8 major projects have been canceled by Apple

1. AirPower

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AirPower is perhaps the biggest product Apple announced but never hit shelves. In September 2017, Apple initially stated its intention to launch a first-of-its-kind wireless charging pad that would allow users to charge their iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously, but the road to release was rocky.

Apple faced challenges in meeting its hardware standards, TechCrunch reported, and the company officially canceled the product in 2019 after multiple delays.

Even though AirPower isn't entering the market, you can still buy a three-in-one wireless charger for these devices on Amazon. And if you're interested in cable-free charging, you can consider some of the best MagSafe chargers for your iPhone.

2. PenLite

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The iPad product line is one of Apple's biggest success stories, but the company tested tablets long before launching this product. The PenLite was an early example of what was to come when Apple created a prototype for the product in 1992.

This tablet has a touchscreen that you can navigate with a pen, sharing some similarities with the iPad and Apple Pencil. Compared to early iPads, the PenLite has thick bezels around the screen. The screen size is 9 inches but it will be greyscale, unlike the iPad.

Apple canceled the PenLite in 1993, and later that year, they launched a touchscreen product through the Apple Newton project but failed miserably.

3. Bashful Tablet

Another early example of Apple's desire to create a premium tablet is Bashful, which the company began conceptualizing about a decade before the PenLite and subsequent Newton project. This 1983 concept was developed by Frog Design, but as reported by Engadget and other publications, the tablet design only appeared in 2010.

Wired has collected some images of what the tablet will look like. Compared to modern iPads, the Bashful tablet looks more like a computer and is also much thicker. Bashful takes its name from the character Snow White, and Apple used the Snow White design on computers released from 1984 to 1990.

Although this tablet never appeared, it helps us understand how Apple developed the iPad concept over time.

4. Apple Interactive Television Box

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One could argue that Apple's TV projects are not as famous as the MacBook, iPad, iPhone or Apple Watch. But the company has been in this space for a while, and the Apple Interactive Television Box (AITB) is an example of that.

Apple started testing AITB in the 1990s and tested it in both European and US markets. The company also worked with Belgian media company Proximus (then called Belgacom), along with Verizon (then called Bell Atlantic) and other global media companies, to conceptualize and create the device. this box.

If it is released, users will be able to access many TV shows after connecting the box to the TV. The project was rolled out to selected households in the US and Europe in 1994 and 1995.

Although Apple hasn't fully released AITB, the project has paved the way for the Apple TV streaming device. If you're confused by these product names, you should learn the difference between Apple TV, Apple TV+, and the Apple TV app.

5. Magic Charger

While AirPower is one of the clearest examples of Apple experimenting with wireless charging before bringing MagSafe to the iPhone, it's not the only one. In November 2022, several users posted on X (formerly Twitter) a photo of what looked like an unreleased charger for Apple devices.

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As The Verge mentioned, it seems this charger can only power iPhones. That's no match for some of the excellent 3-in-1 charging docks available for Apple devices, so it's no surprise that it didn't make it into mass production.

6. Jonathan Computer

Apple has revolutionized the computing landscape; one reason this is possible is because the company has tested many prototypes over the years. Jonathan Computer is one of them and Stories of Apple has detailed it.

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The idea behind the Jonathan computer is that you can continuously upgrade your computer's operating system in many ways. The calculator itself is a thing of beauty, but it is uncertain whether the proposed functions will work in a practical sense.

Apple decided not to continue the project for many reasons, of which profit is an important factor. However, the company has already incorporated some of the designs into future projects so it's not a total waste of time.

7. Copland

Copland is perhaps Apple's most famous unreleased software project. The company began researching the idea after experiencing scaling problems with Mac OS at the time.

Gershwin would have eventually replaced Copland if all had gone according to plan. Copland is also said to be the gateway to unique new features like multitasking.

Besides scaling up, Apple also had difficulty competing with Microsoft's Windows at the time. According to a report by Cult of Mac, many people feel that the gap between Windows 95 and Mac OS System 7 is no longer as large as previous software versions.

Despite more than a year of significant testing, Copland never officially made it to market, as Apple abandoned it along with the Gershwin project in 1996. Instead, the company released Mac OS 8 in 1997 and moved to a more scalable solution with Mac OS X in 2001.

8. Apple Paladin

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Apple experimented extensively with all-in-one devices before introducing the first iMac in 1998. The Apple Paladin was one of them, and the prototype was primarily aimed at businesses rather than consumers.

Paladin is a device that combines a computer, fax machine and telephone. If it is released, staff will be able to organize everything from one place - it will be especially useful for receptionists.

However, Paladin was never officially on the market. Maybe combining 3 systems into one will be a big challenge for Apple.

All of these projects highlight the importance of the "failure is the mother of success" philosophy, and they also demonstrate Apple's desire to innovate. Many abandoned ideas and products, such as Apple's tablet computer, paved the way for future releases. So even if they never appeared on the market, they are still an important part of the company's history.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 15 March 2024