Jobs’ Mob promised to charge iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods on a single compact mat with flexibility on where devices can be placed by 2018.

Apple hyped that the AirPower mat was different from standard single-device Qi charging mats in several ways and could charge a Watch, AirPods, and an iPhone at once.

The AirPower mat would also coordinate with its charging iOS devices to display charging percentages on the iPhone lock screen.

However last year it became clear that all was not well behind the reality distortion field. The product has been rumoured to have faced internal development challenges as late as this past summer, which prevented Apple from bringing the product to market as smoothly as it expected.

Apple SVP Phil Schiller told the iPhone X event in September 2017 that it should be in the shops in 2018 and cannot nail down availability for the companion AirPods wireless charging case.

To be fair, Apple has not admitted that it can’t get the gear to go and has given up. However, in a more or less Orwellian move, Apple has refused to acknowledge the product’s existence and has not responded to press requests for comment.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo seemed confident that the product could be released in the first quarter.