Odd Apple-Designed Magnetic Wireless Charger Prototype Surfaces in Leaked Video

Amid rumors that Apple is continuing to work on some kind of wireless charging mat after the failure of the AirPower, 9to5Mac has shared a video said to depict an Apple "magnetic wireless charger prototype."

magneticwirelesscharger
The charger is a flat white disc with some kind of connector at the back, which appears to allow it to attach to another device. The circular shape resembles the Qi-based wireless charging coils built into iPhones, and the connector indicates that it could be a component of a larger accessory.


Rumors have suggested that the iPhone 12 models have a ring of magnets inside for attaching them to wireless charging accessories, but it's not known if the prototype is related. Component photos have previously depicted alleged ‌iPhone‌ 12 internals that feature the rumored magnet layout.

alleged iphone 12 chassis magnets
There is no word on what this charger is, how Apple will use it, or if it is somehow representative of a future wireless charging accessory that Apple will release.

There is a possibility that this is some kind of accessory that Apple will use as a display in its retail stores, as other curious mounts spotted in the past have turned out to be for retail use. It's also possible that this is some kind of demo unit designed for Apple's Made for ‌iPhone‌ partners to provide instructions on future wireless chargers.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
56 months ago
1. Put metal contacts on back of pop socket.
2. Film video calling it an Apple Prototype.
3. ?????????
4. Profit.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seatton Avatar
56 months ago
Finally, a better pic of an AirTag Pro Max
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lanegandy Avatar
56 months ago
Seems like it's going to be an "Apple Watch" charger but for your iPhone. Sounds cool because you'll be able to wirelessly charge while still holding and using your phone. This will probably allow them to remove the charging port completely in a year or two.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
btrach144 Avatar
56 months ago
Wireless charging is annoying. About one morning a month I wake up to an uncharged iPhone.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
56 months ago
Attaches to your chest to keep the shrapnel from entering your heart.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ayasinsk Avatar
56 months ago
When Apple did not include ac charging adapter with the watch I was certain they were going to announce air power as the “one more thing” at the end. Perhaps it’ll be announced in October but I doubt it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)