At this point, you might be forgiven for completely forgetting about the existence — or lack thereof — of AirPower, Apple’s wireless charging mat. Originally introduced all the way back in September of 2017, the charging mat was positioned as a nifty accessory that would allow users to wirelessly charge their Apple Watch, iPhone, and AirPods case concurrently. But as time marched on, AirPower never materialized in stores.
Before long, numerous reports regarding many of the technical challenges involved in making AirPower a reality began to surface. At some point, there were even rumors that Apple had opted to scrap the product entirely. As it turns out, AirPower is alive and well and will be arriving in stores sooner rather than later.
According to Ming Chi-Kuo, who tends to have as good a track record with respect to Apple rumors as anyone else, AirPower will finally see the light of day during the first half of 2019. Kuo’s prediction was issued as part of a research note obtained by AppleInsider.
AirPower aside, another long-rumored Apple product will be launching in 2019 as well. Specifically, Kuo writes that AirPods 2 will be released during the first half of the year, which would mean they’ll show up in stores sometime in June at the absolute latest. Kuo’s note on AirPods jibes with previous rumors we’ve seen regarding Apple’s wireless earbuds. The most recent rumblings from the rumor mill also add that AirPods 2 will ship with a black color option and a new exterior coating designed to improve overall grip and better prevent AirPods from falling out. Price wise, AirPods 2 will reportedly launch at the same price point as the current AirPods.
