At long last, Apple's AirPower could finally hit the shelves soon.
The Cupertino brand unveiled the wireless charging mat back in 2017 along with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, and it was scheduled to become available sometime in 2018. However, come 2019, it's still nowhere in sight.
No Official AirPower Release Date Yet
While it's not an official announcement or anything like it, this new rumor is arguably the best one to go by at the moment.
Hong Kong-based website ChargerLAB tweeted that production of the AirPower charging pads has already begun. It claims that a "credible source" in the supply line has said that the Chinese manufacturer Luxshare Precision — which also makes Apple's AirPods and Lightning to USB-C cables, ChargerLAB says — has started producing the device in question.
Breaking: AirPower is finally coming. We just learned from credible source in supply chain that the manufacture Luxshare Precision has already started producing Apple AirPower wireless charging pad. Luxshare Precision is also the maker of Apple AirPods and USB-C cables. pic.twitter.com/UqgWIAh3sx — ChargerLAB (@chargerlab) January 12, 2019
The tweet includes a screenshot of a conversation from the source in WeChat, a Chinese messaging app. MacRumors translated the messages and said that they're more or less in line with what ChargerLAB is saying. They also say that Apple will launch AirPower soon. Luxshare Precision is part of the Wireless Power Consortium, the entity in support of the Qi standard.
AirPower Suppliers
According to reports, Luxshare Precision would be AirPower's primary supplier, while another report said that Pegatron would also be a supplier. In the same vein, ChargerLAB also tweeted that Pegatron is scheduled to start production of the device on Jan. 21.
Apple AirPower: Another source claims Pegatron is set to start mass produce AirPower at Jan 21. Pegatron is also an Apple OEM in Asia. The company employee says AirPower has total three layers of coils in 8-7-7 configuration from bottom to top. pic.twitter.com/xsboO47PGR — ChargerLAB (@chargerlab) January 12, 2019
Needless to say, until Apple makes an official announcement, it's best to take this news with a grain of salt. If nothing else, though, all these talk about the AirPower that have been turning up could be a sign that the company is finally getting ready to launch the wireless charging pad.
