New Apple device set to launch this year (and it's not what we were expecting)

In a rare moment of defeat for Apple, the company announced last year that AirPower, its now infamous wireless charging pad (below), was officially cancelled. Unable to make the 3-in1 charging system work, the company decided to kill the project. But if new leaks are to be believed, AirPower could be coming back from the dead – and unexpectedly soon.

According to a well-known Apple leaker, not one but two versions of AirPower are imminent. The good news is that AirPower could be arriving as soon as next month. The bad news is that it isn't exactly the version of AirPower we were expecting (and it may not even be worthy of our best wireless chargers list). 

According to Komiya on Twitter (below), a version of AirPower speculatively named AirPower Mini will launch this fall, with the real deal delayed until next year. What exactly AirPower Mini will entail remains to be seen, but if other leaks are anything to go by, instead of charging three devices at once, it could just be your standard, run-of-the-mill, single-device charger. But white!

Indeed, new concept art (below) shared by another Apple leaker, EverythingApplePro, reveals a small, circular design that certainly doesn't look capable of charging more than a single device. It seems creatives looking for a convenient all-in-one charging solution for their iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch will have to wait a little longer.

Still, we suppose a mini AirPower is better than no AirPower, especially if the full version is just around the corner too. As for when AirPower Mini might surface, rumours strongly suggest the delayed iPhone 12 will launch next month – so there might not be long to wait.

The revival of AirPower is a somewhat unexpected development, but hey – 2020 is nothing if not a year of somewhat unexpected developments. We'd almost believe you if you told us Apple was going to update the new iPad Pro just 6 months after its release (oh, wait). 

One thing's for sure, upcoming announcements and release schedules are anything but certain in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But if you want to get hold of one of the best camera phones right now, you don't have to cross your fingers – there are some incredible iPhone 11 deals available now . And don't forget to check bookmark our dedicated Apple Prime Day deals page for all the best savings on Apple products.

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