Tesla has just launched a wireless charging base similar to AirPower, Apple’s aborted project. With this expensive accessory inspired by the CyberTruck, the firm of Elon Musk takes up a challenge deemed insurmountable by the iPhone manufacturer.
In 2017, Apple proudly announced the AirPower, a base capable of charging three devices simultaneously. After this fanfare launch, the company encountered a series of technical problems. Two years later, Apple realized the obvious: the project is technically not viable. AirPower has been cancelled.
An AirPower inspired by the CyberTruck
Three years after the official abandonment of Apple’s charging base, Tesla has just launched a similar product on its American store. Mirroring Apple’s stillborn mat, the automaker’s accessory is capable of recharging “a maximum of three devices simultaneously”. The base delivers a power of 15 W, which corresponds to the average of other accessories on the market.
On its website, Tesla claims that ” the angular design » of the accessory is directly inspired by its CyberTruck, its futuristic pick-up. The charging mat is ” consisting of aluminum housing, alcantara surface (Editor’s note: artificial leather) premium quality and a detachable magnetic stand that lets you lay the charger flat or tilt it ».
Unsurprisingly, Tesla markets the base at a high price. In fact, it is necessary shell out $300 to get hold of the tool. This is much higher than competing solutions. Reserved for the American market, the charger will be shipped from February 2023.
Read also: Elon Musk believes that Tesla could surpass Apple
After Xiaomi, Tesla announces a real AirPower
Note that Tesla is not the first brand to market a charging mat similar to the AirPower. In 2020, Samsung unveiled the Wireless Charger Trio, a much less ambitious 3-in-1 stand than Apple’s project. At the same time, many props manufacturers have offered their version of the base. This is the case of Belkin or Betafresh, a Hong Kong company. This launched an unconvincing carpet called AirUnleashed, which we tested.
All of these solutions differed from Apple’s original project. Indeed, the Cupertino giant aimed to design a mat capable of revolutionizing inductive charging. To start charging, all you had to do was place the iPhone, AirPods or Apple Watch anywhere on the mat. Apple planned to include many tangled coils to achieve this. The company planned to use about 20 coils. Unfortunately, this approach caused components to overheat.
On Samsung, Belkin or Betafresh mats, you have to carefully place the device where the charging coil is integrated. Too often, the machine is misaligned, which hinders the optimal operation of the load. This is where Tesla’s solution comes into its own. Using technology provided by the company FreePower, the mat charges devices ” placed anywhere on its surface without precise alignments »proudly explains the firm of Elon Musk.
De facto, Tesla’s mat should offer the same experience as that provided by Apple’s AirPower. For the record, Xiaomi achieved a similar feat in 2021. Last year, the Chinese brand presented the Mi Multi-Coal Charging Pad, a mat capable of operating wherever you place your device. The firm has slipped 19 copper coils within the accessory, while avoiding overheating.
For its part, Apple has turned to magnets. Unable to design the AirPower intended to revolutionize wireless charging, Apple indeed inaugurated MagSafe magnetic charging in 2020. This technology keeps the iPhone aligned with the charging stand using magnets. Hidden in the iPhone and in the charger, the magnets ensure that the coils are correctly aligned.
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