All the Signs That AirPower Is Finally Coming This Week

The AirPods wireless charging case is officially here. But AirPower, long thought to be released alongside it, is still nowhere to be seen.

But it’s been a crazy week of Apple press release announcements, so there’s still a chance that the company could launch AirPower sooner than later. And there are some definite signs that that could be the case this week.

On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple had approved mass production of the long-awaited wireless charging accessory “earlier this year.” WSJ’s source specifically named the product as AirPower, which was announced in 2017.

The publication continued, noting that Apple has historically announced new products “within months” of kicking off production.

AirPower, by virtue of its tight integration with Apple’s other products, is expected to connect to an iPhone and feature a prominent 3D animation of multiple devices on its display. For the most part, this will enable an all-in-one interface where users can see how charged their devices are.

iOS 12.2 beta 6 contained a change in the system’s wireless charging code that enables the aforementioned graphic. As 9to5Mac points out, this is a strong sign that Apple is readying its ecosystem for AirPower’s launch.

As mentioned earlier, Apple has unveiled new hardware via press release every day this week. That’s certainly unprecedented, and it could suggest that there are pending announcements for Thursday and Friday, too.

AirPower, which was originally slated for a release in 2018, has been missing for a couple years now. To the chagrin of many, there were some indications that the product had been scrapped in the face of critical engineering difficulties.

But even before this week, there were hints that AirPower hadn’t been scrapped entirely. In February, well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that AirPower was still on the table and due for a launch in the first half of 2019 alongside the AirPod wireless charging case.

The Cupertino tech giant announced new AirPods with an optional wireless charging case this morning. While it didn’t debut right alongside AirPower, these new reports during Apple’s “press release week” could suggest that the accessory’s launch is imminent.

Apple is holding a special media event on Monday, March 25 titled “It’s Show Time.” Apple is largely expected to announce new Services at that event, including a premium Apple News subscription, an Apple Pay Credit Card, and an original TV content platform.

The fact that Apple has been debuting hardware all week seems to confirm that the event will be all about services, with little to no stage time spent on new devices.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]