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Apple's New MagSafe Charger and Cases Begin Arriving to Customers

Craiguyver said:
Guessing that symbol on the case is supposed to be a derivative or reference to the power symbol?
en.wikipedia.org

Power symbol - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 968334
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And next year, even clear cases might not need something to cover up the magnet(s).

Developing optically transparent magnets at room temperature is an important challenge. They would bring many innovations to various industries, not only for electronic and magnetic devices but also for optical applications. Here we introduce FeCo-(Al-fluoride) nanogranular films exhibiting ferromagnetic properties with high optical transparency in the visible light region.
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep34227

OK - maybe not actually next year...

PS - I like the way you have associated the markings with the power symbol. It also suggests a stylised "Qi".
 
I would have loved to see some magnetic puck that attached to the iPhone to allow charging to the apple watch. Often, on the go my watch can get low and to be able to give it a little juice when out and about would have been something of benefit.
 
SuperCachetes said:
Meh. It's $58 with a 20w adapter.



This sounds like the most personal use case I've ever heard. A 1m cable is a godsend if you need a cable 1m in length.





Thanks for adding the "in my opinion" at the end. At least you're consistent in your narrative.

This really isn't hard to understand. It's an array of magnets in the phones that allows a) 15w charging, b) a way for case adhesion, and c) a way for other accessories to be attached to the back of the phone. I know magnets are magic and all, but it's not rocket science.

"Many of the Apple faithful" will watch the cleverly-marketed video that shows the wallet snapping on the back, and will spend about $150 on iPhone accessories. In my opinion.



That makes no sense. These aren't being included in the box with every phone. They're optional.



Spoken like someone who is totally cool with 7.5w wireless charging. (Not judging; I am very cool with it)
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A reach of 1m is “the most personal use case ever”? Really? Thanks for the laughs!
 
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SWAON said:
Are they gonna release MagSafe compatible Cases for the previous iPhones so we can get 15W charging not the QI 7W? Sorry if that was already been asked :) Thanks in advance.
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How are existing phones going to get their wireless charging hardware upgraded? Apple have a graphic showing a complex device - not just a simple coil - in order to achieve 15W.
 
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riverfreak said:
A reach of 1m is “the most personal use case ever”? Really? Thanks for the laughs!
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Since even the big electronics like Tv and so...use 1-1.5m cable....for this kind of use device/ accessory, 1 m is indeed the most used case...to have over 2m in cars or somewhere else for an accessory is a waste for 80% of people
 
over 300 posts for accessories with magnets....it seems Apple already made an BIG impact with this from the start
So...we will see next year a floood of this kind from everyone for iphones and i guess Samsung and others will place magnets too into their devices
 
SevrinDantus said:
over 300 posts for accessories with magnets....it seems Apple already made an BIG impact with this from the start
So...we will see next year a floood of this kind from everyone for iphones
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I rather hope that the fundamental technology is not effectively patented. For example, maybe a series of tiny disc magnets laid out is a circle would work just as well as the "real" version and not trample on any patents?

That could open the doors to the idea being used across many products - first the obvious - non-Apple phones, but also any other modest power device that needs charging. Especially if they need to be waterproof which has always been a problem for wired connections (not insuperable, of course).

I'll not be entirely surprised if at some point it becomes "industry standard", even if only unofficially.
 
Yumbo said:
I have used Qi with my 11 Pro for 9 months, and maximum battery health is down to 88%.
My X lasted 2 years and ended at 93%
Thoughts?
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I’ve been using wireless charging for my iPhone 11 since January. It’s at 99%. There might be other factors to consider.
 
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I wonder how well the magnetic alignment helps in reducing the heat losses. Typically Qi charging gets the aread around the receiving coils hotter the farther off it is from perfect alignment and it heats up the battery beyond what's good for it while charging. My Apple Watch Series 1 has been holding up very well in terms of battery and it was wirelessly charged daily so here's hoping that the perfect alignment eliminates the heating problem.

From a practical standpoint, I don't see the benefit of MagSafe for charging... you still need 2 hands to disconnect it and it probably feels awkward using the phone with the charger on its back (more than having the cable connected). The only cool thing (for me) right now is that you could charge while using lightning earpods without an extra adapter. And docking it to the car just by snapping it to the holder and have it charge, turn on wireless carplay and be useful as the second carplay screen. At least in the summer, you could mitigate the heating problem by having the phone holde clipped onto an AC outlet. It would make it worse in the winter with hot air coming out of the same outlet though...
 
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rp2011 said:
Sheer genius. This in hind sight appears obvious, but why havent we seen this beofre on other smartphones? Whomever came up with this at Apple deserves a bonus. A Starbucks gift card or something for adding god-knows-how-much money to the Apple ecosystem.
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What is sheer genius about it exactly?
 
polyphenol said:
How are existing phones going to get their wireless charging hardware upgraded? Apple have a graphic showing a complex device - not just a simple coil - in order to achieve 15W.
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Oh you mean the older iPhones with wireless charging capabilities are not up to par for 15W as the new iPhones 12? I was under the impression that they are or at least iPhone 11? My Bad then
 
SWAON said:
Oh you mean the older iPhones with wireless charging capabilities are not up to par for 15W as the new iPhones 12? I was under the impression that they are or at least iPhone 11? My Bad then
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Well I certainly admit it is assumption because I don't know what is inside an 11.

Anyone able to confirm?
 
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CharlesShaw said:
The fact that Qi technology has been around for years but now everyone will be buying tons more stuff from Apple because of the satisfying soft snap of magnets.
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Ah, so marketing genius, rather than design genius. Even so, personally I prefer wireless charging to actually be wireless rather than being attached.
 
HiVolt said:
I'm curious if these Apple cases will be completely flush with the front glass, or they will have a bit of a lip, to protect during drops on the corners...

But I have a feeling they will be flush.
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Sailormannn said:
Has anyone had a hands-on close look at the "clear" case. Last year's version got terrible reviews. Is this year's version better quality, less slippery and less likely to yellow?
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I have last year’s clear case (since January). No yellowing and not particularly slippery. Obviously, your mileage may vary!
 
Yumbo said:
I have used Qi with my 11 Pro for 9 months, and maximum battery health is down to 88%.
My X lasted 2 years and ended at 93%
Thoughts?
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I’ve had my 11 since launch day. I use it A LOT. I haven’t used a cable even once, only qi charging. Now it’s at 94%. 6% per year is nothing to worry about.
 
BMJT said:
Ah, so marketing genius, rather than design genius. Even so, personally I prefer wireless charging to actually be wireless rather than being attached.
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If it is so important, I can imagine an answer. Use a lump of something heavy - like a small handbell weight. Stick the puck on top of the weight (probably not using glue - it would be good not to damage it - maybe cable ties?).

So long as the weight is great enough, the weight+puck should remain on the desk/bedside unit/whatever when you pick up the phone.

If the attraction is still too strong, just add layers of something like card on top of the puck until the spacing means it attracts just enough but not too much.

Once you have it all working as you want, fettle it up to look good as well.
 
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iLLUMI said:
True! MagSafe isn't actually a wireless product. Not sure why some people are thinking and referring to it as wireless. ???
When MagSafe was on MacBook it was never called "wireless".
MagSafe for iPhone 12 isn't wireless, it's not even "untethered", however the device does free up the lightning port for people who still use/prefer wired headphones.
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I respectfully disagree. Wireless in this sense simply means that there is no wire between the device being charged and the charger. This is true in the case of wireless chargers. It is also true in the case of Samsung (and other) phones allowing wireless charging of other devices by resting them on the back of the phones. There is no wire between the charger and the device. It’s nothing more than that. Without wireless charging we have to plug a wire into a charging port to charge the device. One is wired, one is not.
 
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BMJT said:
Ah, so marketing genius, rather than design genius. Even so, personally I prefer wireless charging to actually be wireless rather than being attached.
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Absolutely. My iPhone X will be three years old in a couple weeks and it’s never been on a Qi charger, but I’m already committed to buying a MagSafe charger and case for a new iphone I really don’t need. I’ve looked at Qi chargers over the years but always thought they were ugly. Enter Apple

I’m guessing many people who already owned iPad Pro’s bought new ones when they saw the demonstration of the magnets in the new Pencil. Heck, I almost upgraded. I’m still delighted by the magnets in my older iPad Pro’s Smart Cover.
 
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I can already imagine we'll be seeing Ikea table tops with cutouts for the MagSafe puck. There will be a tunnel for the wire to go into and the puck will sit flush with the surface of the table. You'll probably have to put some double-sided tape to keep the puck stuck in the hole... but it'll still be cool.

Or maybe MagSafe chargers will be built directly into things. Qi charging nightstands and lamps already exist today. All they need to do is make new ones that are MagSafe compatible.

And if not a retail solution... expect DIY Youtubers to go nuts with this!

I know some people are knocking this whole MagSafe thing... but it's gonna be very popular. Just wait and see. :)

Personally... I'm excited for MagSafe charging car mounts. It's gonna be an exciting time for new accessories.
 
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superlawyer15 said:
That blue seems a lot lighter than the pictures on apple’s site would lead you to believe.
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I noticed that too. I ordered one with the expectation it was a dark navy blue. This is way too light.

If it doesn't match the appearance on Apple's store pages I'm returning it.

Case + brown wallet.png
 
Johnny907 said:
Finally, FINALLY, Apple releases an official case that protects the BOTTOM of the phone as well. I don't know why every official case made for the 6 and up always left the bottom unprotected
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Because starting with the X-series models, accessing the Home Screen required a swipe gesture from the bottom edge of the screen, which was difficult to do with a fully enclosing case. Which leads to my current concern that these new cases will make it harder to perform that gesture.
 
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