With just a few weeks to go before Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 13, the company has released a new MagSafe accessory for the iPhone 12. Specifically, the MagSafe Battery Pack. It's a replacement for the Smart Battery Case previously offered for older iPhones, allowing users to quickly top-up their battery while on the go.
When the iPhone 12 was unveiled last September, MagSafe stood out as one of the most interesting additions to the phone. Using a series of magnets on the back of the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro devices, users can attach a variety of accessories with greater flexibility and security. So far, MagSafe accessories have taken the shape of cases, charging stands, car mounts, and Apple's wireless charging puck. Although there's still plenty of room for the MagSafe accessory market to keep growing, it's proven to be a unique part of the iPhone 12 experience.
10 months after the iPhone 12 series was announced, Apple has finally launched the MagSafe Battery Pack. In short, it's exactly what the name sounds like. It's a small battery pack that attaches to the back of the iPhone 12 using MagSafe, and when it's attached, it starts charging the iPhone instantly. The old Smart Battery Cases effectively did the same thing, but now that MagSafe exists, Apple can just sell a small battery instead of having to build it into a cumbersome case.
While the MagSafe Battery Pack should prove to be a lot more convenient than the Smart Battery Case, that's not to say it's perfect. The included battery is only 1,460 mAh, which is considerably smaller than the 2,815 mAh battery of the iPhone 12 — and a far cry from the 3,687 mAh battery in the iPhone 12 Pro Max. That means the MagSafe Battery Pack won't be able to provide a full recharge, instead just being useful for small top-ups here and there. Furthermore, the accessory charges the iPhone 12 at just 5W when connected.
Thankfully, it's not all bad news. If someone is at home or work and plugs a Lightning cable into the MagSafe Battery Pack, it'll then wirelessly charge the iPhone at up to 15W. Apple recommends using a 20W or higher USB-C power adapter and USB-C to Lightning cable in order for this to work, but it's still a nice way to get dual-functionality out of the accessory. Furthermore, when the MagSafe Battery Pack is plugged in and connected to an iPhone, both the iPhone and MagSafe Battery Pack will charge simultaneously.
The MagSafe Battery Pack is available for purchase right now on Apple's website and is compatible with every iPhone 12 model — including the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Assuming the iPhone 13 series retains MagSafe, which it most likely will, the MagSafe Battery Pack should work just the same when it's released. As for whether or not it's worth the $99 asking price, that's something each person needs to decide for themselves. There are tons of battery packs on Amazon that are much larger and much cheaper, though they aren't as seamless or deeply integrated with the iPhone. A $50 price tag would have been much more reasonable, but at the very least, this is evidence Apple is still committed to MagSafe's future.
Source: Apple
