AirPower may arrive in time for iPhone 12 with crazy high price

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This new AirPower design will be the perfect charger for the iPhone 12

Apple AirPower
(Image credit: Jon Prosser)

This is what the AirPower charging pad could look like, according to leaked images of Apple's most recent prototype. And if we're lucky, we'll see it launch at the same time as the iPhone 12.

Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech, who has discussed the new AirPower charger on a few other occasions, has shown us his own mock-up of the Apple-branded wireless charging pad. His render has the requisite iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods case, and also a Lightning cable to provide power. Prosser doesn't expect the final version to use a Lightning connector however, meaning it may use USB-C like the iPad Pro.

The concept is based on an earlier tweet made by Prosser, which included a leaked image of what is known as "C68," the latest prototype of the revived Apple wireless charger. This series of tweets also revealed that the AirPower successor will include an A11 CPU, the chip that powers the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, to help manage the power distribution. 

AirPower

(Image credit: Jon Prosser)

This is apparently necessary because the Apple Watch requires a higher power draw than Apple's other gadgets. Placing an Apple Watch on an older version of the AirPower mat means it would cause the mat to overheat, and even set on fire according to Prosser. The addition of the A11 helps manage the heat by switching the internal charging coils on and off as needed.

Prosser tells us that we can expect the new AirPower to launch at the end of 2020, which would match the expected launch of the iPhone 12, or at the start of 2021 at the latest. It will reportedly sell for $250, which is considerably more expensive than the average wireless charging pad.

Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.