How to keep all your Apple devices charged on the go
Power is essential for your mobile devices. When their batteries run out, you either need to charge them or you can no longer use them. And when you’re on the road, it’s especially important to ensure that your devices won’t run out of juice, because you may not be able to plug them into power outlets anytime soon.
In this article, we’ll take a look at portable battery packs that you can use to charge all your Apple mobile devices: your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Airpods, Beats headphones, and even your MacBook.
How is battery life measured?
Battery life for mobile devices is measured in two ways. The first is the number of hours that a device can work, according to the manufacturer’s specifications. For example, the basic iPhone 14 offers video playback of “up to 20 hours,” and audio playback of “up to 80 hours.” These vague estimates of battery life are based on very specific settings on the device, with certain features activated, brightness at a certain level, and more.
You probably find that your iPhone’s battery doesn’t last 20 hours. The tasks you perform are different from those in Apple’s test suite, and you may have your iPhone brighter than they did in their test, because, well, you need to see what’s on the screen.
The second way battery life is measured is by the capacity of the battery in milliampere/hours, or mAh. Apple doesn’t specify the capacity of its batteries, but third parties test Apple devices and publish their results. DXOMARK tested the iPhone 14 Pro and found that its battery’s capacity was 3,200 mAh. MacRumors found battery capacity information in a Chinese regulatory database, confirming these test results. The mAh capacity of a battery offers minimal guidance about how long it lasts, but can help you determine what sort of portable battery pack you need to partially or fully charge them.
What are portable battery packs?
Portable battery packs are.sized devices that contain large lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. They generally have one or more USB ports so you can plug devices into them, and many have a separate USB port to charge them. You can attach a USB to Lightning cable to charge an iPhone or Airpods, or a USB to USB-C cable to charge most Beats headphones. (Depending on the battery pack, it may have USB Type A or USB-C ports, or both.) You can also use this type of battery pack to charge non-Apple devices, as long as you have the appropriate cable.
Some battery packs provide the equivalent of several days’ charge for an iPhone, while others are more limited. Apple sells a MagSafe Battery Pack, and they say that it will provide, for example, “Up to 60% additional charge” with the iPhone 14, and between 40% to 70% for other models, depending on their internal battery capacity. This means that this battery pack will not provide a full charge to an iPhone. This makes sense given the relatively small size of the pack compared to these phones.
Portable battery packs are rated in mAh, but also in Wh, or watt hours. This latter figure is more important, because they take into account the voltage at which the battery pack can charge a device. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t specify either mAh or Wh for their battery pack, so you have to search to find the numbers: 1,460 mAh and 11.13 Wh. These values allows you to compare Apple’s product with other devices.
In short, the numbers that you see — generally mAh for battery packs — don’t always tell the whole story. But at the same time, you probably don’t need to worry too much about precise numbers.
Battery packs to charge your Apple devices on the go
Note that these are NOT paid product placements, and the companies below are NOT sponsors of Intego or this blog; these are just some popular options from Apple and other well-known brands.
MagSafe battery packs for iPhones
If you just need a bump for your iPhone on long days, Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack is a great option. It’s more expensive than the competition, but it’s also slimmer and lighter, at 112g. It integrates well with iOS, with a visible indicator on screen when you connect it. The Battery widget on the iPhone shows its current charge so you know how much longer it will last. It also supports fast charging when connected to a 27W or higher power adapter.
Anker sells magnetic battery packs that are half the price of Apple’s, or even less. Its 5,000 mAh Magnetic Battery (MagGo) weighs 140g, and offers 19.25 Wh. Meanwhile, Anker’s 10,000 mAw battery pack weighs 218g. The increased size and weight may be a deal-breaker, but if you need lots of extra power for all-day or multi-day excursions, then you might want to opt for one of these.
Non-MagSafe options, including for MacBooks and iPads
Most portable battery packs aren’t MagSafe: they are just big, dumb batteries, which is fine for most uses. The Mophie Powerstation Pro, which Apple sells, is a 20,000 mAh battery pack with two USB-C ports. It can charge two devices at the same time, with the appropriate cables, and it can also fast charge at up to 45W, for Apple devices that support this. Apple says that it provides more than 8 hours of charge for a MacBook, and more than 72 hours of charge for iPhones. Heavy-duty chargers are also ideal for charging iPads as well. Apple sells several devices in this product line, ranging from 5,000 mAh to 25,000 mAh. If you want to be able to charge a laptop on the go, you should get the battery pack with the highest number of mAh.
One practical device is Belkin’s Boost Charge Plus, a 10,000 mAh battery pack with integrated USB-C and Lightning cables. With this device, you don’t have to worry about having cables, as they fold into the device.
Be cautious about off-brand chargers
Amazon is full of portable battery packs, and you can get a 10,000 mAh battery pack for around 20 these days. It’s tempting to choose the cheapest ones, but they may be limited in the number of devices they can charge, and how fast they can charge and be charged.
I’ve had cheap battery packs that take a long time to recharge, often overnight, and that means they’re not ready when you need to use them.
You may also want to steer clear of off-brands, or bizarrely named brands you’ve never heard of, which might be knock-offs or lower-quality products. In theory, these could potentially damage your Apple devices, so be cautious.
Don’t forget about your Apple Watch
With more Apple devices using “wireless charging” (also known as inductive charging, or Qi charging), cables alone won’t let you charge all your devices. It’s a good idea to keep Apple’s MagSafe charging disc with you when you’re on the road, to charge your iPhone and Airpods, and have an Apple Watch charging disc as well, if you have that device. Or think of using Apple’s hybrid MagSafe Duo Charger that charges your iPhone, Airpods, and Apple Watch — though only your watch and one other device at the same time. Note that the MagSafe Duo does not contain a battery pack of its own, but it can be plugged into a portable battery pack that has a USB-C port.
Having a portable battery pack is essential for when you are on the go and want to ensure your devices don’t run out of power. There are many options available, and it’s important to consider the capacity, weight, and charging speed of battery packs to pick the best one for you.
How can I learn more?
Each week on the Intego Mac Podcast, Intego’s Mac security experts discuss the latest Apple news, including security and privacy stories, and offer practical advice on getting the most out of your Apple devices. Be sure to follow the podcast to make sure you don’t miss any episodes.
You can also subscribe to our e-mail newsletter and keep an eye here on The Mac Security Blog for the latest Apple security and privacy news. And don’t forget to follow Intego on your favorite social media channels:
Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: What You Need to Know
The simplest products can be the most effective. The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is just that: a simple and effective way to recharge your iPhone 12 hands-free and with no wires necessary. For 99, the battery pack sticks on to the back of all iPhone models, thanks to the help of magnets, and will power up your phone at 5 watts. At home, if the battery pack is plugged into a 20-watt wall outlet, it can act as a 15-watt MagSafe charger.
While this gadget may be a perfect travel companion, there are still some considerations to keep in mind. I’ll try to answer all those questions you may have about this new, first-party MagSafe accessory from Apple.
What colors does it come in?
The MagSafe Battery Pack comes in white—and only white at launch.
How much battery life does the battery pack have?
The Apple MagSafe Battery pack itself has a battery capacity of 1,460 mAh. The smallest iPhone 12 mini has a battery size of 2,227 mAh, so it won’t completely recharge any of the iPhone 12 models.
To compare, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro both have a capacity of 2,815 mAh. The biggest iPhone 12 Pro Max has a huge battery capacity of 3,687 mAh, so popping this battery pack on the back will likely provide less than 50 percent.
How fast does it charge iPhones? (And how do you charge it?)
The MagSafe Battery Pack charges at 5 watts while on the go. This is the slowest speed for wired or wireless charging. When the MagSafe Battery Pack is connected (with a lightning cable) to a 20-watt wall charger it can charge an iPhone 12 at 15 watts—the fastest wireless speed for Apple devices.
There are two ways to recharge the battery pack. You can either plug it into a lightning charging cable or attach it to the back of an iPhone 12 and plug the phone into a lighting charging cable. The phone will reverse-charge the battery pack.
Does the battery pack stay secure?
In my hands-on time with the battery pack, it was extremely secure and didn’t come loose. It features the same two magnets as other MagSafe accessories—a circle and line. The circle magnet does the heavy lifting of keeping it in place, while the line is supposed to keep it from shifting left or right.
In practice, once the pack is secure and aligned, it doesn’t move. Even while handling the phone.
Does it come off while putting it in a ? It didn’t for me. Both with jeans and shorts, it stayed on well. It has a more secure hold than the MagSafe Wallet that Apple sells.
How does it feel? The exterior is smooth, hard plastic. It looks like a rubbery silicone-type material in pictures, but it isn’t. It feels really nice to hold. It’s hard to tell how the material will hold up and look over time, but after a few days, it still looks nice.
How does the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack compare to Anker’s, Mophie’s and others’?
I’ve tested the HyperJuice magnetic battery pack from Hyper, and it’s similar in a lot of ways, including its speed and size. It also charges at 5 watts when on the go. It’s about the same length and width as Apple’s.
In terms of advantages, the HyperJuice has four lights to indicate its remaining battery charge. It uses USB-C to recharge and can do pass-through charging, enabling a USB-C cable to recharge your iPhone. It also has more listed battery capacity to charge an iPhone 12 nearly one full time.
The Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K and Mophie Snap Plus Juice Pack Mini are also very similar and offer the speed, capacity and relative size to Hyper’s and third-party packs.
The biggest difference may be the price. Each of the third-party options mentioned retail at less than half of Apple’s 99 price.
Should you buy the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack?
There are two main reasons to buy the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: its smaller physical size and its doubling as a MagSafe charger. It’s easier to justify the price if you’re going to use this as a MagSafe charger on your desk at home and a battery pack while you’re out. Plus, it’s the thinnest one available, if that’s a concern.
There are plenty of reasons not to get it, too. The biggest consideration (aside from price) is its capacity. If having your phone be able to last just a little bit longer will keep you from needing to bring along a charger and cord and to look for outlets throughout your day, then the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack could be great. If anything less than at least one full recharge added to your phone won’t solve your power problems, this Apple battery pack probably isn’t a solution for you.
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Apple quietly releases official MagSafe battery pack for 99
Apple has quietly released its official MagSafe battery pack for 99. The MagSafe Battery Pack is now available from Apple’s website. The Battery Pack only comes in white with a matte finish and features a lightning port to recharge it.
The new item’s support page explains that the MagSafe Battery Pack can be recharged with up to 20W of power. The Battery Pack can recharge the iPhone 12 at up to 15W but only when the Battery Pack is connected to a 20W or higher adapter. The Battery Pack can also recharge if the iPhone is connected to power. The MagSafe Battery will recharge the iPhone at 5W while off the grid.
Official Apple images of MagSafe Battery Pack
The Battery Pack does not include a charger or cable, nor does Apple list how much you can expect this product to extend the battery life of an iPhone. According to 9to5Mac, the Pack has a capacity of 11.2 watt hours or 1460 mAh which may be enough to fully charge the iPhone 12 mini.
Back in February, Bloomberg sources reported that Apple was reportedly working on a MagSafe battery pack accessory for the iPhone 12 lineup. It was reported that prototypes of the accessory was overheating due to software issues.
Apple introduced MagSafe on the iPhone 12 lineup and the feature uses magnets that lineup and click into place for the purpose of wireless charging. MagSafe has been implemented into both first-party and third-party cases, wallets, and other charging accessories.
Related
Reader Комментарии и мнения владельцев
I’m tired of your overpriced products, Apple. You hold a special place in my heart, but it’s time to move on.
Yes ur right BUT, laws of physics have nothing to do with my topic as I mentioned in my previous comment. Not charging but rather my topic.
You say laws of physics have nothing to do with charging and then you (in the same breath) wonder why charging was slow at 5W. And to confuse you further, it’s not just physics, it’s actually chemistry too because li-ion batteries hold ener.
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.
iPhone J.D.
iPhone J.D. is the oldest and largest website for lawyers using iPhones and iPads. iPhone J.D. is published by Jeff Richardson, an attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana. This site does not provide legal advice, and any opinions expressed on this site are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of Jeff’s law firm, Adams and Reese LLP. iPhone J.D. is not associated with Apple, Inc.
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July 11, 2022
Review: MagSafe Battery Pack from Apple.- small, lightweight solution for additional iPhone power when you are on-the-go
Almost exactly one year ago, Apple released a new product: the MagSafe Battery Pack. The initial retail price was 99.99, but you can now often find it for less on Amazon. As I type this, it is on sale for 79.99. I was intrigued by this product when it was released last year, but because I wasn’t doing much travel in 2021, I didn’t purchase one. About six weeks ago, I took advantage of one of the sales on Amazon to purchase this product in anticipation of a vacation to Italy that my wife and I were planning. We just returned, and we had a fantastic time in Italy—even though COVID did its best to interfere. My wife and I originally planned this trip for the Summer of 2020, but obviously that trip had to be canceled due to COVID. And when we finally took what was supposed to be a two-week trip while my kids were in summer camp, we had to cut our vacation short and come home early because my son got COVID, followed a few days later by my daughter getting it. So as I sit here in my home, typing this review while wearing a mask, I cannot help but think that I should be in Venice right now. Darn COVID!
My vacation didn’t turn out as planned, but what did perform like a champ was Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack. I really cannot say enough good things about this product. If you are looking for a great way to extend the battery life of any iPhone that supports MagSafe, and if you use an iPhone that supports MagSafe, this is the product to get.
Get through a long day
During a normal day, the battery in my iPhone 13 Pro has no trouble lasting all day. But on a normal day, I’m not using the phone non-stop. And even when I am using the iPhone, I typically have easy access to a Lightning cord connected to a computer or a wall outlet so I can easily top off the battery during the day.
When traveling for work or pleasure, however, you often find yourself away from a power source for most of the day. And you may also find yourself using your iPhone far more than normal. That was definitely true while I was in Italy. I frequently used the TripIt app and PDF Expert to keep track of my itinerary. I made extensive use of Apple’s Maps app to guide me around cities in Italy (Milan, Verona, Bologna, and Parma). When walking around cities that are over 2,000 years old, the street pattern can often seem chaotic for a tourist, so it is easy to get lost without GPS and a map on an iPhone. I also used ApplePay on my iPhone to pay at restaurants and other establishments, used translation apps to read signs and menus and communicate with others, used train apps to get from town to town, used apps like Messages and WhatsApp and sometimes even the phone itself to make reservations or request information. And of course, I used my iPhone to take hundreds of photos and many 4K videos. Suffice it to say that I was using my iPhone all day long every day. And because my wife and I would often start early in the day and not get back to our Airbnb or hotel until late at night, I had no easy access to traditional charging methods.
Fortunately, my MagSafe Battery Pack was with me at all times, so I had no trouble using my iPhone all day long. The amount of extra battery power that you get depends upon the iPhone model that you are using. Apple says that you get:
- Up to 70% additional charge with iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 13 mini and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 40% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro Max and MagSafe Battery Pack
I use an iPhone 13 Pro, and about 60% additional charge seems about right. Without this battery pack, my iPhone would have died most days in the afternoon, but instead, I was able to make it through the end of the day. I never once ran out of power during my vacation thanks to the MagSafe Battery Pack.
By the way, the MagSafe Battery Pack is designed to stop charging your iPhone when it hits 90%. This reduces the stress on your internal battery. If you want to push pack 90% anyway, there is a way to do that. First, make sure that the Lower Power Mode icon is visible in your Control Center—which you access on a Face ID iPhone by swiping down from the top right. (If it is not there, go to the Settings app and add it.) Second, hold down on that icon, which looks like a battery, for about two seconds. You will now see an option to continue charging past 90%.
Small size and lightweight
The MagSafe Battery Pack is about 11mm thick and weighs about 114 grams. When I slipped it into a in my pants or shorts and walked around, I never even noticed that it was in my. except for the times when it might bounce against something else in my And frankly, that is the only test that matters. Because you can easily slip it into a. it is always with you without being annoying to you when you are not using it.
When you are ready to use the MagSafe Battery Pack, just put it behind your iPhone. There are no on/off switches to flip. There are no cords to get in the way. It just works.
Of course, there are tons of ways to have portable power with an iPhone. For example, I’m a big fan of the Anker PowerCore 10000 PD Redux (49.95 on Amazon), which I can slip into my along with a USB-C to Lightning cord to recharge my iPhone. And the 10,000 mAh of the PowerCore provides far more power than 1,460 mAh of the MagSafe Battery, not only because of the difference in power capacity but also because transferring power over a cord is far more efficient than wireless charging, which can waste up to 30% of the power due to heat.
It is also worth noting that Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging is better than other wireless charging solutions, such as Qi chargers, because Apple has a higher voltage potential, and also because the magnets put the charger in the best position to maximize efficiency—which is why you lose only about 30% of power during MagSafe charging but you lose about 50% using traditional Qi charging. (This article by Simon Jary of Macworld provides more information on all of this.) But even if you can get more power with a product like the PowerCore, I still think that the MagSafe Battery Pack is better because it is so small and lightweight.
When you add the MagSafe Battery Pack to the back of an iPhone, it does make the iPhone a little heavier, and enough to notice the difference. Because of the curves on the sides, I didn’t find the iPhone to be much more uncomfortable to hold, but the additional weight does mean that you notice the iPhone in a even more.
On the other hand, the experience is far better than using an external battery such as the PowerCore along with a cord to connect the external battery to the iPhone. I have had times when the PowerCore was in my pants. my iPhone was in my shirt. and a cord extended from my pants to my shirt That works, but I look silly, and I need to be incredibly careful that the cord doesn’t catch on something, especially if I’m walking around. If I’m sitting at a desk, it works fine. But if I’m walking around, an external batterycord is a pretty miserable solution; in comparison, the MagSafe Battery Pack is a dream.
You can use the MagSafe Battery Pack when your iPhone is in a case that supports MagSafe. For example, I sometimes use Apple’s leather case on my iPhone, and I used it pretty much all of the time that I was on vacation because it added some friction to side of my iPhone, reducing the chance that it would slip out of my hands. This battery pack worked fine with that case.
Note that for the leather case, if the battery pack is attached for an extended period of time, it makes a small mark in the leather that, in my tests, went away a few hours after I removed the battery pack. These are just imprints from the compression of the leather as a result of the magnets.
Useful information on charging
If the MagSafe Battery Pack was nothing more than a small and lightweight charging solution that avoids a cord, that would be enough to make me happy. But what puts this product over the top is how versatile it is. For example, I love the information that you can see on charging status.
If your iPhone screen is off, when you put the MagSafe Battery Pack behind the iPhone it quickly connects using the magnets. Next, you see an indication on the screen of how much power your iPhone has and how much power the MagSafe Battery Pack itself has.
No third-party battery has the capability, and it is a great feature, making it very easy to see how much total power you have.
If I continue to make extensive use of my iPhone with the battery pack attached, I find that the iPhone’s battery percentage doesn’t change very much, neither adding nor decreasing the battery percentage. In other words, adding the battery pack stops the drain of my battery percentage. When my iPhone is turned off and in my with the battery pack attached, then the percentage of power on my iPhone will increase at a pretty decent pace as power is transferred from the matter pack to the iPhone.
To see the battery indicator again, I can quickly pull off the battery pack (to disconnect) and then place it on again (to connect) to once again see the current battery percentages. Or, you can swipe to the right on your Home Screen to see a widget showing battery percentages, assuming that you have that widget enabled.
Multiple choices for charging
The MagSafe Battery Pack has a Lightning charging port at the bottom, just like the iPhone. Thus, if I plug the battery pack into a Lightning connector, I can recharge it.
Additionally, when the MagSafe Battery Pack is connected to the iPhone, you can plug a Lightning Cord into either the iPhone or the battery pack to charge both. If you connect the Lightning cord to the battery pack and use a 20W or higher power adapter, then the MagSafe Battery Pack can provide up to 15W of charging to the iPhone, first charging your iPhone and then recharging the battery pack. Or, you can connect the charging cord to the iPhone, which will charge the iPhone and then charge the battery pack connected to the iPhone. (When you use the battery pack on-the-go, without being attached to a power cord, it provides 7.5W or charging to the iPhone.)
There is a rumor that the 2022 or 2023 model of the iPhone will use USB-C instead of Lightning. When that happens, perhaps Apple will release a new version of the battery pack that supports USB-C instead of Lightning. I mention this because if you buy this product today and buy a new iPhone with USB-C in the Fall, it will be somewhat less convenient to use two different charging options for a future iPhone and this battery pack. On the other hand, because you can use a cord that charges the iPhone and have the iPhone charge the battery pack, or you can use a cord that charges the battery pack and have the battery pack charge the iPhone, I don’t think that any transition to USB-C will have a big impact on the usability of this Lightning version of this product.
Airpods Charging Case
Apple advertises the battery pack as a way to recharge an iPhone. Having said that, in my tests, if you put an Airpods Charging Case that supports wireless charging on top of the MagSafe battery pack, you can use the battery pack to recharge the Airpods Charging Case. And Apple’s website does seem to acknowledge that this works on a page that address MagSafe charging in general, although not the MagSafe Battery Pack in particular.
The best part of the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is how easy it is to use. It is easy to carry around in a It is easy to attach—just put it behind your iPhone and let the magnets do the rest. And it makes it easy to get through a long day with your iPhone even if the built-in battery wouldn’t provide another power to do so.
There are countless other ways to use a portable battery to charge an iPhone, including options that try to mimic some of the features of Apple’s battery pack, and most of those options are cheaper than the 80 you will pay to get this device on sale the 100 normal price. But what you save in up-front costs is, in my opinion, made up for in convenience. If you have an iPhone that supports MagSafe (iPhone 12 or 13 line), there is simply no easier way to charge an iPhone when you are on-the go.
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Review: MagSafe Battery Pack from Apple.- small, lightweight solution for additional iPhone power when you are on-the-go
Almost exactly one year ago, Apple released a new product: the MagSafe Battery Pack. The initial retail price was 99.99, but you can now often find it for less on Amazon. As I type this, it is on sale for 79.99. I was intrigued by this product when it was released last year, but because I wasn’t doing much travel in 2021, I didn’t purchase one. About six weeks ago, I took advantage of one of the sales on Amazon to purchase this product in anticipation of a vacation to Italy that my wife and I were planning. We just returned, and we had a fantastic time in Italy—even though COVID did its best to interfere. My wife and I originally planned this trip for the Summer of 2020, but obviously that trip had to be canceled due to COVID. And when we finally took what was supposed to be a two-week trip while my kids were in summer camp, we had to cut our vacation short and come home early because my son got COVID, followed a few days later by my daughter getting it. So as I sit here in my home, typing this review while wearing a mask, I cannot help but think that I should be in Venice right now. Darn COVID!
My vacation didn’t turn out as planned, but what did perform like a champ was Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack. I really cannot say enough good things about this product. If you are looking for a great way to extend the battery life of any iPhone that supports MagSafe, and if you use an iPhone that supports MagSafe, this is the product to get.
Get through a long day
During a normal day, the battery in my iPhone 13 Pro has no trouble lasting all day. But on a normal day, I’m not using the phone non-stop. And even when I am using the iPhone, I typically have easy access to a Lightning cord connected to a computer or a wall outlet so I can easily top off the battery during the day.
When traveling for work or pleasure, however, you often find yourself away from a power source for most of the day. And you may also find yourself using your iPhone far more than normal. That was definitely true while I was in Italy. I frequently used the TripIt app and PDF Expert to keep track of my itinerary. I made extensive use of Apple’s Maps app to guide me around cities in Italy (Milan, Verona, Bologna, and Parma). When walking around cities that are over 2,000 years old, the street pattern can often seem chaotic for a tourist, so it is easy to get lost without GPS and a map on an iPhone. I also used ApplePay on my iPhone to pay at restaurants and other establishments, used translation apps to read signs and menus and communicate with others, used train apps to get from town to town, used apps like Messages and WhatsApp and sometimes even the phone itself to make reservations or request information. And of course, I used my iPhone to take hundreds of photos and many 4K videos. Suffice it to say that I was using my iPhone all day long every day. And because my wife and I would often start early in the day and not get back to our Airbnb or hotel until late at night, I had no easy access to traditional charging methods.
Fortunately, my MagSafe Battery Pack was with me at all times, so I had no trouble using my iPhone all day long. The amount of extra battery power that you get depends upon the iPhone model that you are using. Apple says that you get:
- Up to 70% additional charge with iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 13 mini and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 40% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro Max and MagSafe Battery Pack
I use an iPhone 13 Pro, and about 60% additional charge seems about right. Without this battery pack, my iPhone would have died most days in the afternoon, but instead, I was able to make it through the end of the day. I never once ran out of power during my vacation thanks to the MagSafe Battery Pack.
By the way, the MagSafe Battery Pack is designed to stop charging your iPhone when it hits 90%. This reduces the stress on your internal battery. If you want to push pack 90% anyway, there is a way to do that. First, make sure that the Lower Power Mode icon is visible in your Control Center—which you access on a Face ID iPhone by swiping down from the top right. (If it is not there, go to the Settings app and add it.) Second, hold down on that icon, which looks like a battery, for about two seconds. You will now see an option to continue charging past 90%.
Small size and lightweight
The MagSafe Battery Pack is about 11mm thick and weighs about 114 grams. When I slipped it into a in my pants or shorts and walked around, I never even noticed that it was in my. except for the times when it might bounce against something else in my And frankly, that is the only test that matters. Because you can easily slip it into a. it is always with you without being annoying to you when you are not using it.
When you are ready to use the MagSafe Battery Pack, just put it behind your iPhone. There are no on/off switches to flip. There are no cords to get in the way. It just works.
Of course, there are tons of ways to have portable power with an iPhone. For example, I’m a big fan of the Anker PowerCore 10000 PD Redux (49.95 on Amazon), which I can slip into my along with a USB-C to Lightning cord to recharge my iPhone. And the 10,000 mAh of the PowerCore provides far more power than 1,460 mAh of the MagSafe Battery, not only because of the difference in power capacity but also because transferring power over a cord is far more efficient than wireless charging, which can waste up to 30% of the power due to heat.
It is also worth noting that Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging is better than other wireless charging solutions, such as Qi chargers, because Apple has a higher voltage potential, and also because the magnets put the charger in the best position to maximize efficiency—which is why you lose only about 30% of power during MagSafe charging but you lose about 50% using traditional Qi charging. (This article by Simon Jary of Macworld provides more information on all of this.) But even if you can get more power with a product like the PowerCore, I still think that the MagSafe Battery Pack is better because it is so small and lightweight.
When you add the MagSafe Battery Pack to the back of an iPhone, it does make the iPhone a little heavier, and enough to notice the difference. Because of the curves on the sides, I didn’t find the iPhone to be much more uncomfortable to hold, but the additional weight does mean that you notice the iPhone in a even more.
On the other hand, the experience is far better than using an external battery such as the PowerCore along with a cord to connect the external battery to the iPhone. I have had times when the PowerCore was in my pants. my iPhone was in my shirt. and a cord extended from my pants to my shirt That works, but I look silly, and I need to be incredibly careful that the cord doesn’t catch on something, especially if I’m walking around. If I’m sitting at a desk, it works fine. But if I’m walking around, an external batterycord is a pretty miserable solution; in comparison, the MagSafe Battery Pack is a dream.
You can use the MagSafe Battery Pack when your iPhone is in a case that supports MagSafe. For example, I sometimes use Apple’s leather case on my iPhone, and I used it pretty much all of the time that I was on vacation because it added some friction to side of my iPhone, reducing the chance that it would slip out of my hands. This battery pack worked fine with that case.
Note that for the leather case, if the battery pack is attached for an extended period of time, it makes a small mark in the leather that, in my tests, went away a few hours after I removed the battery pack. These are just imprints from the compression of the leather as a result of the magnets.
Useful information on charging
If the MagSafe Battery Pack was nothing more than a small and lightweight charging solution that avoids a cord, that would be enough to make me happy. But what puts this product over the top is how versatile it is. For example, I love the information that you can see on charging status.
If your iPhone screen is off, when you put the MagSafe Battery Pack behind the iPhone it quickly connects using the magnets. Next, you see an indication on the screen of how much power your iPhone has and how much power the MagSafe Battery Pack itself has.
No third-party battery has the capability, and it is a great feature, making it very easy to see how much total power you have.
If I continue to make extensive use of my iPhone with the battery pack attached, I find that the iPhone’s battery percentage doesn’t change very much, neither adding nor decreasing the battery percentage. In other words, adding the battery pack stops the drain of my battery percentage. When my iPhone is turned off and in my with the battery pack attached, then the percentage of power on my iPhone will increase at a pretty decent pace as power is transferred from the matter pack to the iPhone.
To see the battery indicator again, I can quickly pull off the battery pack (to disconnect) and then place it on again (to connect) to once again see the current battery percentages. Or, you can swipe to the right on your Home Screen to see a widget showing battery percentages, assuming that you have that widget enabled.
Multiple choices for charging
The MagSafe Battery Pack has a Lightning charging port at the bottom, just like the iPhone. Thus, if I plug the battery pack into a Lightning connector, I can recharge it.
Additionally, when the MagSafe Battery Pack is connected to the iPhone, you can plug a Lightning Cord into either the iPhone or the battery pack to charge both. If you connect the Lightning cord to the battery pack and use a 20W or higher power adapter, then the MagSafe Battery Pack can provide up to 15W of charging to the iPhone, first charging your iPhone and then recharging the battery pack. Or, you can connect the charging cord to the iPhone, which will charge the iPhone and then charge the battery pack connected to the iPhone. (When you use the battery pack on-the-go, without being attached to a power cord, it provides 7.5W or charging to the iPhone.)
There is a rumor that the 2022 or 2023 model of the iPhone will use USB-C instead of Lightning. When that happens, perhaps Apple will release a new version of the battery pack that supports USB-C instead of Lightning. I mention this because if you buy this product today and buy a new iPhone with USB-C in the Fall, it will be somewhat less convenient to use two different charging options for a future iPhone and this battery pack. On the other hand, because you can use a cord that charges the iPhone and have the iPhone charge the battery pack, or you can use a cord that charges the battery pack and have the battery pack charge the iPhone, I don’t think that any transition to USB-C will have a big impact on the usability of this Lightning version of this product.
Airpods Charging Case
Apple advertises the battery pack as a way to recharge an iPhone. Having said that, in my tests, if you put an Airpods Charging Case that supports wireless charging on top of the MagSafe battery pack, you can use the battery pack to recharge the Airpods Charging Case. And Apple’s website does seem to acknowledge that this works on a page that address MagSafe charging in general, although not the MagSafe Battery Pack in particular.
The best part of the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is how easy it is to use. It is easy to carry around in a It is easy to attach—just put it behind your iPhone and let the magnets do the rest. And it makes it easy to get through a long day with your iPhone even if the built-in battery wouldn’t provide another power to do so.
There are countless other ways to use a portable battery to charge an iPhone, including options that try to mimic some of the features of Apple‘s battery pack, and most of those options are cheaper than the 80 you will pay to get this device on sale the 100 normal price. But what you save in up-front costs is, in my opinion, made up for in convenience. If you have an iPhone that supports MagSafe (iPhone 12 or 13 line), there is simply no easier way to charge an iPhone when you are on-the go.