AT&T’s Power Drum Could Challenge Apple’s AirPower Charging Mat

The previous year ended with Apple missing its 2018 release window for its AirPower charging mat. However, disappointed Apple fans could see an alternative device rise from AT&T this year.

Recent filings revealed that AT&T is preparing a portable battery pack, called “Power Drum,” that’s designed to wirelessly charge an iPhone and an Apple Watch simultaneously. Such ability is also present on the AirPower. The only difference is Apple’s charging mat also accommodates the AirPods.

Based on the FCC and Qi Wireless Power Consortium filings that Zatz Not Funny first spotted, AT&T aims to offer a compact device with reliable charging capabilities with the Power Drum. The battery pack is said to output 5 Watts for the Apple Watch and 10 Watts for “select wireless charging devices.”

A sample packaging was supplied in the filings, and from the looks of things, the Power Drum has a decent 3,000mAh capacity. The packaging also revealed that the unit can be recharged via microUSB whenever it’s running low on juice.

Another striking discovery from the leaked packaging is the lack of support for the Apple Watch Series 4. All previous iterations of the watchOS smartwatch are supported, and the 2-in-1 portable charger even has a built-in magnetic charging module that accommodates all older models. It also has Nightstand Mode that enables an Apple Watch to be used in Alarm Mode while it is being recharged.

Despite the absence of Series 4 from the packaging, AppleInsider believes that the latest model could be compatible with the Power Drum as well. The packaging in the filings isn’t the final one after all, so changes could be underway. Even the $99.99 price on the filings is still subject to change.

It is important to note that AT&T has yet to officially announce the Power Drum even though the filings have already surfaced online. Nevertheless, the leaked documents could be a sign that the product will be launching soon.

For Apple fans, the Power Drum could be a sufficient multi-device charging system even though it does not support the AirPods unlike the AirPower. Speaking of the AirPower, Apple is seemingly struggling to release the charging mat it teased back in 2017.

During the iPhone X’s launch event, Apple showcased the AirPower charging mat to its fans and promised its release to happen in 2018. It’s already 2019, but there’s still no sign of the AirPower shipping soon. The Cupertino giant is also keeping mum on pricing and it hasn’t spoken a thing about the AirPower’s status during its big events last year, as pointed out by 9to5Mac.