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iPhone 12 Pro Max Anyone else ditching MagSafe charging?

IllusionEntity

IllusionEntity

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 23, 2013
442
271
Kent, UK
I’ve been using a combination of 5w wired and MagSafe charging this last year with my 12PM. However, the battery health is at 89% after that time. For comparison my 11PM battery health was at 100% when I sold it after a year of use, the only difference being MagSafe.

I know battery health isn’t the be all and end all, but it has certainly put me off using MagSafe charging.

I’ll be switching to a 13 Mini this year from my 12PM. Hugely because I got my hands on a 12 Mini for the first time last week and decided I prefer the size massively. I’ll be using 5w charging this year.
 
IllusionEntity said:
I’ve been using a combination of 5w wired and MagSafe charging this last year with my 12PM. However, the battery health is at 89% after that time. For comparison my 11PM battery health was at 100% when I sold it after a year of use, the only difference being MagSafe.

I know battery health isn’t the be all and end all, but it has certainly put me off using MagSafe charging.

I’ll be switching to a 13 Mini this year from my 12PM. Hugely because I got my hands on a 12 Mini for the first time last week and decided I prefer the size massively. I’ll be using 5w charging this year.
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I used 5w charging solely on my 12 pro max from the time of purchase, Jan 2021, to time of sale, Sep 2021, and it was still at 100%
 
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MagSafe charging offers exactly one thing and one thing only: convenience. I don’t like it, and I can’t find its use while on the go. Apple apparently is also updating the MagSafe charger, meaning the transition will take a few more years than Rosetta 2.
 
Always charge using Lightning port. Lightning is a very robust port, it's cheap/fast/effective, and I never have problems. I'd rather use the port and simply be done with it.
 
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I would estimate that it’s the battery on the 12 series not the MagSafe charger. I have a launch 12pm that’s been charged every night with a MagSafe charger - 87%. A friends launch 12pm is at 88% and he charges only by lightning. Co worker has a launch 12pm and he also only charges by lightning and his is at 90%. All percentages are as of today. All on launch day iPhones.
 
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My 12 Pro Max was from around December if I remember correctly, so not quite launch day. I use mostly MagSafe, some wired using an old iPad charger and it’s still at 100%. My close to launch day 12 mini that’s charged on MagSafe is at 97%. And that’s with me often running it down to zero and not being careful, knowing I will eventually trade it for a 13 mini.
 
Waterman316 said:
I would estimate that it’s the battery on the 12 series not the MagSafe charger. I have a launch 12pm that’s been charged every night with a MagSafe charger - 87%. A friends launch 12pm is at 88% and he charges only by lightning. Co worker has a launch 12pm and he also only charges by lightning and his is at 90%. All percentages are as of today. All on launch day iPhones.
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Yes but which brick are they using with lightning? I only used the 5w little brick 🧱 with my iPhone 12 Pro Max for 9 months and it stayed at 100%
 
Unless there’s something really wrong, there’s no reason using wireless charging should hurt the battery anymore versus through the lightning connector. The lack of the MagSafe connection is the one thing holding me back from getting an iPhone 11. I’ve had lightning fail on most of my iOS devices, and $500 for a device that there’s an excellent chance of going to fail on me it’s just hard to stomach. Not sure what I’m going to do
 
The lightning port could also go bad from repeatedly pushing in and pulling out the cable. As others have said, it was probably the iPhone 12 battery, not so much the wireless charging. Just charge however is most convenient to you. If the battery goes bad and you keep the phone longer, have Apple replace it within the two year window. If after, pay the small price to replace the battery.
 
My lightning port is shot on a iPhone 6+. I’m looking forward to using a wireless charging pad to prevent my new phone from suffering the same fate.
Lightning ports do wear out and their replacement is prohibitively expensive- never worth it.

My advice: Stick with wireless charging or pay the consequences of a messed up lightning port years from now
 
No i'm always using wireless charging now. Magsafe at home and I have an old wireless qi charger I use at work. I don't really need faster charging. And this has been working great!
 
I totally agree, wireless charging has severely decreased my battery health. And looks like magsafe isnt any good either so back to lightning port. I think high wattage on lightning is not good for phone due to the heat, only 5w is good.
 
Has anyone had marks show up ON THE BARE PHONE from magsafe charger over time? I'm thinking that it would end up with marks over time, not unlike the screen which slowly gets scratched up over time. For that reason I'm contemplating a phone skin for the back to protect the glass. I'm not a case person.
 
sqenixs said:
Has anyone had marks show up ON THE BARE PHONE from magsafe charger over time? I'm thinking that it would end up with marks over time, not unlike the screen which slowly gets scratched up over time. For that reason I'm contemplating a phone skin for the back to protect the glass. I'm not a case person.
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Nothing at all
 
I dock my caseless 12 Pro on a magsafe stand every night. Battery health still 100% and no marks on the back (the stand does have a rubber ring around where you insert the charger though). For me, the convenience outweighs the risk.
 
I’m going to stop fast charging most of the time. I’ll charge with a 5 watt brick overnight and when not in a hurry and have the fast charger on hand when needed. I never used MagSafe but just fast charging I think had a major impact on my battery health.
 
Could you use MagSafe with a slower charger? Seems like MagSafe with a 5w charger might be the best for longevity and convenience?
 
I really liked my MagSafe charger, but have gifted it to my dad and instead will use Lightning going forward. Plugging in is just faster and I don’t have to fuss with taking the wallet off my phone to charge it.
 
Got my 12 Pro in April and have pretty much exclusively charged it via MagSafe. Still at 100% battery health:

IMG_D4EF4098CF94-1.jpeg
 
Not all batteries are created equal. Also, your use case is not the same as everyone else. Doesn't matter launch day or not. How are you using that device? Are you a HEAVY user? Constantly charging/draining the battery? Always on the device? Leave it in hot environments? So on, so forth. Saying your type of charging is the issue - well, isn't.

FYI- iPhone XS Max (launch day). Down to 88%. I charge via fast charge and wireless. Mostly wireless.

Too many variables. If Magsafe works for you, use it. If wire charging works, use it.

Not sure I understand the issue with phones that are being replaced after a year anyway?
 
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AbSoluTc said:
Not all batteries are created equal. Also, your use case is not the same as everyone else. Doesn't matter launch day or not. How are you using that device? Are you a HEAVY user? Constantly charging/draining the battery? Always on the device? Leave it in hot environments? So on, so forth. Saying your type of charging is the issue - well, isn't.

FYI- iPhone XS Max (launch day). Down to 88%. I charge via fast charge and wireless. Mostly wireless.

Too many variables. If Magsafe works for you, use it. If wire charging works, use it.

Not sure I understand the issue with phones that are being replaced after a year anyway?
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Use case variables absolutely make a difference. My XS (purchased in Nov 18) is at 79%. But I live in an area where our daytime temperatures are over 100°F pretty much every day from late May to early October, and my phone is outdoors in it a lot. It's temp-ed out many times because of the heat. I routinely discharge it to below 20%, sometimes down to single digit percentages. I charge it to 100% every night on a wireless charger, and top it off as needed during the day by whatever is handy (wireless or cable). So I'm not one bit surprised that the battery has degraded to where it is.

I've already bought a Magsafe charger and 20W power adapter for my 13 Pro, and will be charging it via Magsafe every night. I'm not sweating it - if/when the battery degrades, I'll have it replaced. I've gotten almost 3 years out of my XS battery and despite the 79% battery health reading it's still going strong, it's nothing worth obsessing over IMO.
 
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