5 AirPower

Apple surprised the tech community with the unveiling of its new AirPower wireless charging mat. The Qi-powered mat allows users to simultaneously charge an iPhone, an Apple Watch and the aforementioned AirPods case. Apple is planning on releasing the mat sometime next year.

That one announcement confirmed that Apple has embraced the Qi standard, which is used in most smartphones with wireless charging. But it also suggests that Apple will delve into wireless charging technology for its other products. Cable-free charging for iPads and Macs are probably not on the docket for 2018, but they also might be on the horizon in later years.