Apple's AirPower wireless charging mat could launch in March
A wireless AirPod charging case might arrive at the same time.
Apple may be close to launching another one of the numerous products it teased last year. Sources talking to both MacOtakara and the Apple Post have claimed that the company's AirPower wireless charging mat should ship sometime in late March, about half a year after its September premiere. This would reportedly include the wireless charging case for AirPods, too. You might have to buy the case directly from Apple if you're upgrading an existing pair of earbuds, but multiple stores would sell a version of the AirPods with the wireless charging case included.
It's not clear why Apple needed the extra time to ready the AirPower mat, but it might have something to do with the Apple Watch. Although at least a few Qi chargers will top up an Apple Watch, the wristwear wasn't really designed for it -- according to MacOtakara, the AirPower Mat has to use a "special wave" to detect the watch. Combine that with the mat's signature (though not completely unique) multi-device charging and it's decidedly more complex than a typical Qi pad.
These are rumors, so you won't want to plan your shopping trips around them. It makes sense that Apple would want to deliver AirPower before the end of its current fiscal quarter, though. And let's face it, 6 months is a long time to wait for a wireless charging mat -- it's hard to imagine people being patient for much longer.
