Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12 is mired in controversy over its capacity and price. After using it for a while, it has become one of our go-to accessories.
Unintended as a way to extend your battery for days, Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack is the ideal solution when you need those crucial extra few hours or have to get through that long weekend. Assuming you have your expectations in line with Apple’s design, the MagSafe Battery Pack is the best you can do.
Design and build
Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack is a compact device. It will just slightly double the thickness of your iPhone which is notably thinner than most third-party options we’ve seen to date.
The outside is a soft-touch plastic shell and thus far has held up well to fingerprints, dirt, and dust. Much better than Apple’s silicone cases do. Apple has, as it tends to do, kept things minimal. There are no buttons or controls whatsoever.
The only penetrations into the plastic are a pinhole LED that lets you know the battery status while plugged in and that Lightning port for charging.
The charging side of the battery has a light grey rubberized pad to prevent slippage, recessed in the distinctive MagSafe shape. We’ve seen deformation of leather cases when connected with MagSafe — and Apple tells users to expect it.
This back panel appears to be a stock Apple component or strictly regulated in the program Apple controls true Magsafe peripherals with. When compared to the only authorized third-party MagSafe mount from Belkin, there are no differences.
Combined, all of this delivers a click when you connect the battery to an iPhone. We assumed the click was either a design feature or issue when we reviewed the Belkin vent mount but now see that the cause must lie with Apple.
The best we can describe it is that as you bring the magnets towards one another, the attraction causes an internal magnet to shift, hitting against the plastic surface and click. It doesn’t rattle, and you only hear it when putting the battery on, but with the folks we’ve spoken to about it, it can be off-putting.
We love Apple’s minimalist nature here. You shouldn’t be required to think about a battery pack and certainly shouldn’t need to turn it on or off.
The magic of MagSafe means if you don’t need it, you can remove it. It charges when it needs to and is one less thing for you to worry about.
Integration with iOS
To diffuse any responsibility on your part in managing your battery, Apple has put in place tight integration with iOS. To fully support the battery, users need to have iOS 14.7 or later. Currently, beta users of iOS 15 don’t have full support, but we’re expecting it soon.
When you connect the battery to your phone, a slick graphic appears on-screen that animates in. The center shows your iPhone’s battery percentage both in numerical fashion as well as graphically. Below that, and much smaller, is an animation displaying the battery pack’s battery.
If your iPhone is in low power mode, the circle will highlight in yellow rather than green.
At any time, you can also glance the battery’s remaining capacity with Apple‘s battery widget on your Home Screen. The battery widget can also be Smart Stack so that it intelligently shows when your battery pack is connected.
A battery is not eternal. Given the volume and capacity that it has, an iPhone battery’s overall life is generally measured in years. User behavior can cut this down, and Apple has taken steps to help with this, and minimize the accumulation of minor damages over time.
When the battery is connected to an iPhone, it will charge your iPhone up to 90 percent before stopping, using Apple’s Smart battery charging algorithm. The final stretch from 90% to 100% takes a disproportionate toll on overall battery longevity versus the rest of the charge, so Apple keeps you topped off at 90% rather than letting your battery take the hit.
You can go past this 90% if you’d like by going into Control Center and manually allowing it.
In a further extension of battery maintenance, if the iPhone internal temperature is high, the battery will cut off charting when the phone hits 80%. High temperatures are also harmful to lithium batteries, so battery charging is halted a bit earlier to prevent any further damage.
Capacity and speed
Apple isn’t exactly transparent about what it expects any user to see in real life when using the MagSafe Battery.
On the rear of the battery pack, we can see the posted capacity is 1640 mAh, with third-party models boasting 5,000 mAh. But as we discussed in depth, this isn’t a fair comparison — and this battery has much more capacity than it appears just based on a milliamp-hour rating, which doesn’t tell the whole story.
We charged up our iPhone 12 Pro Max from a dead battery and a fully charged MagSafe Battery Pack. It took almost two hours on the dot for the battery pack to drain and charged our iPhone up to 53 percent.
Apple’s MagSafe Battery pack isn’t designed for multiple iPhone charges on one fully-powered battery pack. Like its predecessor, it’s designed for scenarios like those rare 18-hour workdays, when everything around you is on fire, and you need to eke out a few more hours from your iPhone when away from a wall socket.
Those third-party batteries that loudly tout those larger 5,000mAh capacities don’t get you nearly as far as you’d expect either. With a Qi efficiency rating of only about 50% versus MagSafe’s close to 80%, those will get you almost the same amount of usable power as Apple’s battery pack.
The battery can sit on the back of our phone as much as it needs to. We aren’t looking for speed. We prefer the battery to stay healthy combined with getting much actual runtime per day as possible.
Apple says the battery will provide 5W of power while on your phone, and that can boost up to 15W of power while connected via Lightning. Apple hasn’t said how fast the battery pack itself can charge, but this can be tested.
Charging the MagSafe Battery by itself averaged 17W and it averaged 20W when the iPhone was also connected
Using a power gauge, we measured an average of 17W of input power using a USB-C Lightning cable. When we connected our iPhone to the battery, which is then in turn connected to power by Lightning, we saw this jump up to over 20W of power.
Connecting with Lightning allows the MagSafe Battery to charge at roughly 5W. At the same time, your iPhone will charge with 15W of power simultaneously.
It is also important to note one of the best features of Apple’s battery. It is the first — and only — device to support reverse wireless charging from an iPhone 12. When you have your iPhone connected via Lightning, it can charge an attached battery pack.
This is immensely helpful if you need to connect your iPhone to another device, the best example being CarPlay. You can hop in your car, connect your iPhone to your car’s interface, and charge both your phone and battery at the same time. No other battery pack can do this.
As MagSafe is fully backward compatible with Qi, this is technically able to charge any other Qi-enabled device.
Bafflingly, though, you can’t take a MagSafe charger and use it to charge the battery pack.
As an example, we could place our Airpods Pro on the circle, and they instantly began to charge. You could charge any older iPhones or Android devices too.
Controversy can’t be avoided
Apple product releases always have some level of controversy, but it seems unusually loud this time around. Some of the issues we agree with, and some we don’t.
Opinion-laden commenters have had issues with the unit’s dimensions, the weight, the input method, the lack of buttons, the 5W charging speeds, the capacity, and the lack of color options.
No one product is perfect for every consumer. While we’re sure folks complaining about the dimensions have their own reasons, applying a very personal conclusion like whether or not the phone and battery will fit in your pants and using the widest of brushes to spread that opinion across the board doesn’t suit anybody.
Apple only offers the battery in white, and it is a different shade of white compared to Apple’s white silicone case. This seems like an odd choice, but it may come down to the chemistry of the different materials.
Of all the criticisms, we agree with the input method most. Lightning is fine, but with the launch of the iPhone 12, we’ve moved many charging solutions to MagSafe.
The times you’d need this battery most, such as while traveling, are the exact times we’re trying to pack minimally and stick with just MagSafe. Now a second cable — albeit a small one — will always be needed to be brought if the battery pack is to remain charged.
In an ideal world, the MagSafe Battery Pack would itself be charged via Magsafe. MagSafe in, MagSafe out.
A relatively minor issue is that you can only mount one MagSafe device at a time on an iPhone. If you’ve got the MagSafe wallet, for instance, you’ll be swapping it in and out for that long night on the town. Fortunately, the wallet and battery are slim enough to fit into most s.
Should you buy Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack?
This battery pack is certainly not for everyone and is a niche product. Some people can get a couple of days out of their iPhone’s battery, so the need for an external one is moot.
There are also many more affordable options on the market, though as we already expressed, we don’t think that trade-off is worth it.
If you find yourself on occasion needing to squeeze a few more hours out of your iPhone before you get home, and Low Power Mode isn’t quite doing it, Apple’s MagSafe battery is going to be as good as it gets. It is compact, solid, effortless to use, integrates well into iOS, and has features built-in for both the MagSafe battery and your phone’s battery long-term health.
The price isn’t inconsequential. The MagSafe Battery is priced like most of Apple’s products. Whether or not that price is worth it depends very much on how you value deep Apple integrations.
- Compact form factor
- Wonderful iOS integration
- Thoughtful battery health features
- Fast power input
- Up to 15W of power while plugged in
- Magnetic force is strong
- Uses same Lightning cable as iPhone
- Provides good amount of charge to latest iPhones
- Supports reverse wireless charging
- No color options
- No MagSafe or Qi input
- Typical Apple price tag
- Sometimes off-putting click when connecting
MagSafe Battery Pack deals
Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack retails for 99, but AppleInsider readers can exclusively get a free 10 Adorama gift card with promo code APINSIDER. For activation instructions, check out the MagSafe deal here.
This Price has a coupon applied
Based in Columbus, Ohio, Andrew O’Hara has spent the last eight years embedded in all aspects of the digital space from leading digital marketing teams to front-end web development and design. He started producing vid.
tommikele
As usual. with charging devices and cabling, Anker offers a superior product and much better value than Apple.
crowley
People not wanting something isn’t a controversy.
StrangeDays
As usual. with charging devices and cabling, Anker offers a superior product and much better value than Apple.
Define value, please. From what I’ve read Anker is like the others. less efficient and unable to charge rapidly when plugged in. Two things this battery is better at. Also, reserve charging via one cable plugged into the iPhone. These all offer value.
dewme
There’s no denying the fact that this thing is chubby (fat, husky, big boned, obese, or whatever word you prefer). It may very well be less chubby than other brand equivalent products, but it is still a little heifer. The fact is that Apple obviously goes to great lengths not to present any pictures of this thing mounted on an iPhone in full profile on their web site, where its considerable girth compared to the host iPhone would be very apparent (as in. it’s thicker than the damn phone), is very telling. All of the semi profile pictures are showing it unmounted.
Yes, prospective customers can dig around on the web to obtain the stats or see more pictures, but I still believe that sellers of this category of add-on products are being deceptive if they don’t show the thing mounted on the phone in full profile, where the add-on device’s thickness relative to the phone is most glaring and obvious. Apple itself is trying to disguise its chubbiness. Why?
None of this disqualifies the product in any way as long as it does the job that it is intended to do. But in fairness to prospective customers, and to promote full disclosure prior to sale, Apple should show at least ONE full profile picture of the portly little beast mounted on an iPhone so buyers purchasing the product sight-unseen will be less shocked when they unpack it at home.
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack hands-on: What do you get for 99?
The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack packs some perks of the Apple ecosystem, but it sure is pricey.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Doesn’t get noticeably warm
- Thinner than competitor
- Compatible with iOS 14 Batteries widgets
Cons
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Apple has replaced its iPhone charging cases with the new Apple MagSafe Battery Pack. It’s a.sized power brick that snaps onto any iPhone 12 model, and is basically meant to make sure your iPhone stays charged even through a long day.
But at 99 the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is far from cheap. That’s more than twice as much as Anker’s competitor, which also has a higher capacity. This hands-on Apple MagSafe Battery Pack review will explain what you get in exchange for that difference, and my initial impressions of the pack.
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: Price and release date
The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack costs 99 and is available on Apple.com and Amazon. That’s a pretty mountain of pennies, especially when compared to the higher-capacity Anker Magnetic 5K pack costs 45.
Apple announced the MagSafe Battery Pack on July 13, 2021, and the release date was July 19.
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: Compatibility
The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack snaps right onto the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. For my testing, I’ve used it with my iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The MagSafe Battery Pack can also charge the Qi-enabled Airpods Pro and Airpods via their cases.
This means it’s primarily for those with the latest iPhone, and those who will buy upcoming iPhones, such as the iPhone 13 (which is expected to still have MagSafe).
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: Design
The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is made so simply that I can’t even feel annoyed with Apple for not including anything close to an instruction manual. It’s a thin, matte white rectangle with rounded corners on the outer side.
In my hand, the MagSafe Battery Pack feels a little bulky, but I’ve gotten used to it in the last 24 hours. importantly, it doesn’t warm up noticeably in my And compared to using my iPhone with a portable charger, it’s a lot more sleek and seamless.
On the inner side, the battery pack offers a soft-touch gray surface with a white ring to indicate the MagSafe connection. (You’re going to want to aim that for the Apple logo on your phone.) Finished with a gray Apple logo on the outer side, The MagSafe Battery Pack has achieved almost the platonic ideal of Apple’s minimalist aesthetic.
The MagSafe Battery Pack measures 3.7 x 2.5 x 0.4 inches and weighs 4 ounces, making it 33% thinner (and a tad lighter) than the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K (3.7 x 2.5 x 0.6 inches, 4.6 ounces).
Apple‘s accessory features one Lightning port, which is the primary way to charge it. You can also charge the MagSafe Battery Pack from a Qi-based power charger.
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: How it works
As simple as it gets, the MagSafe Battery Pack snaps onto the back of an iPhone 12 (and, as I mentioned, all upcoming MagSafe iPhones), and just starts charging immediately. It’s delivering juice via a very slow 5W rate.
After snapping it on, you’ll then see your phone’s current battery charge amount on your screen, plus the percentage of remaining battery life in the MagSafe pack. The MagSafe pack’s charge amount will appear in the Batteries widget.
The magnetic connection of the MagSafe Battery Pack is acceptable when you’re using it snapped on the back of an iPhone 12. That said, when I was using it, I kept thinking it could be tighter, as it was a teeny bit looser than I’d like. I was excited to figure out that the strength of the magnetic connection increases when you’ve got a MagSafe phone case in between the iPhone and the battery pack.
When you connect a lightning cable to the battery pack and to a power source, you’ll get 15W charging, and you can get faster rates with a 20W power adapter.
This means, essentially, that you’re going to be keeping your iPhone afloat when it’s got a charge. This isn’t the kind of recharging speed for those trying to bring a dead iPhone back to 100% or close to that.
You can also refuel wirelessly-charging Airpods cases by placing them on the MagSafe Battery Pack’s magnetic side. It doesn’t snap on, but it works either way.
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: Battery Life
Herein lies the biggest potential flaw of the MagSafe Battery Pack. Apple doesn’t make any claims of how long it will extend the life of your iPhone 12. That may be because such data varies by model, but a range of battery life would have been nice.
Teardowns have revealed the MagSafe Battery Pack has a capacity of 1,460mAh. That’s less than 30% of the 5,000mAh Anker Magnetic 5K.
Based on how fast the MagSafe Battery Pack emptied, though, we’re guessing any claim might not have been that long. In the morning, I attached the two when both were charged, and by 4:30 p.m. I was at 16% on the MagSafe Battery Pack with the iPhone still at 89%. Normally, my iPhone would be much lower, probably in the 40-50% range.
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: Outlook
As I’ve noted in this hands-on Apple MagSafe Battery Pack review, Apple’s accessory comes with a lot less battery life than Anker’s competing brick, and it’s nearly twice as expensive. So, why would you buy this thing (which I did)?
Primarily, you’d buy the MagSafe Battery Pack because there’s a general assurance that Apple-made accessories may work better with the iPhone. You see that born out by the integration with the Batteries widget, and the home screen as well. It’s also got a thinner design, as well.
I look forward to reporting back once I’ve had more time with the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack, which I expect I’ll use all-day long on my upcoming trip to Las Vegas.
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack review
Compatible with all models of iPhone 12, 13 and 14, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is an intelligent and convenient power pack that magnetically clamps to the iPhone. While underpowered compared to the competition, it will charge a fading iPhone up to around 60%, which should be enough to get you through the day to when you have access to a power outlet.
Best Today: Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
We all know that the battery life of a phone is not limitless and that iPhones do not have a great reputation for lasting as long on one charge as other smartphones.
Unless you stick close to a power outlet, you’ll need a power bank or battery case to top up on the move.
Apple’s recent iPhones boast a technology called MagSafe that offers a tidier solution than carrying around a cabled power bank.
It allows enabled accessories to magnetically latch on to the back of the iPhone for wireless charging or other functions.
Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack offers a power boost when your iPhone’s internal battery is running out on you.
Design
The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is a compact (96-x-64-11cm) white brick that weighs 114g.
Clamped to the back of a white iPhone, it creates a hump reminiscent of Apple’s old Smart Battery Case, see above left.
That full Smart Battery Case (sadly unavailable for iPhone 12, 13 or 14 ranges) was derided for its humpback, but we loved it for its Smart features, battery life and all-round protective duties. We have tested a third-party alternative – the Newdery Battery Case for iPhone 13 and 13 Pro – if you desire the protection and can live without the Apple logo, Smart features and official certification.
The MagSafe Battery Pack is similar in looks when magnetically locked to the phone but lacks the robust protection you get with a battery case.
You can, and should, of course, keep your precious phone in a protective case, and then to use this battery pack you’ll need to buy a MagSafe-friendly case.
While it matches well with a white iPhone, the lack of MagSafe Battery Pack colour options means it will literally stick out on any other colour iPhone. In comparison, Anker’s similar MagGo 622 battery pack comes in five mellow colours. Read our Anker MagGo 622 Battery Pack review.
Apple’s pack charges via Lightning cable rather than USB-C (used by Anker and other magnetic power bank makers), but this makes sense as all iPhone users will have a Lightning cable to hand. USB-C is the future, though, and these days fewer wall chargers come with old-standard USB-A ports that work with regular Lightning-to-USB cables. No cable is included with the Pack.
The magnetic clamp is strong, allaying fears that it might slip off the phone and get damaged or lost.
Battery capacity
The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack has a 1,460mAh battery capacity. An iPhone 12 mini’s internal battery is rated at 2,227mAh, an iPhone 13 at 3,227mAh, and a 13 Pro Max at 4,352mAh.
(We’ve listed the battery capacities of every iPhone for your delectation.)
The Apple Battery Pack therefore looks a bit puny in power capacity – especially in light of the Anker MagGo 622’s 5,000mAh capacity. But milliamp hours don’t tell the whole story.
The Apple pack has a higher voltage potential (7.62V) than the iPhone (3.81V) or the Anker pack, meaning that it can provide more power to an iPhone than its mAh suggests; in fact, it works out as equivalent to 2,920mAh.
It makes more sense to compare each battery’s Watt Hour specification. The difference between Anker’s 19.13Wh and Apple’s 11.13Wh is still great (172% more power from Anker) but less distant than the unadjusted milliamp rating first suggests.
That’s the good news, but there’s a further blow to the battery power… and not just for the Apple pack. The Apple Battery Pack should be able to nearly fully charge an iPhone 13 Pro, but it doesn’t get close because of the inherent inefficiency of wireless charging.
When charging wirelessly, up to a staggering 50% of a battery pack’s charge to the phone can be lost to bad placement and heat loss, plus other environmental factors – compared to a wired charging connection.
As the magnetic fit is so precise and strongly locked, MagSafe wireless charging is much more efficient than standard Qi wireless charging where the device just sits on top of the charger. Anyone who has fiddled their phone into the correct position for wireless charging to commence will know that placement isn’t always easy. With MagSafe, it locks into the exact position.
MagSafe charging remains inefficient (it’s still wireless after all) but maybe loses only 30% of the attached battery charge because the placement is so precise – and that brings the Apple pack closer still to the Anker pack because the higher-capacity battery loses more of its charge at 30% than the smaller one.
For wired MagSafe charging, read our roundup of the best MagSafe chargers. Remember that, while wired, the actual charging is wireless so comes with the same limitations, although, when connected to a 20W or higher wall charger, it can charge an iPhone 12/13 at up to 15W compared to the MagSafe Battery Pack’s 7.5W.
Charging power
When Apple originally released the MagSafe Battery Pack it could charge an iPhone at just 5W, comparing poorly to rival magnetic battery packs that charge at 7.5W.
Thankfully, Apple has fixed this inadequacy with a firmware update (2.7).
If you already own the Battery Pack, to get 7.5W charging on the go you need to update it to the latest firmware. This can be done in two ways: one extremely slow, one super-fast. Guess which one we recommend.
The firmware update can begin automatically after you attach your battery pack to your iPhone but this method can take about a week!
If you’d prefer an update that takes five minutes, plug your Lightning cable into the battery pack and the other end into your Mac or iPad. The firmware update will then speedily bring your pack up to date and raring to go at 7.5W.
Battery pack tests
We tested the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack and its rivals with a simple battery recharge shootout. We let our test-unit iPhone 13 Pro (3,095mAh battery capacity) drain to just 5% and then set the Battery Pack to work recharging the phone.
We then assign it a score of whatever percentage it managed to charge the iPhone to and subtract the 5%; we test each model at least twice. It’s not a real-world test of day-to-day use where you’ll likely be using your phone for various tasks (of varying battery usage). But it does give us a score that we can use to compare different battery-pack models.
The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack scored 60% in our test, showing that it won’t supply a 100% recharge, or anywhere near it.
On the plus side, its extra battery life is slightly greater than with Apple’s old Smart Battery Case.
Apple’s Smart advantages
So far we’ve been disappointed by the Apple MagSafe Pack’s battery life, especially in comparison to its cheaper non-Apple rivals.
But, with its advantage of owning the hardware and software, Apple’s battery pack has Smart features up its sleeve that are missing from the alternatives.
For starters, just as with the Airpods, the MagSafe Battery Pack shows its charge in the Battery widget on the iPhone’s Today view – just swipe right from the home screen to see all your Apple battery charge info in one place.
Third-party devices lack this handy iPhone info link.
Apple’s battery pack can charge the phone simultaneously with the Lightning cable, reaching a maximum 15W charge as long as the wall charger is rated at least 27W.
The iPhone can even reverse charge the MagSafe Battery Pack if its internal battery is full and connected to power.
The MagSafe Battery Pack stops providing a charge if the iPhone reaches 90%. This offers your iPhone’s internal battery protection as batteries survive longer when not charged to the maximum each time.
Another protective feature is that if the iPhone becomes too hot, the MagSafe Battery Pack stops charging over 80%.
The MagSafe Battery Pack automatically charges the iPhone, so there’s no need to turn it on or off. Most third-party MagSafe battery packs require you to push a button to initiate charging.
Price
The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is available in one size and one colour (white). It costs US99 / £99 / CA119 / AU139 / €109.
Alternatives from Anker and Belkin are less expensive and with higher battery capacities, but do lack Apple’s smarter features.
The Apple battery pack is compatible with all models of the iPhone 12, 13 and 14 ranges. Some of the larger third-party battery packs are too large for the mini iPhones.
Verdict
We’d have loved a full protective Smart Battery Case from Apple, as we got for the iPhone 11 and earlier, but Apple has set its heart on MagSafe and so detachable is the only option, and it has to be in white.
Compatible with all models of iPhone 12, 13 and 14, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is an intelligent and convenient power pack that magnetically clamps to the iPhone.
It’s underpowered compared to cheaper non-Apple alternatives, but it’s smarter and works seamlessly with iOS info widgets.
First impressions: Apple’s MagSafe battery pack isn’t perfect, but you’ll probably still want to get one
When Apple first unveiled the iPhone 12 and MagSafe back in October, it immediately hit me that the perfect use case was for battery packs. Finally, nine months later, an official Apple MagSafe battery pack is here. We’ve got our hands on one and have plenty of thoughts to share.
Design and finish
First and foremost, the battery pack isn’t silicone like Apple’s previous Smart battery cases. It’s a soft-touch plastic that feels unlike any other existing Apple product. In fact, it feels almost like the inside of the original 2006 white MacBook. The white soft-touch plastic is also an entirely different shade of white than Apple’s white silicone case. It’s much lighter and much more explicitly white. So if you were planning on using the MagSafe battery pack with a white MagSafe case, just know that they don’t quite match. It won’t look as seamless as the old white Smart battery cases.
The battery pack itself is thicker than the iPhone 12 inside of a MagSafe silicone case. It’s pretty chunky. It’s also fairly heavy and certainly adds a bunch of weight to your light iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 mini. It certainly will make the stainless steel pro models feel even heavier than they already do. But keep in mind that this battery pack is easily removable — that’s the main benefit of MagSafe. Unlike the old battery cases, you can keep a case on and remove the battery when you don’t want the extra weight.
On the other side of the battery pack, there’s a smooth silicone gray pad that prevents the back of your iPhone from getting scratched up. On the bottom of the battery pack, there’s a lightning connector that lets you charge the battery on its own or charge both your iPhone and the battery pack together. There’s also a small LED next to the connector like the one on the Airpods charging case that indicates the power status.
The MagSafe battery pack fits nicely on the back of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max sizes, but it can feel a bit awkward because of how thick it is. On the iPhone 12 mini, though, it feels more natural. This is because the MagSafe battery pack is just as wide as the iPhone 12 mini, so it feels flush with the case. One concern I have is that you can see the thin white edges sticking out from the front of the iPhone 12 mini. This is because the magnets let the pack shift around a bit.
Charging
The MagSafe battery pack snaps right onto the back of your iPhone 12 like the MagSafe wallet, although the magnets are significantly stronger. While charging both the battery pack and the iPhone together, you can feel the battery get warm. This shouldn’t be surprising given that the battery is using Qi charging coils.
When the battery is connected to an iPhone, you can connect a lightning charger directly to the battery, or you can plug it into the iPhone. As we’ve written about, when you plug your lightning connector into your iPhone, you can use it to wirelessly charge the battery pack in reverse.
Since the MagSafe battery pack is basically just a Qi charger with magnets, it can charge any other Qi-compatible device. For example, you can plop your Airpods or Airpods Pro on the MagSafe battery pack if you remove it from your iPhone. Technically you could also charge Android phones, older Qi-compatible iPhones, and other wireless earbuds with Qi charging cases. This is a really great bonus that comes with the battery being easily removable.
Software
The MagSafe battery pack integrates with iOS 14.7, so you’ll see its charge in the battery widget and on the Lock Screen. Unfortunately, iOS 15 beta 3 doesn’t include the necessary components to correctly show the battery pack’s status. Although you can see the charge with a different icon. Hopefully, we’ll get beta 4 soon. In the meantime, you can see what the MagSafe battery pack looks like in the battery widget below from an image on Apple’s website.
When charging your Airpods on the MagSafe battery pack, you’ll see their charge status in the battery widget as well. This is expected behavior, of course, since they already do that when on another Qi charger.
The MagSafe battery pack is far from perfect. It’s thick, and it’s heavy, but it provides necessary utility. This is an Apple product that absolutely tackles function first and form second. There are surely plenty of reasons behind Apple’s decisions with this accessory, particularly due to limitations and safety concerns that come with Qi technology. The battery itself weighs about a quarter of a pound, so it’s not particularly light. It’s 2.5″ x 3.75″ and just under half an inch thick.
Lots of folks were wondering if the MagSafe battery pack would work when you have a case on your iPhone. The answer is yes! At the moment, we’ve only been able to test the MagSafe battery pack with Apple’s first-party cases or approved third-party MagSafe cases. It likely won’t work well with cases that aren’t Apple-approved.
If you charge your iPhone using an iPad Air or iPad Pro, keep in mind that you cannot charge it when the MagSafe battery pack is connected. You can charge them separately, but not together.
If you were a fan of Apple’s most recent Smart battery cases and frequently used the built-in shutter button, you’ll be sad to know there isn’t one on the MagSafe battery pack. Instead, you’ll just have to use the volume buttons.
In terms of battery capacity, we expect that the MagSafe pack can recharge an iPhone 12 mini entirely while it can likely recharge the other three models enough to save you in a pinch. We’ll be back in a few days to let you know how the battery performs, but it’s too early to tell.
Conclusion
The MagSafe battery pack is available for pick up at Apple retail stores starting today for 99. You can also order one online and have it shipped to your home. The battery pack is available in one color, white. So you can’t pick one up to match your red or black MagSafe cases.
Are you picking up a MagSafe battery pack for your iPhone 12? Let us know in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below!
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The best MagSafe battery packs for backup power whenever your iPhone needs it
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- The best MagSafe battery packs make wireless, on-the-go charging secure and convenient.
- You’ll want to keep in mind charging speed, size and weight, and magnet strength when choosing a battery pack.
- Our picks include battery packs from Apple and trusted third-party brands like Anker and Belkin.
As we rely more and more on our smartphones, it’s become more of a necessity to ensure that you can charge your phone from anywhere. While portable power banks are a common accessory, the more recent introduction of wireless MagSafe battery packs presents a simpler solution for on-the-go charging.
If you use an iPhone 12, 13 or 14 model, your phone is equipped with Apple’s MagSafe technology that allows you to charge your device without the hassle of needing a cable and outlet. Though MagSafe charging is typically less efficient than charging via cable, the simplicity and added convenience makes the investment more than worth it.
Our list of MagSafe battery packs includes some of the best options available today, as well as other quality choices that are geared more toward style or budget.
Apple MagSafe battery pack
If you’re an Apple purist, the Apple MagSafe battery pack is an easy choice. With Smart features like reverse wireless charging (allowing you to charge your phone and the battery pack at the same time) and an iOS-integrated battery widget showing the pack’s charge status, this battery pack is definitely the most sophisticated on the market.
Importantly, as an official Apple product, this pack is able to take full advantage of MagSafe technology, providing 15W wireless charging with precise magnetic alignment. While it only is available in white and is on the more expensive side, its Smart features and ease of use make it a worthy investment.
Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo)
Anker’s 622 MagGo is one of a few options on this list that includes an integrated kickstand that you can use to prop your phone up while attached — a feature that certainly sets it apart in terms of functionality, beyond the fact that the battery pack itself is a reliable choice for regular, Pro, and Max iPhone 12-14 models (it’s not recommended for the mini due to its size).
The strong magnet provides perfect alignment every time both horizontally and vertically, and has LED lights on the base to indicate remaining battery life. In three pastel shades as well as classic black and white, this is an excellent option that won’t add too much bulk to your phone while charging.
Moft Snap Stand Power Set
This modular power bank set serves as a MagSafe battery, wallet, and stand, all within a sleek faux leather package. Compatible with all iPhone sizes in the 12-14 series (including Mini and Max models), this power bank provides a seamless experience overall. The wallet can hold up to three cards and can be magnetically detached from the battery pack base — meaning you can use the wallet and stand on its own if you don’t need the battery for charging.
An additional feature of note is that the stand allows for either vertical or horizontal magnetic orientation while in use, making it ideal for video streaming or standard vertical use. It also supports pass-through charging, so your phone will be charged primarily when charging via the breakaway magnetic USB-C cable.
Anker 633 Magnetic Wireless Charger (MagGo)
The Anker 633 MagGo, compatible with all iPhone 12 and 13 models, is a great dual investment for both a portable power bank and an at-home charging stand. The stand will charge the battery and your phone simultaneously (prioritizing your phone with pass-through charging), and you can orient your phone horizontally or vertically while in use. You can also adjust the stand’s viewing angle up to 40° to your preference, a small detail but one that certainly adds to the luxury experience this product provides.
The feature that sets the Anker 633 apart, however, is the stand’s Qi-enabled base that allows you to wirelessly charge your Airpods case. The battery pack comes in black and white as well as a pale blue, and the stand will match the color you choose for the pack.
OtterBox Wireless Power Bank for MagSafe
The OtterBox wireless power bank includes much of the same appeal as the company’s high-quality cases, namely the protective-but-not-bulky design made of grippy textured plastic. The power bank has LED lights at the base to show its remaining power, and can be used as a standalone corded power bank if needed to charge Airpods or other small devices. You can even use it to charge your Airpods wirelessly, provided you have Apple’s Wireless Charging Case.
Casely Power Pod
Casely consistently provides the highest amount of aesthetic variability in their products, and their Power Pod is no different. The Power Pod is light and compact, making it an ideal choice for iPhone Mini models, and provides impressive 15W charging. You can even match your Power Pod to a Casely phone case for further personalization.
It also comes with a separate magnetic adhesive ring, which will allow you to use the Power Pod with phones that have wireless charging compatibility but aren’t equipped with MagSafe charging, so you can have the benefit of the signature MagSafe magnetic snap into place when charging.
Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic 10k MAh Power Bank
This Belkin power bank is about as large as the iPhone itself, so while it’s not a power bank like some of its competitors it provides a higher charging capacity. It supports pass-through charging and can be used as a standard wired power bank to charge another device (like your Airpods) while your phone charges via the MagSafe magnets. It’s a highly functional power bank, and is ideal if you’ll be unable to plug your phone in for a long period of time — think layovers or weekend trips.
Mophie Snap Juice Pack Mini
For a low-profile battery pack that’s.friendly, look no further than the Mophie Snap Juice Pack Mini. It’s thinner and smaller than some of its competitors, and has a nice fabric finish to add texture. It also conveniently comes with a magnet adapter to enable magnetic wireless charging on iPhones and Androids that are not MagSafe-enabled.
This battery pack is the smaller version of their larger power bank sold directly through Apple, and is a nice alternative to the larger model as a more portable option while still providing a full phone battery’s worth of charge. For true 15W wireless charging, however, you’ll want to opt for the larger Mophie Powerstation, which has the same pass-through charging capabilities as the Snap Juice Pack Mini but with the addition of an adjustable stand and tripod socket as supplemental accessories.
Belkin Magnetic Wireless Power Bank 2.5K
With a strong magnetic connection and unfussy design, this portable MagSafe power bank from Belkin is ideal for a quick charge in a pinch. Due to its smaller size, its battery capacity and charging speed are lower than the Belkin BoostCharge listed above, but for iPhone Mini users (or those looking to spend a minimal amount of money on an easy-to-use charging bank) it does the trick.
Anker 521 Magnetic Battery
A wallet-friendly version of Anker’s 633 MagGo (included on this list above) is conveniently available in the Anker 521 magnetic battery. The Anker 521 is available in purple, green, and blue in addition to basic black and white, and is slightly smaller in size, making it ideal for iPhone Mini models. With short circuit protection, temperature control, and built-in foreign object detection, this is a high-quality choice at a reasonable price.
FAQs
Are MagSafe battery packs worth it?
Charging through a MagSafe battery pack doesn’t generally provide the same charging efficiency as using a cable, but the benefits of carrying fewer cords make them a Smart and simple choice. Especially if you are someone who relies on their phone for work, content creation, or streaming, a MagSafe battery pack will likely come in handy to ensure that your device maintains its battery throughout the day.
Can MagSafe battery packs be used to charge Airpods and Apple Watches?
Yes, you can use a MagSafe battery pack to charge Airpods and Apple Watches like any other Qi wireless charger, however your Airpods will need to be charged while in a wireless charging-enabled case. If you don’t have one, you can use most wireless battery packs as a standard wired power bank.
What should I look for in a MagSafe battery pack?
Depending on your expected use, you could select any number of options for a wireless battery pack. For example, if you just need a quick charge to keep in your bag for commuting, you may not need a larger battery capacity like the Anker 622 MagGo and may choose a smaller, lighter option like the Mophie Snap Juice Pack Mini.
If your primary use of the pack is for travel, a higher battery capacity (and thus a larger battery pack) will likely be your best choice. Beyond your basic usage habits, you might also consider the charging speed (does the pack provide 15W charging?) or compatibility (will the battery pack obscure my phone camera while in use?).
Do I need a MagSafe case to use a MagSafe battery pack?
It’s safe to assume that your phone case will need to be MagSafe compatible in order to use a MagSafe battery pack to its proper charging capacity. If your case is thin enough, however, it may not need to be officially MagSafe compatible in order to charge via Qi wireless charging with one of these packs — though, in order to achieve MagSafe’s signature 15W wireless charging, you’ll need to use a proper MagSafe case or remove your iPhone case for charging.
At Insider, Eve reviews consumer technology as a Tech Fellow with the Reviews team. She comes with background at a connected fitness tech startup, where she worked directly with consumers translating complex technological information into accessible, user-friendly material. She has also worked in public radio at WBUR Boston, where she produced segments on broadband internet access and Smart-home technology. Prior to working at Insider, Eve has also worked in documentary film production for episodes of PBS’ American Experience, museum operations in Prague, Czech Republic, and at a Persian/French bakery in Cambridge, MA. She double-majored in Art History and Peace and Justice Studies at Wellesley College, concentrating on visual media as it relates to representation and social activism. She was an editor for the Wellesley Review and is an Anchor Point Fellow. Reach out to her on @eve_montie.
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