Apple abandons its car: Here are other projects the company has killed

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Apple has scrapped plans to enter the automotive industry with its mysterious autonomous electric car, as an alternative shifting focus to the wildly popular world of generative AI. The mission noticed the corporate hiring distinguished executives from locations like Tesla and Ford. Its finish has led to job losses for some staff, whereas others have modified divisions inside the corporate.

The so-called Challenge Titan had reportedly been in 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 lately, with its AirPods (the jury remains to be out on Vision Pro).

However not each mission 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

Picture Credit: Apple

Not each instance is from the distant previous. The wi-fi charging mat, which Apple first announced in 2017, was anticipated to make use of the Qi normal to cost as much as three gadgets at a time. Nevertheless, the corporate canceled the project in 2019, citing failure to attain its “excessive requirements.” 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 mission that did not materialize. Analysts and investors 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 photographs of the mission surfaced on-line, suggesting it was exploring the addition of a stylus and built-in digicam. Nevertheless, as former Apple govt Dan Russell discussed in a 2018 weblog put up, the corporate killed the mission as there was “no marketplace for a pill laptop” 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 mission known as MessageSlate (codenamed Senior). A trademark software for the machine appeared in 1993. Nevertheless, Apple scrapped it and delivered MessagePad, a smaller model of the MessageSlate prototype, later within the 12 months.

W.A.L.T.

Properly earlier than the iPhone, Apple tested a “telephone Mac” codenamed W.A.L.T. It appeared to have a touchscreen panel with stylus help and included options equivalent to fax and caller ID. Some early items of W.A.L.T. even surfaced on eBay for public sale. Nevertheless, Apple by no means mentioned the machine publicly.

PenLite

In 1992, Apple was creating one other tablet. PenLite gave the impression to be primarily based on System 7.1 — the primary model of Apple’s Macintosh working system designed for PowerPC-based computer systems. Stories recommended that it could have a stylus and a 25MHz Motorola processor. Not like the Vademecum, the PenLite was reportedly in improvement with no digicam. Apple finally scrapped that mission, too. Very like the later machine, the corporate decided that the market merely wasn’t prepared.