AirPower may be dead (or just sleeping), but Apple may be working on another wireless charger. 9to5Mac has been working on a prototype of a wireless charger designed specifically for the upcoming iPhone 12 family of smartphones. We were sent a video claiming to show.

You might think this looks like many other wireless chargers on the market, and you would be right. However, this wireless charger has a trick up its sleeve that will make it a good companion for the upcoming iPhone 12.

Coupled with its disk-like shape, it is a perfect match for the iPhone 12, which is reportedly equipped with a circular magnetic coil for wireless charging. In other words, there is no need to go through the trouble of trying to correctly line up the iPhone with the wireless charger. Instead, the pack is likely to simply snap into the back of the device and begin charging.

It is not clear if this disk will fit into a larger charging mat, if the iPhone will snap onto it, or if it is a stand-alone module. Also, as 9to5Mac points out, the charger may be a development unit designed for third-party accessory makers to create their own charging devices. Either way, if it is legitimate, it is clearly some sort of prototype.

Apple's iPhones have had wireless charging since 2017, but the company has yet to make a first-party wireless charger. The best wireless chargers are manufactured by mophie, Logitech, Belkin, and others.

AirPower (a charging mat that can charge up to three devices wherever they are placed) was announced at the same time as the iPhone X, but was not heard from until Apple admitted last year that it would not happen. The company was typically vague about the reasons for this, but sources close to the company revealed that performance and thermal management issues were the cause of its downfall.

AirPower may be back in some form, and indeed one rumor suggested that it would be released with the iPhone 12 in a few weeks. Now that seems unlikely unless this prototype is actually part of some form of new-look matte, but we shall see. Watch this space as we expect to see the next line of iPhones launched next month.