Apple Reintroduces MagSafe Battery, for iPhone Air Only

[Nibo10]

Selling a battery back doesn't mean Apple is saying you're going to need this every day.

They can also sell this just saying that IF you need it one time where you expect to use it more than usually, all day long, and won't be able to charge, here's what we offer. That's it.

Apple also sells AirPods for the iPhone, doesn't mean you HAVE to buy them.

I get why this iPhone exists, I find it super appealing, I just dislike the display size.

Precisely, they literally said for longer travel - which is exactly the one time I can't charge and will be probably needing this. Operative word being "probably" as I mostly use my iPad on flights.

 

[Azzurro]

Is the camera the same as the one in 16e??

 

[mlayer]

Some minor hysteria in this thread. This version of the MagSafe battery is model specific thanks to the "iconic plateau." The old MagSafe battery pack wasn't, but it was sized specifically for the iPhone mini, the model that clearly needed it the most. I'm looking at it on my desk right now. If you're Apple designing an accessory for a product with a known question mark regarding its battery, it makes sense to design it for that phone with the same principles (size and thinness). The 17 Pro/Max are touted for their much larger batteries and shouldn't need the battery pack, ever.

The original battery pack had limitations, from its limited capacity (~1,500 mAh) to its tendency to stop charging when it got hot, though that was largely controlled by the phone. Whenever that happened for me and I needed a quick charge I would plug a cable into the phone. Sometimes the charging was inefficient enough that the battery trickled and barely kept the phone at the same level. I expect that Apple has worked out the kinks thanks to its optimizations and use of algorithms/AI to manage the process. Still these things get hot - check out YouTube videos of newer Qi 2 charging docks with fans.

This product is about getting through a long day or even a weekend with minimal available charging infrastructure. I use my old one for quick top-offs. As it stands, I'll keep using my old one when I need it with the Air since it should fit just fine.