Apple has finally revealed its long-rumoured MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone – and it looks like the finest use of the tech yet. Here’s everything we know about it so far.
Apple’s resurrected the MagSafe branding once associated with its MacBook line alongside the launch of the iPhone 12 series, however the tech has been used sparingly since.
Now Apple has launched a wireless battery pack, similar to the Anker 5K, which will use the magnetic charging tech to juice up your phone.
Design and Compatibility
The MagSafe Battery Pack is a simple looking rectangle that’ll snap onto the back of the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Mini. It won’t work properly with older iPhones.
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it comes in a single white colour which might get dirty fairly easily, especially if it’s anything like Apple’s silicone cases. It would be nice to get a few other colours to match the available options of the iPhone 12.
Specs
The MagSafe Battery Pack will charge your phone at 5w. Other MagSafe products can charge at 15w, however this has been lowered here to avoid any concerns over heat.
When you have the battery on the back of an iPhone 12 model and plugged in with a 27w or faster plug then it can charge that iPhone at 15w. This makes it a good little portable wireless charging solution.
You’ll also be able to charge the battery pack when it is attached to a plugged-in iPhone via reverse wireless charging. According to Apple, your phone will charge to 80% before the MagSafe Battery Pack begins to charge.
Apple has been coy about just how much extra juice you’ll be able to get from this 1460mAh battery.
That’s far from enough to provide a full charge for any current iPhone 12 model, so it’s more likely this will be handy for additional top-ups when you’re running low.
To check the charge levels of the case you can use the handy battery widget already available in iOS.
Price and Release Date
The MagSafe Battery Pack looks to be available from July 22, at least in the UK, and it’ll retail for £99/$99. It can be ordered now from Apple’s online store.
Trusted Take
Ever since Apple introduced MagSafe this has been the add-on I have wanted most. A magnetic charger that sits on the back and lets me charge the phone even a little bit when it’s in my pocket. While this probably won’t appeal much to Pro Max owners as that phone already has good battery life, it could be very useful for those who own an iPhone 12 Mini. £99 feels steep, but an accessory like this from Apple was never going to be cheap, was it?
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
