New Report Corroborates Rumor for March AirPower Launch

A new report on Friday has corroborated previous rumors about the launch date of Apple’s AirPower wireless charging mat. According to these reports, the wireless charging accessory could hit shelves as soon as next month.

Earlier this month, a Best Buy tipster told The Apple Post that the Cupertino firm would launch AirPower and its second-generation AirPods case in March. Now, Japanese news site Mac Otakara has backed up those rumors, citing “reliable sources” who reportedly confirmed the March launch date.

Mac Otakara typically cites sources from within the supply chain in China and other parts of Asia. Its track record of predicting Apple’s moves isn’t entirely sterling, but it’s historically been fairly accurate as far as its forecasts.

The original rumor, apparently sourced by a tipster within Best Buy, claimed that Apple would launch the wireless charging mat across its various retail channels — including third-party retailers like Best Buy.

In addition to AirPower, the tipster said that Apple will launch its second-generation AirPods case with wireless charging compatibility on the same day. Though the source noted that the case will likely only be available as a standalone product at Apple’s own brick-and-mortar locations.

AirPower was a surprise announcement at Apple’s keynote event in September. The company’s first dedicated wireless charging accessory, AirPower uses the Qi standard but sports proprietary Apple technology that allows it to charge multiple devices simultaneously.

The device will initially be compatible with iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X; various Apple Watch models; and the aforementioned AirPods case with wireless charging support. There’s no word whether it will support non-Apple devices, but since it uses a more standardized version of Qi than Apple’s previous wireless solutions, there’s a good chance that it could.

The price point for the wireless charging mat isn’t clear, but a previous rumor suggested it could retail for between $140 and $199 in the U.S.

[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.]