MagSafe has been a staple fibre of Apple product for years , first appear on MacBooks in the early 00s before migrating to iPhones back in 2020 . But what precisely is the technology , and is it deserving investing in ?
MagSafe is one of the most popular Apple features , bulge out up on a kitchen stove of products since its inception . The collar ? MagSafe for laptops and MagSafe for iPhone are two different products with wholly unlike designs . With that in mind , permit ’s take a closer look at MagSafe technology to sympathise what it does and why it ’s become so trite .
Keep scrolling to find oneself out everything you need to know about MagSafe , include what it is , how fast it is and which devices it ’s compatible with .
What is MagSafe?
Apple MagSafe first appeared on the MacBook Pro in 2006 as a attracter - based power courser . It provide a secure connection to the laptop computer ’s king port while still being easy to disconnect , preventing the equipment from getting damage if someone were to trip on the magnate top incidentally .
The company then phased out the technology , with the 2017 MacBook Air opting for standardUSB - Ccharging . This is because USB - C has more versatility , offer major power delivery as well as a display output signal and data transport . That state , MagSafe made its inevitable issue on theMacBook Pro 2021andMacBook Air 2022 .
TheiPhone 12series was the first iPhone to support the engineering science , though it add up in a slightly dissimilar cast . The attraction were stuck onto the rear of the phone , give up it to snatch up onto Apple ’s wireless charge hockey puck instead of take a magnetic cable . It has been a raw material of practically every iPhone since .
Looking at the charger itself , it front like to theApple Watch Series 10charger , only a little larger . It is round , clean and has a silver medal ring and back , being small enough to splay into a purse . It sits flush with the table , reach it simple-minded to tie to your iPhone , and while it will disconnect if you start madly moving your phone around , the connection is reliably stalwart .
Since the iPhone now has a attractive feature scheme engraft into it , it can be used with other accessory such as camera tripod , car docks and wallets , making it more than just a charge feature .
What’s the difference between MagSafe and Qi2?
If you have been keeping up with all the previous radio charging received news , you may have come across another wireless charge solution : Qi2 . While Apple has had a direct hand in form the up-to-the-minute Qi2 wireless standard , it does dissent from MagSafe in one central field .
Both MagSafe and Qi2 use magnets to furnish a secure , power - efficient way of life to attach the courser to the smartphone wirelessly and have a somewhat faster charging stop number when liken to the standard Qi solution .
One of the most significant conflict is that Qi2 will be able to charge non - Apple devices , namelyAndroid smartphones . The hiccup here is that no current Android equipment bid full Qi2 keep , with manufacturer or else opting to supply a range of magnetic cases to simulate the engineering .
How does MagSafe for iPhone work?
Apple leave a detailed outline of the element within its iPhone models that support MagSafe . There ’s a copper - black lead buckler , a magnet array , a polycarbonate housing , a charging coil , an e - shield and an NFC component too . In the centre of all that is an alignment attraction to ensure the charger sits in the optimal place for maximal charging efficiency .
How fast is MagSafe for iPhone?
When MagSafe initially launch , its maximum complaint speed was 15W. It ’s not on the nose the fast charging solution out there , but it was an improvement on the 7.5W Qi wireless charging that came before it .
During our testing , a altogether depleted iPhone 12 andiPhone 12 Protook an hour to charge up to 50 % using the MagSafe charging , while the same examination on a 7.5W Qi tablet from Mophie took well over an hour . So , while it ’s not the most advanced charging solution , it is definitely one of the fastest wireless solutions for iPhones .
That pronounce , Apple advance the MagSafe tech with the launch of the latest iPhone 16 grasp . While it still functions in the exact same way as it does with older iPhones , it can charge at an increased 25W when mate with a 30W charging brick .
You ’ll need a new MagSafe courser to achieve those speeds , but it does shorten the clock time it takes to charge an iPhone .
Does a MagSafe charger come with the iPhone?
While MagSafe is supported on most late mannikin of iPhone , the accessories are not include in the loge .
Users will require to purchase the MagSafe Charger , which costs an additional £ 39/$39 , while the MagSafe Duo charger is list for £ 129/$129 .
Which iPhones support MagSafe?
Check out all of the iPhones that fend for MagSafe technology name below :
Rather oddly , Apple ’s only recent smartphone release without MagSafe is theiPhone 16e . It still supports Qi - based radiocommunication charging , but it wo n’t work with magnetic supplement .
Do you need a MagSafe case?
A MagSafe case is not expect to level an iPhone via the MagSafe charger , but a MagSafe - compatible case will see to it a more secure magnetic connection . MagSafe - compatible silicone cases cost £ 49/$49 from the Apple store , while the leather MagSafe cases cost £ 59/$59 .
If Apple ’s options are a small too expensive for your tastes , there ’s also a healthy range of third - party lawsuit makers that include attractor within their suit to aid with MagSafe charge engineering .
Can you use MagSafe with any case?
regrettably , not every typesetter’s case supports MagSafe charge .
Some third - political party iPhone cases still allow the twist to be charged via MagSafe , though it seems this is primarily impacted by how slender your case is . If the iPhone lawsuit is particularly thick , has a kickstand in the rear , or if you have tie something to the back of your speech sound , it ’s improbable that MagSafe charging will solve .
If you want to use MagSafe charging , we commend keeping an eye out for MagSafe branding when buying a pillowcase for your machine . Otherwise , you could buy a case straight from the Apple store to see to it a racy and dependable connection .
Can you use MagSafe on older iPhone models?
We do not recommend using a MagSafe charger on any iPhone before the iPhone 12 , soiPhone 11owners are out of circumstances .
While the MagSafe battery charger will technically work with an iPhone 11 , many masses have reported very humble institutionalize velocity , name it a less worthwhile option.9to5Macclaims the iPhone 11 charging speeds were as slow as 0.96W when using a MagSafe charger , compared to the 15W speed with an iPhone 12 .
Does MagSafe work with Apple Watch and AirPods?
There are some caution if you ’re looking to rouse all of your Apple machine with MagSafe .
Since it use Qi tech at its core , you could chargeAirPods , AirPods Proand the latestAirPods Pro 2with MagSafe , though it does not declare oneself the same charismatic benefits . The charging speeding is about the same as you would get with a different wireless charger , and it is still tiresome than using a cable television service .
The Apple Watch series , including the latestApple Watch Series 10and Apple Watch Ultra 2 , employ a proprietary form of wireless charging and does not run with a MagSafe Charger . Apple would either need to interchange to Qi on the next Apple Watch or make the next MagSafe Charger also compatible with the charging method used by the Apple Watch .
A flimsy workaround seems to be the Duo Charger , an Apple accessary with a smear for your phone and a consecrated Apple Watch charger .
Does MagSafe work with Android devices?
The MagSafe battery charger can send any Android gimmick that support Qi . However , charge an Android equipment via MagSafe is a slower process , similar to using MagSafe on iPhones older than the iPhone 12 .
That said , with the Qi2 standard follow many of the same prop as Apple ’s MagSafe tech , Android manufacturers are lento come around to the theme of MagSafe compatibility . Most at this point are offer cases with magnets built in rather than add them to the chassis directly , but it ’s potential only a matter of time until we see that parachuting .
Is the MagSafe charger worth buying?
The construct of a MagSafe ecosystem is interesting , and it ’s a fast solution compare to standard Qi charging . Since it works via a magnet , you may still utilise your gimmick whilst it ’s charging , which can be an issue with wireless charging in general .
However , the cable length for MagSafe courser maxes out at 1 m , although the fact that the connector attache in the midriff of the speech sound can make it feel short than the stock USB to Lightning Cable . Plus , if you are an Apple Watch possessor , you will need to ensure that you have a consecrate charger for that twist , too .
But as a £ 39 MBD - on , the MagSafe charger is a neat solution that works well in most environments and might one day be the only method available to charge up your twist .
Does MagSafe work with MacBooks?
Both theMacBook Pro 2021and later and MacBook Air 2022 and by and by sport MagSafe commit , although it differs from the technology found on the iPhone . For the MacBook , MagSafe is really work up into the institutionalize cable to assure a magnetic connexion , in the same mineral vein as the older MacBook model .
We ’re big lover of its inclusion with Apple ’s laptop computer – not only does it offer a safety feature of speech ( since if you touch off over the cable television service , it just detaches rather than remaining taut ) , but it also burden fairly fast . In our experience , we went from zero to 50 % kick in around 35 minutes , which is in line with Apple ’s claim .
