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MagSafe is a snap charger and it’s great. But it’s proprietary too, and only for iPhone 12 for now.
Patrick Holland / CNET
the iPhone 12 has a new magnetic charger system called MagSafe. It’s a household name because MagSafe used to be in all MacBooks, Once upon a time. It attached automatically and came off easily so tripping over a cable wouldn’t knock your laptop off the table … and overall it was appreciated.
I didn’t love the idea of MagSafe when Apple first announced it for the iPhone 12, because all i wanted was usb-c. I wanted an ordinary charger. Instead, Apple doubled down on its proprietary charging options. It seemed interesting but unnecessary.
I still want USB-C. But I was wrong about MagSafe.
Strong magnets and works with compatible cases.
Scott Stein / CNET
New, but familiar
I have to try a iPhone 12 Pro and the MagSafe charger for the last day or so, and it’s already beaten me. The charger cost $ 39 extra, and it doesn’t come with a charging adapter, so you need one of those too (any USB-C will work, but here are some good charger adapter suggestions). But it feels a lot like a giant Apple watch charger for iPhone. And that should have been my first indication that I would appreciate the idea.
The Apple Watch also has a proprietary snap-in magnetic charger and works in a similar way. It turns on easily, the watch rings a bit and I see the charging status. The same goes for the iPhone. Makes charging iPhone a no-brainer, as long as you have the charging cable nearby. It seems like it drifts to the rooms I’m not in, and other rooms don’t have the charger because, well, those other rooms have Lightning, USB-C, or Qi chargers.
You have to remember to carry that MagSafe charging cable, and in that sense, it’s like all the specialized portable tech chargers I’ve seen in the last decade. Small, large, pointed. They work fine for the wearable you have, but don’t lose them.
Apple Watch and MagSafe: no, this does not work.
Scott Stein / CNET
How many variants of MagSafe will there be and will ever transfer data?
My first thought is that Apple needs to install MagSafe on all of its devices. But then I wondered, how will that happen? Will that big disc magazine fit future iPads or MacBooks? Will there be areas covered with magnets, ready for MagSafe? Or will adapters of different sizes emerge, made for particular devices? Much like the Apple Watch, compared to the iPhone 12?
I also wonder if MagSafe could be combined with some kind of data, to allow accessories or also act as a base. Suddenly I feel like I’m in Moto Mod Territory. Apple expanding its connected smart accessories seems like a long-overdue and somewhat overdue idea. Smart Connector Keyboards They have been around for years, but not much longer.
The long-term questions about MagSafe are many, but right now I like it a lot more than I thought. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want USB-C just yet. I still hope Apple doesn’t skip USB-C on the next iPhone. I’d rather MagSafe be a doorway to an additional accessory landscape, and I hope Apple stays away from replacing that remaining port on the iPhone.
See this:
Our in-depth review of the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro
13:48
