The new year is here, Apple's AirPower wireless charging mat is not

As 2018 ends and we look back on all the gadgets released over this past year, there is a glaring omission from a major player in the mobile world. Despite promises made by Apple (and even a few retail listings), the AirPower wireless charging mat has still not been released.

The AirPower mat was announced at Apple’s 2017 event alongside the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. Aimed at reducing cable clutter and taking advantage of the new iPhones’ wireless charging capabilities, the AirPower was slated for a 2018 release. As the year rolled on and the AirPower mat remained nowhere to be seen, rumors started swirling that the product may have been canceled.

Apple itself was mum about the AirPower mat at WWDC in June, the iPhone event in September, and the Mac announcement event in October. Further, Apple silently began removing references to the AirPower mat from its main website shortly after the September iPhone event.

Some speculate that the AirPower mat had overheating problems and Apple engineers were having trouble resolving the issue. However, this is just a rumor (and a thin one at that). What we do know is that Apple failed to deliver on a promise it made, which is rare for the Cupertino giant. As it stands, it seems that AirPower may indeed be dead in the water.

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