Apple Now Selling OtterBox Folding Stand for MagSafe Charger

[MacRumors]

Apple has begun selling a new third-party accessory for its MagSafe ecosystem, a folding stand from OtterBox priced at $39.95. The hinged stand includes a recessed area to house a user-provided MagSafe Charger and a slot for routing the cable through the stand and out the back.

The folding design is convenient for travel and lets you set your desired angle for nightstand viewing, video calls, and more in either portrait or landscape orientation. When folded completely back into a horizontal position, it can serve as a traditional Qi charger for non-MagSafe devices such as AirPods or other smartphones.

At $39.95 for the stand and an additional $39.00 for Apple's MagSafe Charger, it's not an inexpensive charging solution, but the removable charger setup does offer flexibility to only use the stand when needed.

Article Link: Apple Now Selling OtterBox Folding Stand for MagSafe Charger

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Love the design. Apple Airpower set to announce next month

 

[DogHouseDub]

The folding design is convenient for travel

You know what's convenient for travel? A lightning cable

 

[happydude]

it might be just me, but all these wireless charging stations just don't hold any appeal. gotta plug that in anyway...why not just use a normal plug in and cord?

 

[KaliYoni]

This story should carry a trigger warning. Why? I'm getting flashbacks to all the times I've splurged on some accessory, especially a third party accessory, only to have Apple change the physical design or the connector a few months later.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Why is this a thing? If you have to buy a MagSafe charger anyways, why not just build it into the device and include it in the price? It’s not like it was designed to make it easy to take the MagSafe puck in and out.

 

[diego.caraballo]

Apple Marketing is beyond brilliant. They are doing the same as with the AW chargers, a proprietary design that no one has successfully (or lawfully) copied. Now they have the exclusivity of 15W charging, and third party manufacturers aren't even trying to design something better or "Made for iPhone". Instead we are know witnessing a batch of "stands". Incredible cheap to made and design, plastic or metal pieces, but with a gigantic price tag.

Case in point Nomad. Magsafe mount: $99.95 (not charger included). Base Station Stand: $99.95 a 7.5W stand charger, with 2 coils, a fabric covered USB-C cable and a charger included.

 

[alexandr]

ugh, it looks like an ugly old foldable cellphone.

 

[tyr2]

> it's not an inexpensive charging solution

You can just say "it's an expensive charging solution"

 

[zachz]

Reminds me too much of these old foldable desktop calculator/clock things from back in the day

 

[coachgq]

> it's not an inexpensive charging solution

You can just say "it's an expensive charging solution"

double negative, amiright?

 

[coachgq]

The belkin 2in1 magsafe for 79 bucks (20% off) is a much better solution. Have it sitting on my desk. I'm very happy with it.

 

[its93rc]

This is vile-looking, but I am sure it works nicely. Perfect for Otterbox design standards and those who seek bulky designs…?

 

[rcread]

Seems like I could make my own by bending aluminum sheet and gluing a magnet to the back side.

 

[MrFootery]

Reminds me too much of these old foldable desktop calculator/clock things from back in the day

I had “Euro converter” version of that! Must have been around 2001. It had a dampened opening mechanism which was fun to play with.

 

[LeadingHeat]

The hinged stand includes a recessed area to house a user-provided MagSafe Charger and

Oof

 

[ignatius345]

> it's not an inexpensive charging solution

You can just say "it's an expensive charging solution"

$80 feels like a lot when you can pay probably 1/4 that to buy a comparable qi charger.

I guess you get faster charging, but despite how much accessory makers and Apple are pushing that down our throats, I personally don't find it a huge factor most of the time. Every once in a while I really need to get my phone up to a decent charge before I walk out the door but otherwise "slow" charging is working just fine for me.

 

[mikeyteh]

I bought an Apple Watch stand that required a user provided charging cord on Amazon for like $5. I'll wait for "TROMBO" or "DULARD" or whatever 6 letter all caps Chinese company comes along on Amazon to make a version that isn't a rip off. Either include the charging capability or cut your retail price by at least 75%.

 

[usagora]

> it's not an inexpensive charging solution

You can just say "it's an expensive charging solution"

Or you could just say what they said, since part of the beauty of language is we have more than one way of saying things. Saying something is "not x" where x is a word with a negating prefix is a common pattern that has a slightly sarcastic edge to it. For example, "The changes the company is making to the factory are not insignificant." Or "Your brother isn't exactly unknown in this town."

 

[likegadgets]

I have this one for 1/2 of the price and it is great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NVZ4M15/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[anson42]

A device like should be no more than, what, $10? $15? $20? It's not an actual charger, but a stand.

 

[DaveN]

With so many lawsuits these days, I initially read the headline as "Apple Now Suing Otterbox..."

 

[Flight Plan]

it might be just me, but all these wireless charging stations just don't hold any appeal. gotta plug that in anyway...why not just use a normal plug in and cord?

You're not wrong. Also, wireless charging uses more electricity than wired charging. One might even go so far as to say that wireless charging uses more electricity than necessary.

As in, "wastes" elecrtricity and natural resources. My home is powered by oil. No, I don't have barrels of the stuff in my back yard, lol. But at least I'm aware of the fuel source that provides my electricity. Yours may be powered by nuclear. Or coal. Or hydro or wind or solar.

But waste is waste. All technology customers need to come to terms with that, including the high falutin'. ?

Me, I'm low falutin', which is another way of saying that I may or may not care about minor waste. Wireless charging is sometimes more convenient for me. And I can't keep my watch charged without it. But at least I'm not hypocritical. I just like to point out hypocracy when I see it. Yeah, so sue me. Excuse me while I go put my phone on the QI charger... ?

 

[Flight Plan]

A device like should be no more than, what, $10? $15? $20? It's not an actual charger, but a stand.

Yeah, but it was made with the best Gold-pressed Unobtanium available, and made by the hands of angels while sitting atop God's best herd of multi-lingual unicorns!

Ya gotta expect a premium for all THAT! ??

 

[DanTSX]

MagSafe is dumb.

$40 to keep your $40 charging puck from dropping off your phone and dinging your tabletop

“Wireless charging” that takes two hands to detach.?

All of the actually useful applications are not fully supported by Apple.