Apple has scrapped entering the vehicle industry with its mysterious self-driving electric car, instead focusing on the popular world of generative AI. In the project, the company hired prominent executives from places like Tesla and Ford. Its end has led to job losses for some employees, while others have changed divisions within the company.
The so-called Project Titan had reportedly been in the works since 2014. It could have proved tough competition for Tesla and others, given Apple's history of disrupting several markets. The company did it with the iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch and, more recently, with its Airpods (Vision Pro is still being deliberated).
But not all projects have been a great success for the company. Before Project Titan, there were several Apple efforts that failed to see the light of day. These are some of the most notable examples of Apple projects that didn't make it to market.
AirPower
Not all examples are from the distant past. The wireless charging pad, which Apple first announced in 2017, was expected to use the Qi standard to charge up to three devices at once. However, the company canceled the project in 2019, claiming it failed to meet its "high standards." Apple replaced the AirPower with its MagSafe Duo foldable travel charger in 2020. But unlike the AirPower mat, the MagSafe Duo only supports simultaneous charging of up to two devices: the iPhone and the Apple Watch or iPod.
TV
Apple Television (not to be confused with Apple TV) is another example of a long-rumored project that failed to materialize. Analysts y investors They anticipated the arrival of a full Ultra High Definition TV from the company in 2011. Like Project Titan, Apple never publicly revealed its existence before it was reportedly scrapped years ago.
Vademecum
Apple prototyped one of the first tablets more than a decade and a half before launching the first iPad. In 1994, some of the first images of the project appeared online, suggesting that adding a stylus and built-in camera was being explored. However, as former Apple executive Dan Russell said said In a 2018 blog post, the company canceled the project because “there was no market for a tablet” at the time.
MessageSlate
Vademecum was not Apple's only failed attempt at designing a tablet. Around the same time, the company was also working on a Newton OS-based project called MessageSlate (internal project name: Senior). A trademark application for the device appeared in 1993. However, Apple scrapped it and delivered the MessagePad, a smaller version of the MessageSlate prototype, later that year.
WALT
Long before the iPhone, Apple tried a “Mac phone” Codenamed WALT, it appeared to have a touchscreen panel with stylus support and included features such as fax and caller ID. Some early WALT units even appeared on eBay for auction. However, Apple never spoke publicly about the device.
PenLite
In 1992, Apple was developing another tablet. PenLite appeared to be based on System 7.1, the first version of Apple's Macintosh operating system designed for PowerPC-based computers. Reports suggested that it would have a stylus and a 25 MHz Motorola processor. Unlike the Vademecum, the PenLite was supposedly in development without a camera. Apple ultimately scrapped that project as well. As with the later device, the company determined that the market simply wasn't ready.
