Apple Testing AirPower Prototype, Uses A11 Chip To Address Overheat Issue

Twitter leaker Jon Prosser broke the news today that Apple engineers are testing a prototype AirPower wireless charging pad code-named C68....

Twitter leaker Jon Prosser broke the news today that Apple engineers are testing a prototype AirPower wireless charging pad code-named C68. Prosser says that Apple implemented the A11 chip to the new AirPower to address the overheating problem that had occurred before.

As employees are currently working from home, Apple is delivering the AirPower prototype to the engineers’homes. The new AirPower development is head by Apple’s Sharing and Proximity team, which is mainly responsible for software communication between devices.

Prosser explains that since Apple Watch uses a customized proprietary charging method, more current is needed while charging. On the previous AirPower prototype unit, if the Apple Watch was placed on the side of other devices and charged at the same time, the charging pad would overheat or com-bust.

However, by adding the A11 chip, the new AirPower can deliver energy to a specific coil region, and can dynamically wait for the temperature to drop before more energy is generated—to prevent it from overheating.

AirPower was unveiled in 2017, and 19 months later, Apple said the AirPower project had been terminated. As to whether AirPower could overcome myriad issues in the future, there is still much to learn. let alone the launch date.