Apple Blunder Hints Long-Overdue AirPower Isn’t Dead

New Apple Iphone Smart Battery Case Iphone Xs Iphone Xs Max And Iphone Xr Credit: Apple
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AirPower is missing, but probably not dead. As evidence of that, Apple made reference to the long-awaited accessory in another recent product debut.

The wireless charging mat was specifically named in the product description for the new iPhone XS Smart Battery Case on the Apple web storefront in Malaysia.

That easily overlooked reference was spotted by various Twitter users (shown below).

“The Smart Battery Case is compatible with AirPower Wireless Charging Mat and other Qi-certified chargers,” the Malaysia listing read.

Apple debuted the Smart Battery Cases on Tuesday. While the reference to AirPower has been scrubbed as of the writing of this article, it apparently survived until Wednesday morning before it was finally taken care of.

Now, the listing just says that the Smart Battery Case is compatible with Qi-certified chargers.

It’s worth noting that references to AirPower did not appear in the product description in the United States or other countries. It was also absent from the Smart Battery Case user guide, per iMore’s Rene Ritchie. So it seems likely that the Malaysia copy was a goof.

But the fact that the AirPower reference made it into a product listing at all seems to suggest that the wireless charging accessory hasn’t been scrapped.

It’s possible that Apple staff wrote the Smart Battery Case product listing before AirPower was delayed, and the company forgot to scrub it from that particular region. Rumors about the Smart Battery Case have been swirling around for a few months now.

Apple Airpower Apple Event Sept 2017
CNET

AirPower, of course, has officially missed its 2018 release deadline. That’s likely due to severe technical challenges associated with overheating. But there are other indications that it isn’t quite dead yet.

Most recently, sources have claimed that Apple has worked out AirPower’s kinks. Hong Kong-based ChargerLAB also reported that AirPower is currently being mass produced by Luxshare Precision — and will soon be produced by Pegatron, as well.

Last October, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that AirPower could debut in the first quarter of 2019.

If or when AirPower debuts, it may just be the only charging mat of its kind. AirPower will have the ability to charge several devices at once, regardless of where they are placed on the charging surface.

As noted in the Smart Battery Case product description, AirPower will also be able to charge the case’s battery and an iPhone simultaneously.

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