Apple may be moving forward with a polarizing iPhone redesign and several unusual (and somewhat creepy) tech upgrades, but now the company has accidentally revealed a long-awaited iPhone upgrade everyone does want…
Thanks to a tip-off, 9to5Mac has discovered new imagery on Apple’s Australian website showing the company’s exciting and long-overdue AirPower wireless charging system. The propriety technology will enable iPhones to charger faster than with any third party wireless charger.
Hidden in the Apple Australia’s AirPods page under the reference <figure class=image-wireless-airpower>, the new AirPower image shows both an iPhone XS and AirPods wireless charging case (only announced yesterday) charging simultaneously on the mat. The mat can also wireless charge the Apple Watch, but both iPad and iPod touch ranges are yet to include wireless charging support.
For all its flexibility, however, the arrival of AirPower is the biggest news for iPhone owners. Right now iPhones are limited to wireless charging of just 7.5W, despite the Qi specification it is based on working at up to 15W. Given AirPower will work on a proprietary fork of this technology, 15W fast charging appears to be the minimum we should expect, making it almost as quick at the (still optional) 18W wired chargers supported since the iPhone 8.
That said, the wait has been long. Apple originally announced AirPower alongside the iPhone X in 2017 and the new image discovered today is actually an update of one Apple released at that time replacing an iPhone X and “charging case” on the mat with an iPhone XS and AirPods (wireless) Case.
With Apple holding a major “Showtime” event on March 25, it looks like AirPower will finally launch. For iPhone owners, this is one upgrade which cannot come soon enough…
