Teardown images allegedly depict scrapped AirPower charging mat

Posted:
in General Discussion
A leaker has shared alleged images of what appears to be Apple's now-scrapped AirPower wireless charging mat.

Credit: BilliBilli
Credit: BilliBilli


AirPower, originally unveiled at Apple's 2017 September event, was eventually scrapped in March 2019. Reportedly, the charging mat didn't meet Apple's standards and had problems with overheating.

On Friday, Apple leaker @laobaiTD shared apparent images of the AirPower charging mat to Twitter. Those images were originally sourced from a teardown clip on Chinese video sharing site Bilibili.

Apple AirPower Picture From @ pic.twitter.com/00FJHIhOZd

-- Mrwhite (@laobaiTD)


The images depict a wireless charging mat in the AirPower shape. Two components in the pictures include a board with multiple and overlapping wireless charging coils, as well as another board laden with chips.

Those overlapping coils were integral to AirPower's primary feature: the ability to charge an Apple Watch, AirPods, and an iPhone simultaneously.

They were also reportedly AirPower's downfall, since the complexity of the design caused issues with overheating and reliability. Other charging mats on the market do feature multi-coil designs, but none have quite lived up to AirPower's promises.

There's no concrete evidence that the images actually depict an Apple AirPower prototype or working model, however. While @laobaiTD -- also known as Mr. White -- has shared genuine images of leaked components and accurate details in the past, there's nothing that can verify whether the supposed AirPower prototype is authentic.

Since AirPower's cancellation, there have been some rumors that Apple is working on another wireless charging mat. In January, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would release a first-party "small wireless charging mat" in the first half of 2020.

That timeframe has come and gone, and despite other rumors from leakers such as Jon Prosser, there's still no indication of when or if Apple may take another shot at multi-device wireless charging.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    What is up with that one long fingernail?!

    I’m still hoping AirPower becomes a real, shipping product.

    (When I type “AirPower” in all lower case it gets autocorrected to having a capital “A” and a capital “P”. Is iOS recognizing “AirPower” like it recognizes “MacBook Air” or is it just me?)
    StrangeDaysBeatscornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 14
    That looks fake.  AirPower needed standard Qi and Apple's proprietary Apple Watch charging coils to do what Apple was trying to accomplish.  The images above only show standard Qi coils.  No AW coils.  If all Apple wanted was place anywhere phone charging, I'm fairly certain they had that figured out early on in the process.  Heck, Zen has their Liberty place anywhere Qi charger.  Those AW coils, were the downfall imo.  Regardless, that doesn't look real.  It looks like a disassembled generic Chinese multi-coil wireless charger.
    Beatsn2itivguy
  • Reply 3 of 14
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,232member
    That looks fake.
    Yes, there'd be no question this wouldn't fly.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 14
    GG1GG1 Posts: 483member
    That looks fake.  AirPower needed standard Qi and Apple's proprietary Apple Watch charging coils to do what Apple was trying to accomplish.  The images above only show standard Qi coils.  No AW coils.  If all Apple wanted was place anywhere phone charging, I'm fairly certain they had that figured out early on in the process.  Heck, Zen has their Liberty place anywhere Qi charger.  Those AW coils, were the downfall imo.  Regardless, that doesn't look real.  It looks like a disassembled generic Chinese multi-coil wireless charger.
    I see no attempt at heatsinking the coils, so I call this fake, also. Apple wouldn't give up on this project due to overheating without any attempt at heatsinking.
    n2itivguywatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 14
    There is a video in Chinese with the link.

    First half of the video is about Xiaomi charging pad.

    The second half of the video is about  the AirPower:
    it is a semifinished product
    no outer shell
    Lighting connector
    22 coils 
    heavy and secured construction 
    large metal frame as heatsink 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 14
    What is up with that one long fingernail?!

    I’m still hoping AirPower becomes a real, shipping product.

    (When I type “AirPower” in all lower case it gets autocorrected to having a capital “A” and a capital “P”. Is iOS recognizing “AirPower” like it recognizes “MacBook Air” or is it just me?)
    Good catch. Yeah, maybe the guy with the cocaine bumping fingernail isn’t the most reliable source lol
    ihatescreennameswatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 14
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    That looks fake.  AirPower needed standard Qi and Apple's proprietary Apple Watch charging coils to do what Apple was trying to accomplish.  The images above only show standard Qi coils.  No AW coils.  If all Apple wanted was place anywhere phone charging, I'm fairly certain they had that figured out early on in the process.  Heck, Zen has their Liberty place anywhere Qi charger.  Those AW coils, were the downfall imo.  Regardless, that doesn't look real.  It looks like a disassembled generic Chinese multi-coil wireless charger.

    Knockoff AirPower mats have been released. Could be a knockoff and they're trying to pass it off as a real one.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 14
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,839member
    I think it's real. Looks like Apple's PCB design. It would have been a fortune with all those RFID controllers on, maybe it was scrapped due to price rather than (or as well as) overheating. 

    CloudTalkin said:
    That looks fake.  AirPower needed standard Qi and Apple's proprietary Apple Watch charging coils to do what Apple was trying to accomplish.  The images above only show standard Qi coils.  No AW coils.  If all Apple wanted was place anywhere phone charging, I'm fairly certain they had that figured out early on in the process.  Heck, Zen has their Liberty place anywhere Qi charger.  Those AW coils, were the downfall imo.  Regardless, that doesn't look real.  It looks like a disassembled generic Chinese multi-coil wireless charger.
    There's nothing different about the AW charging coils themselves apart from the size, the AirPower ones appear to be reasonably small, certainly able to charge the AW. The AW charger runs at a different frequency to the QI standard but software on the AirPower mat could detect a Watch, and adjust the frequency accordingly, and it could ensure resonance by switching out the capacitors under each coil (white components with silver ends).
    edited August 2020 citpekscornchip
  • Reply 9 of 14
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,748member
    I see no attempt at heatsinking the coils, so I call this fake, also. Apple wouldn't give up on this project due to overheating without any attempt at heatsinking.
    You’re right. There’s no way that large metal frame would ever spread heat from one coil and distribute it to other areas.  🤪

    While it still not be an Apple prototype, it sure looks like an expensive product. 
    elijahgcornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 14
    What is up with that one long fingernail?!

    I’m still hoping AirPower becomes a real, shipping product.

    (When I type “AirPower” in all lower case it gets autocorrected to having a capital “A” and a capital “P”. Is iOS recognizing “AirPower” like it recognizes “MacBook Air” or is it just me?)
    Good catch. Yeah, maybe the guy with the cocaine bumping fingernail isn’t the most reliable source lol
    Well not only for cocaine. They may use to take wax out of their ears and booger out of their nostrils. Gross? I know. They also have long pinky nail as their status such as being rich, not doing manual labor, etc. Most of them are in Asian Countries. Some people include in America and other countries use long pinky nail to cut mail open with, if they don’t have mail or kitchen knives around. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 14
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    What is up with that one long fingernail?!

    I’m still hoping AirPower becomes a real, shipping product.

    (When I type “AirPower” in all lower case it gets autocorrected to having a capital “A” and a capital “P”. Is iOS recognizing “AirPower” like it recognizes “MacBook Air” or is it just me?)
    Good catch. Yeah, maybe the guy with the cocaine bumping fingernail isn’t the most reliable source lol
    Well not only for cocaine. They may use to take wax out of their ears and booger out of their nostrils. Gross? I know. They also have long pinky nail as their status such as being rich, not doing manual labor, etc. Most of them are in Asian Countries. Some people include in America and other countries use long pinky nail to cut mail open with, if they don’t have mail or kitchen knives around. 
    If he’s from the assembly line, he might use it to tighten small screws. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 14
    citpekscitpeks Posts: 251member
    elijahg said:
    I think it's real. Looks like Apple's PCB design. It would have been a fortune with all those RFID controllers on, maybe it was scrapped due to price rather than (or as well as) overheating.
    I have little doubt it's real.  If per the small chance it's fake, then it's a very elaborate, art forgery-style fake.

    The multi-layer design and coil layout matches Apple's patent filings.  The individual coil controller groups, mounted on what is probably an MCPCB (with RU mark), and the elaborate compartmentalized metal frame (for RF isolation shielding and additional heat sinking).  A central processor to control the logic and energy distribution.  All of it adds up to a complex, and costly design.

    It's certainly not one or two coils, with a small controller board with a commodity Qi chip, squeezed into a plastic case and put on sale on Amazon for ten bucks.  It's also a step above the $80-150 upmarket chargers from Nomad, Belkin, Logitech, etc.

    Aira and Nomad have been awfully quiet about FreePower since showing it off at CES at the beginning of the year.  Their design embeds the antennas directly into the PCB.


    elijahgcaladanianwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 14
    ivladivlad Posts: 742member
    What is up with that one long fingernail?!



    Cocaine
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 14
    What is up with that one long fingernail?!

    I’m still hoping AirPower becomes a real, shipping product.

    (When I type “AirPower” in all lower case it gets autocorrected to having a capital “A” and a capital “P”. Is iOS recognizing “AirPower” like it recognizes “MacBook Air” or is it just me?)
    Good catch. Yeah, maybe the guy with the cocaine bumping fingernail isn’t the most reliable source lol
    Well not only for cocaine. They may use to take wax out of their ears and booger out of their nostrils. Gross? I know. They also have long pinky nail as their status such as being rich, not doing manual labor, etc. Most of them are in Asian Countries. Some people include in America and other countries use long pinky nail to cut mail open with, if they don’t have mail or kitchen knives around. 
    I appreciate the cultural context you’re adding, and I am aware of the history of the Chinese literati growing their fingernails out (all of them), but.. I didn’t even realize until after I posted, his name is “Mr. White.” That pretty much settles it lol
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