Apple AirPower: iPhone wireless charger may finally be on its way

Release date for charging mat remains unknown

The Apple AirPower, a wireless charging system for iPhones, was unveiled during a media event in California on September 12, 2017 (AFP/Getty Images)

Apple’s long-awaited wireless charging system for iPhones will soon enter mass production, according to reports.

The AirPower charging mat, which also works for the Apple Watch and AirPod headphones, was first unveiled in 2017 but has been beset by delays.

News the tech giant has finally overcome these issues comes from Hong Kong website ChargerLAB, which cited a source in the supply chain.

“AirPower is finally coming,” the site tweeted. “We just learned from credible source in supply chain that the manufacture Luxshare Precision has already started producing Apple AirPower wireless charging pad.”

The firm added: “Luxshare Precision is also the maker of Apple AirPods and USB-C cables.”

The wireless charging mat was widely anticipated to be rolled out at Apple’s iPhone launch last September but the event passed without a single mention of the oval-shaped device.

Apple has instead had to rely on third-party companies like Belkin to make charging stations for the iPhone X, iPhone Xs and other products with wireless charging capabilities.

The big selling point for Apple’s AirPower mat is its ability to charge up to three different products at the same time.

An AirPower wireless charger is displayed along with other products during an Apple launch event in Cupertino, California (Reuters)

It is the difficulty of engineering a mat capable of charging multiple devices at once that has led to delays in the production, according to some industry insiders.

Notorious Apple leaker Sonny Dickson previously said the issues with the charging mat included overheating and interference.

There is still no word on when the release date or price for the AirPower charging mat will be, though unofficial Apple news site MacRumors said it expected it to be early in the first quarter of 2019.