The announcement of the new iPhones in October was accompanied by another reveal. That was MagSafe, a magnetic system for connecting accessories to your new iPhone. Apple emphasized the ability to easily attach wireless chargers. In this article, we take a look at the capabilities and limitations of Apple’s latest discovery.
Take from the past
The announcement may have some followers of the Cupertino company scratching their heads. Did Apple not use the brand name MagSafe before? That’s right, because the first product with that name already appeared in 2006. In the very first MacBook Pro that appeared that year, the ‘MagSafe plug’ was introduced.
It was the standard charger for this laptop that could be clicked on by means of a magnetic system. According to Apple, wear on the connection had a much smaller impact. The magnet released when you gave it a tug, so your MacBook didn’t immediately fall off your desk when you tripped over the cable. MagSafe was used in all MacBooks until 2015, after which Apple switched to USB-C for charging its laptops.
MagSafe chargers for iPhones
Now MagSafe is back and in a brand new look. The concept has actually remained the same, but now it is the iPhones that can use it. This time, too, Apple emphasized charging. For example, a charger provided with the system can be found on the back of the iPhone 12-series be attached and thus charge the devices ‘wireless’ Although Apple has the patent for magnetically attaching in this way, the charging itself goes through the Qi standard.
That means that basically any device that supports this charging standard can be charged with a MagSafe charger. This also includes Apple’s own iPhone 8 (Plus), iPhone X series, iPhone 11 series and the most recent iteration of the iPhone SE. The AirPods storage case is also compatible with the new chargers.
However, Apple wouldn’t be Apple if it weren’t for exclusive benefits that only apply to proprietary devices. All MagSafe accessories that will be released contain an NFC chip that checks whether the connected device is an iPhone. In this way, Apple could limit the flow of power for other smartphones. The brand new iPhone 12 Mini also cannot handle the full capacity of the chargers. With compatible phones the throughput is 15 watts, with other models it will be a bit lower.
A MagSafe charger designed by the company itself was already announced at the iPhone event. We are also working on a model that can charge two devices at the same time. That seems to be a kind of spiritual successor to the canceled AirPower charging mat. However, third parties may also integrate MagSafe into their products. Apple will undoubtedly earn a nice pocket money from that. Among others, manufacturer Belkin has already announced chargers with MagSafe integration.
The canceled AirPower charging mat
Cases and other accessories
This time MagSafe is not limited to just chargers. Apple has big plans and wants to build a complete ecosystem. MagSafe is supposed to make the iPhone sort of modular. So you can expect products in the future that will expand the capabilities of your phone. So far it has been a bit limited to cases, of all shapes and sizes. A wide range of covers and card holders made of different materials have already been announced. The popular PopSockets from the company of the same name will be available in a magnetic version, especially for the new iPhones.
It also becomes a lot easier to attach iPhones to something. For example, we can expect a number of car holders to be able to call hands-free. Cars that support Apple CarPlay will undoubtedly include such holders in the future. Extensions such as selfie sticks and mobile controllers can also be attached more efficiently. There have also been concepts of covers with a built-in ‘smartwatch’ or extra battery capacity so that your iPhone will last a lot longer.
A number of the cases with MagSafe have an additional advantage. These cases have the option to forward power to the iPhone. That means you can click a MagSafe charger directly onto the case, so you don’t have to remove it when you want to charge. Normally, a case should be quite thin so as not to hinder wireless charging. So your phone remains protected, especially because magnets rubbing against each other can cause serious scratches if there is dirt on the surface.
Conclusion
With MagSafe, Apple has found a way to tap into a new market in its own way. Android phone manufacturers have been trying to differentiate themselves for years by releasing unique accessories for their products. It should provide a complete ecosystem of extensions for Apple. There are already rumors that next year iPads and Apple Watches will appear that can also handle MagSafe.
Products with MagSafe integration will be labeled ‘Made for iPhone’. This is also the case with accessories that work with a Lightning connection. For years it has been joked that Apple would release an iPhone without a charging port if they can get away with it. With the announcement of the MagSafe system, such a drastic step suddenly becomes a lot more realistic.
Apple has been criticized for using the Lightning port instead of the more universal USB-C. However, the royalties for Lightning accessories bring Apple so much that the company has never been in a hurry to change this connection on iPhones. Wireless charging is likely to completely replace the classic charging port in the short or long term. The first MagSafe products will hit the market on November 13.
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