Apple MagSafe Battery Pack Review: Absolutely Convenient. Apple battery pack charger

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 Review: Absolutely Convenient

Outside of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, there is one problem that continues to plague owners of the iPhone 12 mini, 12, and 12 Pro. Battery life just isn’t exactly what we hoped for nor what we expect to see from an Apple device released in 2020. The poor battery life is even more curious considering that Apple reportedly ditched its plans to include a ProMotion 120Hz display.

Apple MagSafe Battery Pack Review: Design

Out of the box, the MagSafe Battery Pack fits the Apple aesthetic just as you would expect. It’s only available in one color, while making use of the same silicone material as is found on Apple’s Silicone case lineup. Turning it over reveals the MagSafe plate where so you can properly place the Battery Pack onto your iPhone.

At the bottom of the Battery Pack, there’s a Lightning port, along with a single LED indicator. Apple really didn’t try and re-invent the wheel here, but I definitely think it missed out on a golden opportunity. Now, I’m not saying that a new Battery Pack should be released to match the Silicone Cases that arrive every time the seasons change. However, sticking with white, and only white, is rather frustrating.

To be fair, it looks great slapped onto the back of my iPhone 12 Pro Max, pairing quite nicely with the Pacific Blue color way that I opted for. But I still would have liked to see at least two or three more color options made available.

Apple MagSafe Battery Pack Review: Charging and Features

Underneath all of the magnets and silicone, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is equipped with a measly 1,460mAh lithium-ion cell. This is really underwhelming when you take a look at the options from Mophie and Anker that both feature a 5,000mAh battery. To put this into reference, let’s take a look at the battery capacity of the iPhone 12 models:

iPhone 12 mini – 2,227mAh
iPhone 12 / 12 Pro – 2,815mAh
iPhone 12 Pro Max – 3,687mAh

So as you can see, this tiny battery won’t even be able to fully-charge the 12 Mini from 0-100%. That’s our first disappointment right there, but in reality, you likely won’t be trying to use the MagSafe Battery Pack when your iPhone is already out of juice. And that’s where Apple’s option comes in compared to the likes of Anker and Mophie.

In my testing, I only have an iPhone 12 Pro Max, so it’s a bit of an unfair fight for the MagSafe Battery Pack. Nevertheless, here’s what I found when using this Battery Pack with my iPhone:

So in two hours, the MagSafe Battery Pack added almost 50% of juice back to my 12 Pro Max. That’s pretty good right? Well here’s the other point that I didn’t reveal. I was using my iPhone 12 Pro Max throughout the span of those two hours. Using it to listen to podcasts and do some quick web searches while letting the Battery Pack do its work.

So for Apple’s solution to still give me almost a 50% boost to the iPhone with the biggest battery, is pretty darn impressive. But the Battery Pack can actually do much more than just attaching to the back of your iPhone 12.

It can also work as a portable wireless charger for your Qi-enabled devices such as the Airpods or Airpods Pro. Just simply flip it upside down, with the Apple logo facing downwards, and place your Airpods case in the middle of the ring. The LED indicator on your Airpods will turn on letting you know it’s actually being charged.

But wait, there’s more! Unlike the aforementioned options from Anker and Mophie, Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack will show up in the Batteries widget on your iPhone. This is an expected function, but a welcome one nonetheless.

Apple MagSafe Battery Pack Review: Should You Buy One?

I’m going to be honest here. If it weren’t for my affinity for having Apple-branded accessories to go with my iPhone, I would not have purchased the Battery Pack. Both Mophie’s and Anker’s options have a higher battery capacity, while being priced at 50% lower than Apple’s solution. No, they don’t come in different colors, as Anker uses a matte finish, and Mophie makes use of a fabric-like finish on its battery pack.

So should you buy the MagSafe Battery Pack for yourself? If you’re okay with not being able to get a full 0-100% charge, want integration with the Batteries Widget, and have the money to spend, then go for it. I’m still going to hold out hope that more accessory makers release portable MagSafe batteries, as these are extremely convenient to just throw in a bag. But also be prepared to have to wipe down the Apple option thanks to the soft-white silicone.

If you want to pick up the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack for yourself, it’s available from Amazon for 99 with two-day Prime Shipping.

Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.

He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including i, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.

Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack extends your iPhone 12’s battery with a snap

The common truth with phones is that as the design gets thinner, the battery life shrinks. The iPhone 12 family is no different — 12 Mini, 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max included — and on intense days with FaceTimes, lots of typing and gaming, the battery percentage can drop quickly.

So what’s the fix? Traditionally, it’s a portable battery pack that you plug in or a battery case that snaps onto your phone. The new solution is the 99 MagSafe Battery Pack, which attaches to the back and wirelessly charges your iPhone. And we’ve spent several days with the MagSafe Battery Pack, using it on the entire iPhone 12 family. Let’s let lightning spark and unpack the latest iPhone accessory.

If you want a purpose-built battery that doesn’t add much weight and brings a ton of function, we’d say the 99 MagSafe Battery Pack fits the bill.

The who, what and how

Who this is for: The MagSafe Battery Pack is a purpose-built accessory that takes advantage of the iPhone 12 design and aims to stretch the battery life a bit more. It’s ideal if you don’t want to be bothered by carrying a separate portable charger.

What you need to know: This accessory gives iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max users a simple and engaging way to extend battery life. over, it integrates with iOS in a way that other batteries or options can’t. However, it’s not the longest-lasting or fastest charger out there.

How this compares: Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack is neither the thinnest nor the fastest portable charging solution. Traditional battery packs might be larger and a whole separate device, but they offer more mAhs and ports, which let you charge more devices. Third-party solutions — like Anker’s or Hyper’s magnetic power banks — still easily attach to the back but don’t offer the software integration and slim designs. Often, they’re larger and produce a bit more heat when in use. No other portable battery offers deep integration with iOS, though. The MagSafe Battery Pack is firmly an extender that won’t fully recharge an iPhone but offers convenience and a few neat tricks for 99.

Snaps to the back

The MagSafe Battery Pack is centered around power and design, the latter of which takes unique advantage of Apple’s MagSafe technology. This Battery Pack quickly snaps to the back of the iPhone 12 Mini, 12, 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max. Magnets built into the back of the iPhone match up with magnets on the battery pack itself. And it snaps with a satisfying thud on the back.

Like Apple’s Smart Battery Cases, this accessory will create a hump on the back of your phone. The MagSafe Battery Packs measures in at about 11 millimeters thick and weighs in at 113 grams. That’s smaller than the original iPhone and close to the size of a MagSafe Wallet. It’s a hard shell plastic design that comes only in white with a gray Apple logo centered at the top. Previous Smart Battery Cases have opted for a soft silicone shell, but this harder plastic seems better against denim and drops. Namely, it doesn’t scuff as quickly and doesn’t show dye from jeans after some early tests.

The bottom of the MagSafe Battery Pack features a Lightning port and a single LED indicator that lets you know when it’s charging. You won’t find a Lightning cable included in the box, though you’ll need one to charge the battery pack. Here’s the best Lightning cable of 2021. When you plug the Battery Pack into a Lightning cable for charge, the LED indicator will glow orange for a bit, and green when it’s fully charged. We imagine Apple opted for the Lightning port as you already have that for the iPhone it will be attached to.

Now, regardless of your iPhone — 12 Mini, 12, 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max — you’ll get the same MagSafe Battery Pack. It’s a one-size-fits-all approach. On an iPhone 12 Mini, it covers the bottom back, matching perfectly with the edges. On the 12 or 12 Pro, you have some more wiggle room on the left, right and bottom. With the 12 Pro Max, it sits centered on the back with plenty of space. The bigger the iPhone, the more back room.

So it’s a small hump on the back that, while noticeable, isn’t obnoxious. The iPhone 12 or 12 Pro is still easy to hold with the MagSafe Battery Pack on and it makes the 12 Mini easy to cradle. We’re also happy to report that it still fits in our skinny jeans front The magnet provides a strong connection that we haven’t been able to knock off by waving our phone around or sliding in and out of spaces like jeans.

There’s nothing truly fancy here, though we can’t help but wonder why Apple didn’t offer this new accessory in other colors. A MagSafe Battery Pack color-matched to a purple iPhone 12 or blue 12 Pro would have been delightful.

It’s an extender, not a super-fast portable battery

The MagSafe Battery Pack isn’t competing against traditional portable batteries or fast chargers. It’s best thought of as a battery extender. When you have a long day where the iPhone 12 needs to go the extra mile, you can attach the MagSafe Battery Pack and get a charge going.

Apple doesn’t typically share many specs, and with the MagSafe Battery Pack, the company initially didn’t state the battery size. The rear of the battery pack reveals the cell inside: a 1,460mAh (11.3Wh). Both numbers relate to total capacity, but the Wh is close to that of an iPhone 12 or 12 Pro, so we’d imagine it’s not a small 1,460mAh cell inside but potentially two of them. Apple’s charge rate here is faster than alternatives from Anker (45.99; amazon.com) or Hyper (39.99; hypershop.com), which feature bigger cells and a cheaper price tag.

And after nearly a week of testing, you can expect the MagSafe Battery Pack to deliver around 60% of power to the iPhone 12 or 12 Pro. With the iPhone 12 Mini, that percentage is higher, and on the 12 Pro Max, it’s slightly lower. It’s firmly an extender here, though, and the amount of power you’ll get will vary depending on what you’re doing on the iPhone while charging. With the MagSafe Battery Pack just attached to the iPhone, it wirelessly charges at a relatively slow 5 watts. This is both to conserve battery health and for heat. And having it connected doesn’t generate a tremendous amount of heat either. It’s similar to the level of warmth that a Smart Battery Case delivers.

For instance, being on FaceTime or playing a game is more taxing on the battery and the charger, therefore you won’t see a real-time wild jump, especially at 5 watts. We attached a fully charged MagSafe Battery Pack to a dead iPhone 12, and after an hour of charging, it hit 46% with about 25% battery left in the pack. That’s pretty great. During a long workday, we attached the MagSafe Battery Pack before our commute home to ensure we’d have enough battery life. On a regular night, we’d end with about 15% to 20%, and we left with 30% to 40% while using the device for streaming and communication while commuting home. So, yes, the charge varies, but it’s an extender when just attached to the back.

If you have the MagSafe Battery Pack plugged in with a cable while it’s attached to the back of your iPhone 12, the charging speed zips up to 15 watts. That’s a much faster standard that the MagSafe Wireless Charging Puck can produce. It’s pretty handy as well since the MagSafe Battery Pack is dual purpose; you can use it to keep the iPhone going while on the go or have it plugged in on your desk in a wireless charging capacity.

What’s really cool is that if you have your iPhone 12 Mini, 12, 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max plugged in with the MagSafe Battery Pack attached, the phone will charge the pack as well. This is done through reverse wireless charging, and it’s the first time this capability has been unlocked on the iPhone. It’s similar to how the Pixel 5 or a Samsung Galaxy can charge a pair of earbuds or another Qi-enabled device off the back. This charging feature is a pretty neat bonus.

Alongside a simple design and extra battery life, the 99 price tag also affords some convenience. The MagSafe Battery Pack is integrated with iOS in a way that no other battery pack can be. Similar to what happens when you connect a MagSafe wallet or case, the MagSafe Battery Pack flashes a graphic and the battery level of the pack once you connect it. The battery indicator in the top right corner of iOS will glow green when it starts to receive power. As soon as it’s attached, it will begin delivering power to the iPhone. You will need iOS 14.7 to take full advantage of all the MagSafe Battery Pack has to offer.

Bottom line

Like previous Smart Battery Cases, it’s all about the convenience here — not the size of the battery. You can get much larger batteries for less than the MagSafe Battery Pack’s 99 price tag, but they don’t snap to the back of your phone in an instant or integrate with iOS. You can monitor the battery life of the pack right in a widget, and the iPhone can push power to the MagSafe.

If you want a purpose-built battery that doesn’t add much weight and brings a ton of function, we’d say the 99 MagSafe Battery Pack will help you cross that finish line at the end of a busy day. It’s not an endurance charger, though. Those looking for a purely larger amount of power should look at Hyper’s or Anker’s magnetic packs.

Note: The above reflect the retailers’ listed price at the time of publication.

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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Hands-on: How Apple’s new iPhone 12 MagSafe Battery Pack compares to Anker’s for on-the-go charging

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article where I called MagSafe the defining feature of the iPhone 12 line. Little did I know that Apple was about to release its own official MagSafe battery pack. So, of course, I bought it immediately because I wanted to see how it compared in day-to-day use with the Anker Magnetic Battery Pack. Let’s dive into my comparison of the Apple MagSafe Battery vs. Anker Magnetic Battery Pack.

As I’ve mentioned in my iPhone 12 mini diary, the battery in my iPhone doesn’t last nearly as long as it did when I was on the “Max” lineup, but that’s the trade-off you make to have an iPhone you can fit in your

While I haven’t traveled as much as I usually would since the iPhone 12 mini was released, I’ve done enough to feel how it functions when not at my desk. The truth is that if you travel with the iPhone 12 mini, you’ll need external batteries to make it through the day with normal to heavy usage. So it’s not a matter of if you’ll need an external battery, but which one.

One of the benefits of MagSafe is that you won’t need to use a cable to charge your iPhone. If you want the absolute biggest external battery you can find, you’ll want to go with an actual external battery that you’ll plug your iPhone into. I own a handful of models similar to these, and for extended trips, I always keep one in my bag.

For shorter trips, I am going to rely on MagSafe batteries from now on. Now that I have three options, which one will be my go-to model for trips and days when I’ll be away from home most of the day?

Apple MagSafe Battery vs. Anker Magnetic Battery Pack

Before we look at the key features, one thing to keep in mind is that only Apple’s battery is MagSafe certified. The other options are MagSafe compatible, though. In practice, I’ve never had an issue with charging from the non-Apple ones.

Price

One of the biggest considerations when choosing a MagSafe battery pack is the price. Both the Anker and the Charge Fast models are less than 50. Apple’s MagSafe battery is 99, so right away, that’s a reason to look elsewhere.

iOS integration

The second thing to consider is integration with the iPhone. On the Apple MagSafe battery, there is a widget showing the current charge of the battery. For obvious reasons, none of the third-party options can deliver that. Is that feature worth spending an extra 50 on? It’s hard to justify, in my opinion.

Capacity

Capacity is where the problems crop up for Apple’s MagSafe battery. Apple’s MagSafe battery is 11.13Wh, where the Anker model is 18.5Wh. So for double the price, you’re getting a much lower capacity battery.

Size

Both battery packs are compatible with each other in physical size. Both will fit the iPhone 12 mini as well as the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The underside of Apple’s battery case is slight softer than Anker’s, but if you’re using a case, you won’t likely notice a difference.

Wrap up on Apple MagSafe Battery vs. Anker Magnetic Battery Pack

After spending some time with Apple’s MagSafe battery pack, I can firmly say that it’s not the best value. It might be the best one if you want the whole Apple experience, but it’s double the price of the Anker Magnetic Battery Pack.

While this might seem like a trivial thing, I am over devices that charge by lightning. Because of MagSafe, I want to go to USB-C for everything wired charging. My MacBook Air charges over USB-C, my iPad Air charges over USB-C, my Logitech MX3 charges over USB-C, and my Airpods Pro charges over wireless charging. I almost never use lightning now. The Anker Magnetic Battery Pack charges over USB-C, and that’s a significant benefit of using it.

Pros of Apple MagSafe Battery Pack

iOS integration with a battery widget
Apple logo on the back, with quality and reputation that go with it

Pros of Anker Magnetic Battery Pack

So what’s the final verdict on the Apple MagSafe Battery vs Anker Magnetic Battery Pack? Unless you want to charge with a lightning cable and like the iPhone battery widget integration, I can’t recommend it over the Anker model. So if you have a budget of 100 to spend, grab two of them. If this product had come out simultaneously with the iPhone 12 without competitors, it might be a different story, but charging power is charging power. Sadly, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is the first Apple product I’ve ever returned. There’s nothing major wrong with it other than it gives about half the charge of third-party brands at double the cost.

Sources:

https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/07/24/Apple-magsafe-battery-pack-review-great-but-controversy-abound
https://appletoolbox.com/Apple-magsafe-battery-pack-review-absolutely-convenient/
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/cnn-underscored/reviews/Apple-magsafe-battery-pack
https://9to5mac.com/2021/07/20/first-impressions-apples-magsafe-battery-pack-isnt-perfect-but-youll-probably-still-want-to-get-one/
https://9to5mac.com/2021/07/25/hands-on-how-apples-new-iPhone-12-magsafe-battery-pack-compares-to-ankers-for-on-the-go-charging/