Apple’s new video about its contributions to environmental protection appears to show a previously unseen and unannounced accessory for the Apple Watch. In a portion of the video detailing chargers for Apple devices ranging from the iPhone to the new MacBook, Apple shows a stainless steel Apple Watch being dropped on a stationary charging dock. This charging dock is noticeably different than the charger that’s included with the Apple Watch, and could be an official Apple alternative to the third-party Apple Watch stands and docks that are about to hit stores…
Comparing the two images, you can see that the included Apple Watch charger is a small, comparatively thin puck that the user attaches magnetically to the device, versus the more stationary design of the accessory in the new Apple video. While the included charger has a silver metal exterior around the sides, the one from the video appears to be a white plastic material. Lastly, the puck in the video appears slightly larger and has what appear to be feet touching the flat surface underneath. It appears that the white frame is a plastic stationary dock that the included metal charger could be placed within, most likely weighted with a heavy material such as zinc to prevent slippage.
As Apple has not announced a stationary charger for the Apple Watch, other than the boxes included with the Apple Watch Edition, it is unclear if this is an actual accessory that Apple is planning to release. While one possibility is that Apple has let slip this product’s development early in this video, it is possible that the dock was specially designed for the video in order to more seamlessly show how Apple devices can be charged. Another possibility is that this is a special internal accessory like the metal chargers used in Apple Stores.
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Interesting! But, could the cable of the charger just be out of sight perhaps? Although, Wouldn’t mind a stationary charger! Looks cool!
i.e. running behind and backwards from our POV.
The cable would definitely be out of sight in the way you describe. But the base, which does not look like the thinner metal puck Apple is selling as the Watch charger, appears to be made from plastic and surrounding the metal for stationary use on a table. Like Apple’s numerous iPhone, iPad, and iPod docks of yesteryear.
As I said below, best case to defend this post, it was probably an early model, before product during testing and wasn’t based on the final design. This video was probably shot MONTHS ago and has gone through production, screenings, approval and so on for months.
“The return of the Puck!”
It just looks like the puck charger sitting on a table face up…
Is Mark really that F’ing stupid? I mean damn Mark, you’ve had some great posts here and divulged some great secrets, but this? Dude, it’s the standard charging magnet, the cord is simply running behind the watch, out of the camera’s point of view. That’s all.
Seriously, are you trolling us or is this legit?
Does the puck look like metal to you? Same thickness as the Apple charger? Or thicker, with rubber pads on the bottom, and made from plastic?
One, it’s called lighting, two, the thickness to which you are comparing it too, is not a photograph, but a marketing render, third where in the hell do you see rubber pads on the bottom? If you see them, please share the glasses through which you are looking through.
This is a case of looking for something that’s not really there.
Better yet, here is a screen shot, from the same YouTube Video, FROM YOUR WEBSITE : http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f313/mwewerka/proof_zpskzwpnju4.jpg
At the very most, I’d say that was a prototype or early model of the standard charger, used for filming prior to the production models. But I still think it’s nothing special, it’s just a regular old charger that will ship with every watch.
There is literally no reason to make that and the standard charger, they both have cords, they both have the same round circumference and they both can be fixed to a surface. There’s not point to speculate that this thing in the video is something unannounced.
Apple had two versions of the charger in testing, the metal one that shipped and a seemingly plastic-coated version that did not (yet, to consumers at least). All this vitriol is seriously misplaced.
So Jeremy, if you know that they had two chargers, one of which you described as identical to the one above, then it sounds like exactly my other option, it’s a prototype that never shipped and is NOT some mysterious charging station as this article would like us to believe. My comments of criticism are not misplaced, but are validated, that this site is making a story out of nothing to simply gather more clicks and to draw up unwarranted attention. That is just wrong.
It’s thicker and its not metal…
It definitely is some kind of a stand, not the standard charging thingie.
It’s so close to the charger that ships with the watch, it’s the same size, why would Apple make something so close in design?? It’s not larger like a full size hockey puck that the watch would sit on, it’s not different enough to be called stand. As I said a few times here, best case, it’s a early production model of the charger, prior to approval and manufacturer. But it’s NOT a new or different accessory.
I appreciate the compliment
Look at my link I included, above. You can clearly see the cord out the back. It’s just the same old charger with bright clear lighting. Nothing special. If anything is underneath, it’s something to fix it to the surface. That’s all.
BTW, I did mean what I said, you’re a great writer and I appreciate what you’ve done, but this is just reaching.
It’s not what Mike said but how he said it. He’s come across as being horrendously obnoxious and unnecessarily rude. Would he talk to you like that face to face?
Bravo for remaining professional.
Yes I would talk like that in person. Especially to someone who generally misleads their reading audience with obnoxious and click grabbing story. I have a right to be pissed off or as you call it, rude, because I use this site as a source of news, news that I used to consider legitimate. But after reading this post, I see that 9 to 5 Mac has become like many other small blogs who are posting stories for like… just like BGR. BGR’s reputation caught up with them and they are now a joke.
If you watch the video, you can clearly see the white cable in the background before the camera pans down to the view captured in this article.
It’s most likely specific to this video, as stated at the end of the read.
This is the equivalent to digging through s**t, hoping to find corn.
Thank you.
9to5 trying to create the new “is the dress white and gold or blue and black” around the charger I see.
If there’s a need that is satisfied by inquiring about every. little. detail., this article fulfils it.
Some people go in for this stuff, but for myself this line of inquiry doesn’t serve much purpose. Namely because if that charger were a consumer product it would by necessity of its design (large & flat) command more space than most would likely be prepared to dedicate to it.
It looks as though if they didn’t already have one laying around, it was cobbled together for the purpose of some cool click/editing effects for the ad. And if that’s the case, it does successfully fulfils that purpose: it’s a cool ad. And I think that’s all there is to it.
There will be a metal and plastic charger.
why? the plastic would be pointless unless it had a weight in it (like, metal?)
That is the regular charger not a dock.
The ones with the white plastic cover are used by Apple for their internal retail use. Retail also developed their own charging setups away from the actual one delivered with the product. When I ran into Apple guys from Cupertino who developed the watch they stated this to me
I’ve read that the Sport comes with a white plastic charger, whilst the more expensive Apple Watch and Watch Edition come with metal versions of the charger.
how about this… https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/251810552/apple-watch-charging-stand-oak-hand-made