Japanese blog Mac Otakara has confirmed an earlier report from The Apple Post which reported that Apple’s new AirPower charging mat will be launching sometime next month in both Apple and Best Buy stores. The AirPower Qi charging mat, announced by Apple last fall, will provide the ability to charge the new iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus models, alongside an Apple Watch and specially-encased AirPods. Neither report offers a specific launch date nor any information on pricing.
The Mac Otakara report also goes into a few details about how Apple Watch charging will be handled. Despite using induction magnetic charging, the Apple Watch does not charge from typical Qi charging accessories, suggesting that Apple is using some proprietary method, which Mac Otakara describes as “special radio waves” and that “it seems difficult to Qi wireless-charge with Apple Watch Series 3.” While the exact method being used by Apple is still unclear, at least one AirPower competitor, Plux, claims to also include this capability.