MagSafe (wireless charger)

For the Mac power connector, see MagSafe.

MagSafe
The MagSafe Charger for iPhone
Type Smartphone wireless power transfer connector
Production history
Designer Apple Inc.
Manufacturer Apple Inc.
Produced October 2020 (4 years ago) (October 2020)
Hot pluggable Yes
External Yes

MagSafe is a proprietary, magnetically attached wireless power transfer and accessory-attachment standard developed by Apple Inc. for its iPhone and AirPods product lines. It was announced on October 13, 2020, in conjunction with the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro series. The first version provides up to 15 W of power and is compatible with the open Qi standard for up to 7.5 W of power. The second version, announced in 2024 in conjunction with the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, provides up to 25 W of power and is compatible with the Qi2 standard for up to 15 W of power. The connector also enables connecting non-charger accessories such as card holders and cases with communication through an integrated NFC loop. The charger uses a circle of rare-earth magnets.[1]

Apple released two chargers using the MagSafe standard in 2020: the MagSafe Charger, which is a single charging pad for iPhone, and the MagSafe Duo Charger, which is a charging mat with both MagSafe and an Apple Watch charger.[2] Apple has also licensed the MagSafe standard to third parties to develop chargers and cases. In 2021, Apple released the MagSafe Battery Pack and added MagSafe charging to AirPods and AirPods Pro.

History

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The MagSafe name was first used by Apple for the conductive power connectors of its MacBook lineup, beginning with the 2006 MacBook Pro. It began to be phased out upon the release of the Touch Bar MacBook Pro in 2016, which used USB Power Delivery and the USB-C connector for charging.[3] MagSafe was discontinued across MacBooks in 2019 but reintroduced with 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in October 2021.[4]

In 2017, Apple announced AirPower, a wireless charging mat capable of charging an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch (which uses a proprietary wireless charging system) simultaneously and the devices could be placed anywhere on the mat. However, it was canceled in early 2019 due to overheating issues due to the many overlapping coils.

Apple announced MagSafe along with the iPhone 12 series on October 13, 2020, during the “Hi, Speed” Apple Special Event as a universal ecosystem of wireless charging and accessories. Apple's chargers based on MagSafe are their first to use the Qi standard, following the development of AirPower.[5] The MagSafe receptacle on iPhones, internally called MagSafe Attach,[6] uses magnets to align automatically and attach to a Qi charger, ensuring reliable charging.[7][8]

On October 18, 2021, Apple released the 3rd generation AirPods and an updated SKU of AirPods Pro with a bundled MagSafe charging case.[9]

In 2023, the Wireless Power Consortium announced the Qi2 standard that is based on MagSafe.[10]

On September 9, 2024, Apple announced a 25 W MagSafe charger available in 1 m and 2 m length and that is Qi2 certified[11]

Chargers and accessories

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MagSafe Charger

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The MagSafe Charger is a single charging pad that contains recyclable rare-earth magnets surrounding a Qi wireless charging coil attached to a 1m USB-C cable. The first version of the MagSafe Charger released in 2020 delivers up to 15 W of power on the iPhone 12/12 Pro and newer, with the exception of the iPhone 12 Mini and 13 Mini, which support 12 W.[12] The Wall Street Journal found MagSafe charged at half the speed of a 20W wired charger.[13] MagSafe can also charge other Qi-certified devices, including older iPhone models and AirPods, though testing by MacRumors found that MagSafe charged iPhones older than the 12 series at around half the speed of third party 7.5 W Qi chargers.[14] Devices without MagSafe need to be manually aligned as they do not have the built-in array of magnets that interlock with MagSafe.[15][16] Apple recommends a 20 W power adapter.[17] Users have reported MagSafe Chargers leaving circular imprints on leather cases.[18]

On September 9, 2024, Apple discontinued the original MagSafe Charger and replaced it with a second generation model that provides up to 25 W of power with the iPhone 16/16 Pro and is compatible with the Qi2 standard for up to 15 W of power. Apple recommends a 30 W power adapter.[19]

MagSafe Duo Charger

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The MagSafe Duo Charger is a foldable charging mat with a MagSafe charger on one side and an Apple Watch charger on the other. The Apple Watch charger disc can laid flat for face-up charging or can be vertical for nightstand use. The MagSafe Duo charger can be folded when not in use.[20][21] The charger came with a Lightning–to–USB-C cable, and Apple recommends their newer 30 W USB-C power adapter (released in 2018), and notes their older 29 W adapter is incompatible and can only charge one device at a time.[22]

Durability testing performed by Apple Insider found that the hinge could fail with frequent folding, noting it "started to break down at 180 folds and ultimately failed at 212."[23] The larger camera array on the iPhone 13 Pro elevates the top end from the charger with a case, though charging is unaffected.[24] The MagSafe Duo does not support fast charging on Apple Watches released since 2021 (Series 7 and later, Ultra).[25] The MagSafe Duo was discontinued in September 2023.[26]

MagSafe Battery Pack

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In July 2021, Apple released the MagSafe Battery Pack. It contains a 11.13Wh, 1,460mAh battery that on its own can charge an iPhone at up to 7.5 W.[27] While the pack is being charged via Lightning it can charge an iPhone at up to 15 W. The pack itself can be charged either directly through its Lightning port or wirelessly from an iPhone that is being charged via Lightning.[28][29][30] The MagSafe Battery Pack was discontinued in September 2023 after the iPhone 15 series was released, which charges via USB-C rather than Lightning.[26]

Cases, wallets and sleeves

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Apple released a line of MagSafe cases and other accessories, such as leather sleeves and wallets that can attach magnetically to iPhones and cases with MagSafe. Apple states MagSafe charging works through their cases. Apple states that their leather wallets are shielded to protect credit cards from the rare-earth magnets used in these accessories, although warns that credit cards should not be placed between an iPhone and a MagSafe charger.[31] In 2021, Apple released an updated MagSafe wallet with an NFC chip that supports Find My location tracking when the wallet is disconnected from an iPhone, but is not supported by Apple's clear cases for iPhone 12 models.[32] In 2023, Apple replaced the leather MagSafe wallet with a FineWoven version.[33][34]

Third party chargers and accessories

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Apple refers to officially licensed third party MagSafe products as "Made for MagSafe". Apple worked with Belkin to design chargers using MagSafe, including a 2-in-1 charger, 3-in-1 charger and a car mount.[35][36] At launch, Belkin was the only accessory maker Apple had licensed the MagSafe charging standard to; while other third-party accessory makers advertise magnetic charging products as "MagSafe compatible," they use older Qi standards that deliver a maximum charging speed of 7.5 W, compared to MagSafe's 15 W, and lack integrated NFC.[37][38] In 2022, accessory maker Mophie worked with Apple to release a 3-in-1 Made for MagSafe travel charger; Nomad also released a charging base.[39][40] OtterBox manufactures officially licensed cases and a 2-in-1 charger.[41][42]

Devices supporting MagSafe

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The following devices support MagSafe:

  • iPhones released in October 2020 and later (iPhone 12/12 Pro and newer) except the iPhone SE (3rd generation)
    • The iPhone 16/16 Pro support 25 W charging with the second generation MagSafe Charger. The iPhone 12/12 Pro and newer (except the 3rd generation iPhone SE) support Qi2 with iOS 17.4.[43]
  • MagSafe Charging Case for AirPods (3rd generation)
    • The wireless charging case for AirPods (4th generation) does not have magnets to mount on MagSafe chargers due to its smaller size.
  • MagSafe Charging Case for AirPods Pro (first–generation SKUs after October 2021 and second generation)

References

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  1. ^ Apple Event — October 13 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ "Apple Events — October 2020". Apple. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  3. ^ Bowe, Tucker (May 28, 2020). "What Ever Happened to One of the MacBook's Best Features?". Gear Patrol. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  4. ^ "MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch - Technical Specifications". Apple (UK).
  5. ^ "Apple announces iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini: A new era for iPhone with 5G". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Accessory Design Guidelines for Apple Devices" (PDF). Apple Inc. p. 108. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  7. ^ Kingsley-Hughes, Adrian. "Apple solves iPhone's wireless charging hit-n-miss with MagSafe". ZDNet. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  8. ^ "Accessory Design Guidelines for Apple Devices" (PDF). Apple Developer.
  9. ^ "AirPods Pro Now Available With MagSafe Charging Case for Same $249 Price". MacRumors. October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "New Qi2 Standard for Wireless Devices Ensures Enhanced Consumer Convenience and Efficiency". www.businesswire.com. January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  11. ^ "Apple introduces iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  12. ^ "How to use your MagSafe Charger with iPhone 12 models and later". Apple Support. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  13. ^ iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro Review: 5G, Cameras and New Design Tested | WSJ, retrieved January 17, 2023
  14. ^ "PSA: Non-iPhone 12 Models Charge Super Slowly With MagSafe Charger". MacRumors. October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  15. ^ Phelan, David. "Apple MagSafe For iPhone 12: Complete Review". Forbes. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  16. ^ Stein, Scott. "MagSafe on iPhone 12: I still want USB-C, but I was wrong about Apple's magnetic charger". CNET. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  17. ^ "How to use your MagSafe Charger with iPhone 12 models". Apple Support. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  18. ^ "MagSafe chargers may imprint leather cases, are compatible with 12W adapters". AppleInsider. October 24, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  19. ^ Christoffel, Ryan (September 9, 2024). "New MagSafe charger now available for iPhone 16 with huge speed boost". 9to5Mac. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  20. ^ "Apple MagSafe Duo Charger Review: Useful, but expensive and underwhelming". TechCrunch. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  21. ^ Bohn, Dieter (November 9, 2020). "The Apple MagSafe Duo charger is overpriced and under-delivers". The Verge. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  22. ^ Porter, Jon (December 11, 2020). "Apple's old 29W chargers aren't good enough for MagSafe Duo". The Verge. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  23. ^ "MagSafe Duo review: almost everything you need, but has too many compromises". AppleInsider. June 28, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  24. ^ "iPhone 13 Pro not a perfect fit with MagSafe Duo, but charging is unaffected". AppleInsider. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  25. ^ "Apple's $129 MagSafe Duo Charger Can't Fast Charge Apple Watch Series 7". MacRumors. October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  26. ^ a b "Apple Discontinues MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Duo Charger". MacRumors. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  27. ^ "MagSafe Battery Pack Now Able to Charge at Faster 7.5W Speed After Firmware Update". MacRumors. April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  28. ^ "MagSafe Battery Pack". Apple. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  29. ^ "Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack has more capacity than it seems — here's why". AppleInsider. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  30. ^ "Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack: Everything You Need to Know". MacRumors. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  31. ^ "How to use your MagSafe Charger with iPhone 12 models". Apple Support. November 2, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  32. ^ Campbell, Ian Carlos (September 14, 2021). "Apple's updated leather MagSafe wallet supports Find My location tracking". The Verge. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  33. ^ "Apple unveils its first carbon neutral products". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  34. ^ "Apple debuts iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  35. ^ "Belkin's MagSafe Boost Charge Pro review: worth the wait". AppleInsider. June 28, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  36. ^ Patel, Nilay (April 16, 2021). "Six months later, there still isn't a MagSafe car charger". The Verge. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  37. ^ Karcz, Anthony. "MagSafe Cases And Accessories For The iPhone 12: Everything You Need To Know". Forbes. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  38. ^ Staff Writer. "Buyer beware: 'MagSafe compatible' is not the same as 'Made for MagSafe'". Macworld. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  39. ^ "Mophie Debuts $150 MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Travel Charger". MacRumors. January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  40. ^ "Review: Nomad Launches 'Base One' Official MagSafe Charger for $130". MacRumors. March 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  41. ^ Carnoy, David. "Best MagSafe and magnetic wireless chargers for Apple iPhone 12". CNET. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  42. ^ Potuck, Michael (July 26, 2022). "OtterBox 2-in-1 MagSafe Charging Station for iPhone and Apple Watch has slick Pro Display XDR-style design". 9to5Mac. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  43. ^ Kennemer, Quentyn (April 2, 2024). "Apple quietly added Qi2 charging to the iPhone 12". The Verge. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
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