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Apple Cancels AirPower Product

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Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't speak to what's available in your country, but I've never had issues returning opened stuff (Best Buy, Microcenter, etc) as long as it's in new condition and in the original box, with receipt (most stores have a 14 day return period)

> most stores have a 14 day return period A return period is even mandated by law in most advanced countries by consumer protection laws. The length varies and sometimes there are some exceptions like software and customized (engraved products).

I was always under the impression that in the US, returns that were not because of a defect were more of a courtesy than a legal requirement:

> Many retailers, as part of their business models, allow returns if customers change their minds or receive unwanted items as gifts. While many retailers have decided this makes for the best business practice, they aren't legally required to accept returns. Rather, retailers are required to accept returns only if the sold good is defective or if they otherwise break the sales contract. [1]

[1] https://consumer.findlaw.com/consumer-transactions/customer-...

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#292
post #4

It is a slimy move to wait a week after the wireless charging Airpods were released before announcing this. You can't tell me that Apple didn't know this was coming. What percentage of people who have bought new Airpods in the last week wouldn't have made that purchase if they knew AirPower was never going to be released? EDIT: Several people are responding that other manufactures make wireless chargers, so what is t…

Apple has a 1-week (or is it 2 weeks?) unconditional return policy. It actually disservices them to announce it after since they may now get a bunch of open box returns. Additionally your edit doesn’t hold because apple sells iPhones without an official wireless charger either. The AirPods can also be charged with a wire, not to mention any compatible qi charger. If you’re going to call out apple for making the charg…

>Additionally your edit doesn’t hold because apple sells iPhones without an official wireless charger either.

AirPower was supposed to be that official wireless charger. So is your argument that my point doesn't matter because cancelling AirPower is actually worse than I initially mentioned? Either way, the new AirPods are a little different than iPhones. The primary difference between AirPods 1 and AirPods 2 was the wireless charging. The wireless charging was never the top-line feature of any new iPhones.

>If you’re going to call out apple for making the charging standard based on USB power delivery

That is not why I am calling Apple out. I am calling them out because they are refusing to offer a first party solution for a product's primary feature and "it is just an open standard" is not a valid excuse for that fact.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#293
post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quality materials, nicer fit and finish, no obnoxious blue LEDs...

> no obnoxious blue LEDs... :) True! But for $10 I'll live with it.

Then again, not everyone wants the same thing, just like some people value their annoyance much higher than others (making a more expensive purchase actually turn out less expensive).

People are weird. But that is fine.

To me, the AirPower mat seems like a really hard thing to make. Qi charging needs concentric coils, but AirPower as a Mat needs a reconfigurable matrix to do what it needs to do.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing the unexpected hype was what caused the "cancellation", and AirPower isn't really any more cancelled than it was yesterday. I'm imagining some engineering teem at Apple telling their bosses "yeah, it's almost ready" and the bosses believing them without really caring, because it's just a silly accessory and no big deal, right? And then since the AirPods 2 announcemen, the internet has been rabid with ant…

This doesn't make much sense to me. Apple is the tech marketing messiah, why would they announce AirPower at a major product demo and think that it somehow wouldn't be hyped? This is a really strange fumble for them. It was also listed as a major feature for the new AirPods, that doesn't seem like something Apple would slap on a box knowing they probably weren't going to ship, especially if was a "silly accessory." I…

I think the mea-culpa announcement "This isn't going to be shipped", is better than stringing it along for months and leaving people in the dark.

Your right though, their main problem was announcing it too early. There are probably legal ramifications to this.

Back in the day "intelivision" announced a keyboard component for their console in ads. They didn't ship.. It kept slipping. Then the FTC (government) started fining them for false advertising. So they finally released one (It was junk, we had one).

"Complaints from consumers who had chosen to buy the Intellivision specifically on the promise of a "coming soon" personal-computer upgrade, eventually caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), who started investigating Mattel Electronics for fraud and false advertising. "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#295
post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't speak to what's available in your country, but I've never had issues returning opened stuff (Best Buy, Microcenter, etc) as long as it's in new condition and in the original box, with receipt (most stores have a 14 day return period)

Heh, that’s almost unheard of in the Middle East for example. You have to fight tooth and nail to even get basic warranty. Not sure about the rest of the world, but I would say that the US is an outlier when it comes to return policies.

Germany (EU?) gives you 14 days unconditional return for online purchases, and brick and mortar retailers usually match or surpass that to stay competitive with online retailers.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#296

The whole AirPower saga is a weird event in product development. AirPower compatibility was highlighted as a feature in the packaging of the just-released AirPods 2 : https://twitter.com/itsnicolenguyen/status/11106569269650636... There has to be something that caused this abrupt cancellation.

> There has to be something that caused this abrupt cancellation. Well, there is no way of getting 30W wirelessly (to the device side) without a lot of heat. I guess someone thought they could solve this with smarter power management (and per the John Gruber article this was an issue last year, or even before) but it frankly it does not seem possible (unless Apple discovered room temperature superconductors). It seem…

Build a Dyson cooling toroid around it? (Said the design team)

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#297
post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not the apple watch. That was the draw of it.

Was AirPower supposed to support the watch? I don't see how that would be possible given the curved shape of the watch back.

eh? The back of the watch itself is flat.

John Gruber says he saw a prototype backstage of an event a couple years ago, put his watch on and it started charging just fine, incidentally.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#298

I haven’t found a situation where wireless charging is superior to wired charging, especially for my iPhone w wireless charging. The only situation is if you’re out and about and don’t have your cable with you, and in that case the only public wireless charging I’ve ever come across is at a certain Starbucks places, but it wouldn’t make sense in that situation why your own wirelessly mat would help since you probably…

In the center console of my car. Extremely convenient and useful to just drop the phone there and go, rather than having to plug and unplug it repeatedly.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#299
post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There has to be something that caused this abrupt cancellation. They could have sold a Wireless Charger just like others with their mark up. Instead we got nothing. Also admitting MacBook Pro Keyboard Failure. I believe there is something happening to Hardware Engineering in general.

Were it "just like others with their markup", why would people pay more for the same thing?

That's branding 101. Conspicuous consumption, perceived quality due to marketing, brand loyalty ... quite a few reasons.

Same reason people buy $1500 plastic Louis Vuitton handbags and belts.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#300
Been waiting for this for a long time because I always forgot to recharge something every day...

Hope this does not happen to Mac Pro.

Thinking about the subscription stuff recently it seems they do have some strategy shifting recently.

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