From AirPower to deserted tablets, Apple’s highway to success is plagued by failures
Apple has scrapped plans to enter the automotive trade with its mysterious autonomous electrical automobile, as a substitute shifting focus to the wildly standard world of generative AI. The challenge noticed the corporate hiring distinguished executives from locations like Tesla and Ford. Its finish has led to job losses for some workers, whereas others have modified divisions inside the corporate.
The so-called Challenge Titan had reportedly been within the works since 2014. It might have confirmed stiff competitors for Tesla and others, given Apple’s historical past of disrupting varied markets. The corporate did it with the iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch and, most not too long ago, with its AirPods (the jury remains to be out on Imaginative and prescient Professional).
However not each challenge has been a rousing success for the corporate. Previous to Challenge Titan, there have been a number of Apple efforts that did not see the sunshine of day. Listed here are a number of the extra notable examples of Apple initiatives that didn’t hit the market.
AirPower
Not each instance is from the distant previous. The wi-fi charging mat, which Apple first introduced in 2017, was anticipated to make use of the Qi normal to cost as much as three gadgets at a time. Nonetheless, the corporate canceled the challenge in 2019, citing failure to realize its “high standards.” Apple changed the AirPower with its folding journey charger MagSafe Duo in 2020. However in contrast to the AirPower mat, MagSafe Duo solely helps simultaneous charging of as much as two gadgets: the iPhone and the Apple Watch or iPod.
Tv
Apple’s tv (to not be confused with Apple TV) is one other instance of a long-rumored challenge that did not materialize. Analysts and buyers anticipated the arrival of a full-fledged ultra-high-definition TV set from the corporate again in 2011. Like Challenge Titan, Apple by no means publicly disclosed its existence earlier than it was reportedly scrapped years again.
Vademecum
Apple prototyped an early pill greater than a decade and a half previous to launching the primary iPad. In 1994, some early photos of the challenge surfaced on-line, suggesting it was exploring the addition of a stylus and built-in digital camera. Nonetheless, as former Apple government Dan Russell mentioned in a 2018 weblog submit, the corporate killed the challenge as there was “no market for a tablet computer” on the time.
MessageSlate
The Vademecum wasn’t Apple’s solely failed try to design a desk. At roughly the identical time, the corporate was additionally engaged on a Newton OS-based challenge known as MessageSlate (codenamed Senior). A trademark software for the gadget appeared in 1993. Nonetheless, Apple scrapped it and delivered MessagePad, a smaller model of the MessageSlate prototype, later within the yr.
W.A.L.T.
Effectively earlier than the iPhone, Apple examined a “telephone Mac” codenamed W.A.L.T. It appeared to have a touchscreen panel with stylus assist and included options akin to fax and caller ID. Some early items of W.A.L.T. even surfaced on eBay for public sale. Nonetheless, Apple by no means mentioned the gadget publicly.
PenLite
In 1992, Apple was creating one other pill. PenLite seemed to be based mostly on System 7.1 — the primary model of Apple’s Macintosh working system designed for PowerPC-based computer systems. Reviews recommended that it will have a stylus and a 25MHz Motorola processor. Not like the Vademecum, the PenLite was reportedly in improvement with no digital camera. Apple finally scrapped that challenge, too. Very like the later gadget, the corporate decided that the market merely wasn’t prepared.