Apple is known for its innovative products, but not all of its prototypes make it to the consumer market. Here are three Apple prototypes that never officially launched:
The first prototype is the Apple Magic Charger, a MagSafe charging stand that was never released or even publicly announced. Several units were obtained by different collectors, revealing a clean aluminum build and a flexible MagSafe puck. The prototype includes a braided USB-C cable, which users could pair with a separate charging brick. A hobbyist was able to reveal its official name by connecting it to a Mac. While this accessory doesn’t seem to be referenced by Apple anywhere publicly, the company did release a similar, multifunctional product called the MagSafe Duo.
The second prototype is the AirPower, a Qi wireless charging mat that was supposed to support iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods cases. So a user could theoretically place any or all of these products anywhere on AirPower’s surface to charge them. While promising in concept, Apple couldn’t meet its high standards when developing AirPower. Consequently, it apologized to the public in March 2019 and canceled the product. Despite the company not ever selling AirPower to consumers, certain enthusiasts have been able to get their hands on official AirPower prototypes, giving us a glimpse at the device’s internal build and how it was supposed to deliver on its promise.
The third prototype is the dual-port iPad 1st Gen. The two ports are identical, supporting compatible accessories that rely on the 30-pin connector. Notably, one port was placed at the bottom, while the other was positioned on the left landscape edge. At the time, Apple was seemingly considering the design to potentially support docks, keyboards, or other accessories while the tablet was placed in a landscape orientation. Interestingly, both ports could be used at the same time, allowing users to utilize two wired connections simultaneously. Fortunately, this horrendous design was never made official and didn’t ship to customers.
While unreleased prototypes can sometimes appeal to the masses, Apple doesn’t typically launch products if it doesn’t believe in their potential. As a result, it treads carefully by researching its devices and manufacturing them differently to see which way works best, if at all. Ultimately, every concept plays a role in the company’s development, even if its effects don’t immediately surface on the consumer side.
Source: XDA Developers
