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Apple Cancels AirPower Product

techcrunch.com

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Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#311

Post by rickyc091 »

_bxg1 wrote: post #77
minimaxir wrote: post #2

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.

Especially weird for Apple, who aren't known for vaporware. And even Google wouldn't come out and say "we can't make this work", they'd just stop talking about it until it was eventually solvable down the line, or let it evaporate altogether. It's very odd to see a tech giant just hit a technological wall.

I appreciate that Apple was honest with their communication. Too often have I seen managers/CEOs employ the strategy of avoiding the hard conversation and letting the topic fade away.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#312

Post by sgustard »

spectramax wrote: post #132
slg wrote: 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…

No matter what Apple does, people will be pissed off at something . Contrary to your point: A. They announced the cancellation a week later, you still have time to return your AirPods 2. B. If they had gone with substandard product, then you will still complain, why didn't Apple cancel this product a long time ago!? Why did they release this piece of shit? We will have #AirPowerGate storm on Twitter, armchair special…

They put themselves in that "no-win situation" by pre-announcing the product. If they were profiting by selling products based on future compatability with airpower, that could be fraud.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#313

Post by quailmaster »

Eric_WVGG wrote: post #297
jzl wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

The back of the watch is very much curved. It's not as noticeable when people are wearing them because the watch sits right in between your wrist bones. https://i.gzn.jp/img/2018/09/21/apple-watch-series-4-open/p4...

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#314

Post by Eric_WVGG »

randomacct3847 wrote: post #130

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…

Last few times I've travelled I forgot my Apple Watch charger, and trying to keep both Airpods and iPhone charged was a huge hassle. I'd love to make the "charging problem" just go away and except for the laptop, AirPower would have accomplished that.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#315

Post by dvtrn »

captaincrowbar wrote: post #251
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Methinks HWEng made a breach in Industrial Design's north flank, and provoked a rout. The tide is turning!

“Oh my god! The engineers are revolting!” “You’ve worked here all these years and you only just noticed that?”

Why does this feel (in a fun and positively humorous way) like something pulled straight out of Douglas Coupland's "J-Pod"?

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#316

Post by oceliker »

vbezhenar wrote: post #190
chrischen wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or maybe it was working but then yesterday one burst into flames during testing which was the final straw. They don’t want to pull a Samsungs now do they?

Why did they cancel the product rather than delay it? If they are cancelling the product, either the issues are unfixable and it means that something is very wrong with their engineering, because they are expected to understand whether the product is possible a little bit earlier than some months before production. Or managers are just acting impulsively which is as wrong.

I think if it were delayed, it would still come up from time to time in tech blogs, giving them bad PR, kinda like Duke Nukem Forever. If they announce that it’s cancelled, they take a bad hit now, but they also have indefinite time to work on the product with no PR penalty on delays. The announcement leaves the door open on a future wireless product release anyway, with zero promises.

If they end up releasing the product, say, a year from now, nobody’s going to say “but you cancelled it before!!! how dare you!!”

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#317

Post by m0zg »

That is a truly "magical" example of "courage". To promise (on stage!), a magical multi-charger, then continue to promise it for 2 years, and then cancel it without any explanation.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#318

Post by arbie »

eridius wrote: post #302
ksec wrote: 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.

Apple doesn't release products that have no distinguishing features other than "made by Apple in Cupertino". Accessories without distinguishing features they prefer to just work with third parties on (such as Belkin). In fact, I'd wager that this particular Belkin charger was done in cooperation with Apple: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HLZ42/belkin-boost-up-spe...

What is the differentiator for the $39 silicone iPhone cases?

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#319

Post by mjsweet »

Is it my understanding that induction rings can't overlap?

You can't just plonk a phone, watch and AirPods case anywhere on a charging pad and expect them to start charging right?

The coil in each device needs to be fairly well aligned with the coil in the Qi charging pad. The proper way to do this is to have three individual coils with visual location targets for each device to charge.

I wonder if Apple was trying to make it a bit too magical (judging by the pre-render shots) allowing the user to throw a device onto the pad anywhere and expect them to charge.

Do the laws of physics apply here?

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#320

Post by skiman10 »

cududa wrote: post #287
skiman10 wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It technically already does use the Qi standard, just locked down to Apple approved devices [1]. This AirPower cancelation was supposedly canceled because 3D layered coils generate too much heat and they could not figure it out. [1] https://www.cultofmac.com/398423/apple-forces-you-to-buy-its...

So the issue was on the receiving device, not the mat?

The issue with AirPower was the mat generating too much heat. Supposedly. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/17/airpower-delay-due-to-overhe...

The issue with the Apple Watch not charging on all Qi pads is Apple locking it down to only approved devices.

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