Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack: Everything You Need to Know

[MacRumors]

Apple in July 2021 unveiled its rumored MagSafe Battery Pack, introducing an add-on battery that's designed to work with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. Priced at $99, the MagSafe Battery Pack provides extra battery life for Apple's MagSafe iPhone lineup and it also has a few nifty features, such as a reverse wireless charging option that lets it be charged through the iPhone.

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This guide features all of the details that we know about the new MagSafe Battery Pack and how it works.

Design

The MagSafe Battery Pack has a rectangular design that matches the shape of the iPhone, and it attaches to the back of an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 to provide extra power.

Apple only debuted the MagSafe Battery Pack in white, and it has an Apple logo. It is sized to take up the full rear of the iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 13 mini below the camera cutout, while it has a smaller fit on the other iPhone models. The MagSafe Battery Pack is made from a hard white plastic material.

The back side of the MagSafe Battery Pack that's visible has a rounded look with rounded corners, while the front is flat with a MagSafe indentation. There is a built-in Lightning port for charging the MagSafe Battery Pack.

Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack looks thin in marketing photos, but in real life, it's quite a bit thicker than it appears in Apple's images. The MagSafe Battery Pack weighs in at 115 grams and it is 11mm thick. Comparatively, the iPhone 13 weighs 164 grams and is 7.4mm thick.

Charging Speed

The MagSafe Battery Pack charged an iPhone at 5W when on the go at launch, but Apple later introduced a firmware update that brought it up to 7.5W. It does not charge at the full 15W speed without a power source due to heat concerns and to prolong battery life.

When the MagSafe Battery Pack is attached to an iPhone and plugged in to a Lightning to USB-C cable that's connected to a 20W or higher charger, the iPhone is able to charge through the MagSafe Battery Pack at 15W.

Most people will need the MagSafe Battery Pack while on the go, and in this situation, it's good to be aware that charging is limited to a slower 7.5W speed.

Battery Size

Apple does not officially provide details on how much additional battery life an iPhone user can get with the MagSafe Battery Pack.

The MagSafe Battery Pack has a 7.62V, 11.13Wh battery inside, delivering 1460 mAh of charge.

Roughly, the MagSafe Battery Pack may provide one full charge for the iPhone 12/13 mini and a partial charge for the rest of the iPhone 12/13 models. Though designed for MagSafe-compatible iPhone models, the battery pack can be used to charge any Qi-based device, which includes older iPhones and the AirPods. It cannot charge the Apple Watch as the Apple Watch does not use Qi charging.

Reverse Charging

The MagSafe Battery Pack has a reverse wireless charging feature. This means that if you charge your iPhone, the MagSafe Battery Pack will also charge at the same time. So you can charge both the iPhone and the MagSafe Battery Pack through the Lightning port on the MagSafe Battery Pack or through the Lightning port on the iPhone, and you'll get the same ultimate result with both devices charging up.

Apple says that this charging method is useful for when the iPhone is plugged into another device, such as a wired CarPlay setup or when an iPhone is connected to a Mac. When charging the iPhone and MagSafe Battery Pack simultaneously, the iPhone will charge to 80 percent or higher before the MagSafe Battery Pack begins to charge.

Note that a 20W or higher power adapter is recommended for charging and is required for charging the iPhone at 15W when the MagSafe Battery Pack is plugged in.

Charging the MagSafe Battery Pack either through the Battery Pack itself or through the iPhone requires a Lightning cable. The MagSafe Battery Pack will not charge using Apple's MagSafe Charger.

Viewing Charging Status

The power level of the MagSafe Battery Pack can be viewed in the Batteries widget that can be placed on the Home Screen or accessed through the Today View. MagSafe Battery Pack battery level is displayed alongside the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and other connected accessories.

• How to Find the Serial Number of Your MagSafe Battery Pack
• How to Check Your MagSafe Battery Pack's Firmware Version

Heat and Charging Control

There are built-in charge management features in the MagSafe Battery Pack that are designed to help maintain battery health in situations where the MagSafe Battery Pack is connected to power for long periods of time.

Apple says that an iPhone might get warm while it charges. If that happens, to extend the lifespan of the battery, Apple says that the software might limit charging above 80 percent. If this happens, Apple recommends moving to a cooler location as the iPhone will charge again when the temperature drops.

When using the MagSafe Battery Pack to charge an iPhone, you might get a notification that that the iPhone will only charge up to 90 percent. To charge beyond 90 percent, Apple recommends opening Control Center, pressing and holding on the Low Power Mode icon, and then tapping "Continue."

If Optimized Battery Charging is activated, you may also see a Lock Screen notification letting you know when the iPhone will be fully charged. To force a charge you can tap and hold the notification, then tap Charge Now.

Interaction With Other MagSafe Accessories

The MagSafe Battery Pack can be attached to a naked iPhone or to an iPhone with a MagSafe case attached. If you use a leather charging case, Apple warns that the case might show imprints from the compression of the leather, which is normal. Those concerned about the imprints should use a non-leather case.

Because the MagSafe Battery Pack needs direct contact with the iPhone, accessories like the MagSafe Wallet need to be removed.

Firmware Updates

Apple is able to provide firmware updates to the MagSafe charger over the air. The most significant update came in April 2022, introducing faster 7.5W charging, up from the original 5W charging speed.

Updating the MagSafe Battery Pack can be done by attaching it to an iPhone and waiting (a process that can take up to a week), or using a Mac or an iPad to update within five minutes. Apple suggests users attach a Lightning cable to a MagSafe Battery Pack and then plug in the USB side to an iPad or Mac to initiate the update process.

You can check to see which firmware version your MagSafe Battery Pack is running by attaching it to an iPhone and then going to Settings > General > About > MagSafe Battery Pack. You will need version 2.7.b.0 to get the 7.5W charging.

Compatibility

The MagSafe Battery Pack works with the iPhone 12 and 13 models. It will charge other devices like the iPhone 11 lineup and the AirPods because it's just Qi-based wireless charging, but only the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models have magnets to keep the MagSafe Battery Pack in place. iOS 14.7 or later is required.

How to Buy

The MagSafe Battery Pack can be purchased from the Apple website for $99 or from Apple retail stores.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the MagSafe Battery Pack, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Article Link: Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack: Everything You Need to Know

 

[farewelwilliams]

was an obvious application of magsafe and goes along the lines of a portless future.

 

[Daum]

Nice. So my 5000mah battery pack will actually give me 2500mah... that's almost the size of my internal battery!!!!

 

[MedRed]

All of that inefficiency... Would rather it attach with MagSafe and plug in via the lightning port on the phone. The wireless aspect would be great if you could charge your phone from an outlet or something and have your phone wirelessly charge the battery pack while it's still attached.

 

[johnmarki]

I'm looking forward to this product. Not necessarily to get one at first, but to see if it hints at what the future holds for wireless iPhone charging/io going forward.(ie; design, power, capabilities)

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Hopefully Apple pulls it off

 

[Scipster]

Can't wait! So excited to use MagSafe on the go. Would be nice to have colors that match Apple cases.

 

[840quadra]

I am not looking forward to a Port free iPhone. I understand that Lightning is aging and could be on the way out, however I feel it would be better for Apple to invest in USB-C and advance the waterproofing / robustness of that standard as opposed to dropping all ports.

The lossy nature of inductive charging, and added thermal stress on batteries / components is not something I am looking forward to.

 

[votdfak]

I think I'll try my luck with some AliExpress offerings.

 

[Rochy Bay]

I think I'll try my luck with some AliExpress offerings.

Not that these won't come from China anyway.

 

[Veinticinco]

I think I'll try my luck with some AliExpress offerings.

Call me pyrophobic but when it comes to power/charging of electronic devices, the phrase “I‘ll try my luck with...” isn’t one I tend to use.

 

[mazz0]

Nice. So my 5000mah battery pack will actually give me 2500mah... that's almost the size of my internal battery!!!!

Oh surely it’s not as bad as 50% efficiency?!

 

[4jasontv]

I am not looking forward to a Port free iPhone. I understand that Lightning is aging and could be on the way out, however I feel it would be better for Apple to invest in USB-C and advance the waterproofing / robustness of that standard as opposed to dropping all ports.

The lossy nature of inductive charging, and added thermal stress on batteries / components is not something I am looking forward to.

Between MagSafe, Qi, and BT I rarely find myself using the port. For me, it's just another point of failure. I'd rather see a MagSafe 3.5mm and MagSafe USB C adapter.

 

[jz0309]

I am not looking forward to a Port free iPhone. I understand that Lightning is aging and could be on the way out, however I feel it would be better for Apple to invest in USB-C and advance the waterproofing / robustness of that standard as opposed to dropping all ports.

The lossy nature of inductive charging, and added thermal stress on batteries / components is not something I am looking forward to.

100% agree with you! the losses of wireless charging are not something you want to put in your environmental report ...

 

[jz0309]

Between MagSafe, Qi, and BT I rarely find myself using the port. For me, it's just another point of failure. I'd rather see a MagSafe 3.5mm and MagSafe USB C adapter.

while I have been through many lightning cables, I have never experienced a "port issue" on an iPhone more iPad, and do not recall that people have reported issues here on MR (but I could be wrong about that).
While I currently charge wirelessly, I regular plug my phone into my Mac for the old fashioned iTunes backup ...

 

[God of Biscuits]

One possibility of “reverse charging”: plug in your phone via lightning with battery pack attached and both will be charged up.

 

[now i see it]

and do not recall that people have reported issues here on MR (but I could be wrong about that).

The lighting port on my iph6+ is thrashed. Busted internal spring clip. No it's not lint (I've examined it closely with a magnifying glass).

 

[-DMN-]

So you get the added benefit of more battery but now minus the protection of a case? Seems like a step backwards to me. Also with a case you’ll never lose connection, with Magsafe your phone could easily stop charging. PROGRESS!!!

 

[farewelwilliams]

So you get the added benefit of more battery but now minus the protection of a case? Seems like a step backwards to me. Also with a case you’ll never lose connection, with Magsafe your phone could easily stop charging. PROGRESS!!!

hard to take off. i only need extra batteries during longer trips or when i forget to charge at night. putting on and taking off the case is too difficult.

also you'll need to buy a new battery case for every new phone. this magsafe battery will likely work for the next 5 iPhones + other accessories.

 

[farewelwilliams]

100% agree with you! the losses of wireless charging are not something you want to put in your environmental report ...

people are already throwing away their iPhone battery cases because they don't fit on the new phones.
with a battery magsafe, it'll likely work for the next 5 iPhones.

cost of building one battery case and shipping it to the customer probably equates to thousands of kWh lost.

 

[DeepIn2U]

All of that inefficiency... Would rather it attach with MagSafe and plug in via the lightning port on the phone. The wireless aspect would be great if you could charge your phone from an outlet or something and have your phone wirelessly charge the battery pack while it's still attached.

This is a portable solution. Still can use USB then plugin

 

[Daum]

Oh surely it’s not as bad as 50% efficiency?!

Do the Googles my friend. I don't mind the speeds but I don't want a large pack stuck to my phone. 5000mah battery pack is pretty thick.

 

[DeepIn2U]

One possibility of “reverse charging”: plug in your phone via lightning with battery pack attached and both will be charged up.

not likely. Better to charge iPhone I using this pack while making a sandwich to charge AirPods as well.

 

[votdfak]

Call me pyrophobic but when it comes to power/charging of electronic devices, the phrase “I‘ll try my luck with...” isn’t one I tend to use.

True that, but Anker is also selling **** on Ali. There are some reputable companies on Ali, I am using Ugreen gan charger, satisfied.

I am going to get this one probably.

YKZ

 

[SFjohn]

while I have been through many lightning cables, I have never experienced a "port issue" on an iPhone more iPad, and do not recall that people have reported issues here on MR (but I could be wrong about that).
While I currently charge wirelessly, I regular plug my phone into my Mac for the old fashioned iTunes backup ...

My lightning ports over the years require constant cleaning from pocket lint & the cables need replacing as well. It all wears out over time,