Apple AirPods Wireless Charging Case Will Reportedly Work With Any Qi Chargers

Apple announced the AirPods wireless charging case in September 2017 alongside the AirPower wireless charger. However, neither have been released by Apple yet, but new information has surfaced about the wireless charging case for the AirPods.

The AirPods wireless charging case will apparently be able to wirelessly charge with any Qi-certified wireless chargers, according to the Chinese publication Chongdiantou. The site claims that the wireless charging case will support the Wireless Power Consortium’s universal Qi standard.

When Apple demoed the wireless charging case last year, the tech giant only showed that it will work with the AirPower wireless charger. The company didn’t mention that it will work with any other Qi wireless chargers. This led people to believe that the AiPods wireless charging case was going to use a modified version of the Qi standard like the Apple Watch.

For those unaware, the Apple Watch can only be charged using Apple’s official magnetic charging cable and dock, as pointed out by MacRumors. The Apple Watch can also be charged using select MFi-certified third-party docks with magnetic chargers.

Having the AirPods wireless charging case work with any Qi wireless chargers may surprise a lot of Apple fans. However, Apple’s move to use the universal standard still makes a lot of sense. AppleInsider pointed out that limiting the wireless charging capabilities of the device doesn’t make any sense since it’s already promoting third-party wireless chargers from the likes of Belkin and Mophie. Using the universal Qi standard will also help in further simplifying how wireless charging works across Apple’s devices.

Chongdiantou is the same Chinese publication that claimed earlier this week that Apple’s AirPower wireless charger will cost 1,000 Chinese yuan (possibly $149 in the U.S.) This is also the same site that leaked alleged images of Apple’s new 18W USB Type-C power adapter for the 2018 iPhone models. The site hasn’t established a solid track record yet, so it’s best to take this piece of news with a grain of salt.

As for price and release date, it’s currently being speculated that Apple might reveal those details during its 2018 iPhone event in September. It’s also possible that the AirPods wireless charging case might be released alongside the AirPower wireless charger, which is also rumored to be released sometime in September. Releasing the two accessories at the same time seems to make a lot of sense since the two will work perfectly together.