AirPower

AirPower was a wireless charging mat developed by Apple Inc. It was designed to charge up to three devices, such as an iPhone and AirPods, and an Apple Watch simultaneously. It was announced on September 12, 2017 and was originally planned to be released in early 2018. After being delayed, Apple senior VP Dan Riccio stated on March 29, 2019 that the AirPower had been cancelled.

History
AirPower was announced at a media event held in September 2017 at Apple's Steve Jobs Theater, in conjunction with the announcement of the iPhone 8, iPhone X, and Wireless Charging Case for AirPods. Following the event, prototype models were available to attendees for hands-on testing.

Retraction
Immediately after another media event held the following September, Apple removed almost all mentions of AirPower from its website. There were reportedly several development issues that led to this decision, with heat management, inter-device communication and speed, and mechanical and interference issues. Reportedly, the main engineering issue came from including coils for two charging standards, as the Apple Watch uses a proprietary non-Qi standard, leading to the generation of excess heat and electromagnetic interference.

Replacement
In early 2020, rumors started circulating about Apple planning to release an "AirPower 2" alongside the 2nd-generation iPhone SE. However, such speculation was unfounded as Apple instead introduced MagSafe Chargers for the iPhone 12 later that year.

Articles

 * Unfinished AirPower unit shown off in new video by Wesley Hilliard at AppleInsider (2021-08-05)
 * Quelques images d’un prototype d’AirPower (French) at Le Journal du Lapin (2021-01-09)