Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories?
No, thank you Accept
X
Apple WWDC: What We ExpectBest Mattress DealsAssessing Viral Sleep HacksNetflix Password SharingMeal Subscription vs. TakeoutBest Solar CompaniesVerizon 5G Home InternetBest Credit Cards
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Apple's AirPower gets mention in iPhone XS, XS Max manuals, may not be dead yet

It's also reportedly referenced in iOS 12.1.

seankeane
seankeane
Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
Sean knows far too much about Marvel, DC and Star Wars, and poured this knowledge into recaps and explainers on CNET. He also worked on breaking news, with a passion for tech, video game and culture.
Expertise Culture, Video Games, Breaking News
See full bio
Sean Keane
2 min read
apple-airpower-carga-inalambrica

Is that you AirPower?

 Claudia Cruz/CNET
Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure
This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

Apple may have almost scrubbed AirPower from its website, but the iPhone XS and XS Max manuals suggest it's still alive.

The manuals for both new model iPhones make reference to the wireless charging pad as the main method of giving your phone juice, with the more traditional Lightning connector noted as an alternative option, according to 9to5Mac.

"Place iPhone with screen facing up on AirPower or a Qi-certified wireless charger. You can also use the Lightning connector to charge iPhone and connect accessories," the booklet read.

Twitter user Gavin Stephens tweeted a shot of the XS manual, while Scott Obara shared his photo of the XS Max guide. Obara's Twitter profile notes that he's in Australia, which was the first country to get hold of Apple's new products Friday morning.

Apple unveiled the iPhone XS, XS Max and yet-to-be-released XR last week. The phones largely stick to the template laid down last year with the iPhone X. They feature dual rear cameras, a front-facing camera with portrait mode, Apple's new A12 Bionic chip, faster Face ID unlocking and dual-SIM card support.

AirPower didn't get a mention at last week's iPhone event, and has been noticeable by its absence since Apple talked it up a year ago. It would be the company's first wireless charging accessory. Wireless charging has been around for years, but has yet to see much in the way of widespread adoption, in part because of the length of time required to get gadgets up to full power.

There's apparently mention of AirPower in iOS 12.1 as well, 9to5Mac notes, with an update to the component of iOS responsible for managing the charging interface that appears when using the pad

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

iPhone XS draws crowds to Apple stores, even after all these years

iphone-xs-on-sale-san-francisco-1178
iphone-xs-on-sale-san-francisco-1216
iphone-xs-on-sale-san-francisco-1235
+50 more
See all photos

AirPower was originally supposed to debut in 2018, as noted at Apple's September 2017 iPhone event. However, we haven't heard much since and it failed to appear at last Wednesday's product reveal.

Some reports hint that the company is struggling to make the mat work as intended, with one alleging the multicoil charging design causes the device to get too hot to function and another report saying the AirPower chip has trouble communicating with Apple products.

airpower
Watch this: AirPower: Apple's charge-everything tech

iPhone XS review: It's a slight notch above the X.

iPhone XS Max review: Big phone, big price.