to change those orders--or return them once you get them. Or, you know, buy a non-Apple Qi charger and see if "wireless" charging is worth the hype.