Apple preps new 17-watt adapter to power new mystery product

“Apple has been developing an entirely new 17-watt power supply intended to power a new product that will require slightly more juice than the current iPad but significantly less than the company’s MacBook Air lineup,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.

“People familiar with the matter say Apple just recently began the process of procuring low-cost components for the new 17-watt adapter,” Hughes reports. “And while the exact nature of its parent product remains somewhat of an unknown, at least one person familiar with adapter’s design believes existing evidence points to be a portable product which could launch within the next 12 months.”

Hughes reports, “It’s also said that the new 17-watt adapter is not intended as an upgrade to an existing Apple product line, such as the anticipated fifth-generation iPad. That device is instead expected to ship with the same 12-watt adapter… Exactly what the new 17-watt adapter could be used for remains unknown.”

Much more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]

37 Comments

    1. The new and improved iDon’t Know will come with the new thunderbolt and lighting connectors and light up the dark at the same time.

      I would tell you more but it also comes with the new iCan’t Say which has not been released yet.

      Just saying.. 🙂

    1. That’s as good a guess as any. The author makes the assumption the new power adaptor is for a new product. However there is no evidence given of that at all.

      Also 17w is an odd number. Maybe this is just an accessory charger that has both a 12w and 5w port for those of us who have both an iPad and iPhone. Personally I’d be quite happy with one when traveling.

      1. 17 watt is common, for example in Philips LED lighting. And there already exist 17 watt car chargers for iDevices, like EC TECH, which can simultaneously power your iPad and iPhone on the go.

        A new design 17 watt wall charger could replace the current 12 watt wall chargers, adding versatility and reducing home cabling. Apple well knows its customers tend to own multiple iDevices—this could be a nod to them. As a bonus, it’s a way to get David Pogue to shut up.

    2. Or for the multiple game controller devices needed after Apple opens up the AppleTV to 3rd party programers that will finally be able to supply all those new AppleTV game apps next week.

      Think bigger. Think Different!

        1. A “big boy” Iphone would logically need a charger slightly larger than the 5w iPhone charger, not slightly larger than the 12w iPad charger

          Unless of course, this mythical big boy iPhone also sports a built in toaster 😉

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