AirPower scrubbed

From this 9to5Mac article, last week:

Apple has seemingly updated its website today, removing all mentions of AirPower except in one place. Looking at the AirPods product page, Apple mentions the optional wireless charging case, noting that it is currently unavailable. The charging case is placed on what appears to be the AirPower mat, along with the iPhone X.

Previously, the iPhone X’s product page mentioned AirPower, noting that it would be available sometime in 2018. However, with the introduction of iPhone XS and iPhone XR, Apple has removed that reference since iPhone X is no longer being sold.

Now, add this quote from the wrap-up at the end of John Gruber’s Thoughts and Observations on Apple’s iPhone XS/XR and Series 4 Apple Watch Introductory Event, posted Saturday:

I wrote about AirPower’s absence earlier this week. What I’ve heard, third-hand but from multiple little birdies, is that AirPower really is well and truly fucked. Something about the multi-coil design getting too hot — way too hot. There are engineers who looked at AirPower’s design and said it could never work, thermally, and now those same engineers have that “told you so” smug look on their faces. Last year Apple was apparently swayed by arguments that they could figure out a way to make it not get hot. They were, clearly, wrong. I think they’ve either had to go completely back to the drawing board and start over with an entirely different design, or they’ve decided to give up and they just don’t want to say so.

I can only imagine this whole AirPower experience is a lesson learned for the powers-that-be at Apple. Engineering is a complex thing, and not every engineering problem can be solved, as least not in a timely fashion. Pre-announcing product requires a certain hubris and, ultimately, can lead down a rabbit hole of unmet expectations.

Lesson learned is, ultimately, a good thing.

Side note, John Gruber’s event writeup is chock-full of interesting nuggets and well worth your time. I especially like the section on capitalization, and the confusion of “XS/XR” vs “Xs/Xr”, not to mention those little squares. Great stuff.