Hands-On With Apple's iPhone 12 and 12 Pro MagSafe Cases

[RamGuy]

After watching the two "jiggle" videos - I have to admit, I don't get the point of the MagSafe charger. I mean, yeah, it charges. But with the whole "snap to the back" of the iPhone 12 thing - it looks like it's going to take two hands to get it off of the charger. And that's the point I don't get. I've got a couple of Qi chargers and I just set my phone down on them, and when I'm ready to go, I pick it up and go. Yes - it's kind of a pain to slide the phone around until it aligns properly - but I can still do this one handed. This MagSafe charger looks like I'll have to pick up the phone, and then with my other hand pull the MagSafe charger off the back. I just don't understand how that's better. What's the point of a big magnetic charging puck on the back that stays on there when you pick up the phone? If someone wants to use their phone while charging it - get a longer lightning cable.

I don't really see the problem with having to use two hands to take it of the charger. I prefer wireless charging. It's just easier to not having to fiddle with a cable even though Lightning fits no matter the orientation. You also get the added benefit of not having to physically insert anything that will be causing wear and tear on both the lightning plug itself ad the lighting port on the phone.

The only two downsides I have with wireless charging has been charging speed/efficiency and how fiddely wireless chargers tends to be. I love my Nomad Wireless Charging Station Apple Watch Edition. Using one single power outlet in my bedroom I can charge my iPhone, my Apple Watch and my AirPods Pro all at once using a single charger.

But man is it annoying that I have to make sure that I align my iPhone and AirPods Pro correctly. It's also annoying not being able to actually use my phone while it's charging and this becomes even more annoying because of how slowly the phone charges so it increases the likelihood of me wanting to use my phone before it's fully charged.

MagSafe seems to improve on a lot of these issues. Firstly the 15W charging makes it almost equivalent to USB-C PD which is limited to 18W on the iPhone I believe. This will make the annoyance of not being able to use my phone while it's charging that much easier to live with. The magnet fixes the issues of having to make sure I align my phone correctly. Sadly this will only work for my iPhone, not my AirPods Pro.

It will also make it so much easier for companies to make wireless charging stands where your iPhone will be seated in a perfect hight and orientation for you to use it for various things while it's attached. Currently without any magnets you have to options. Either you go for a charger where it's flat or your go for something like the Belkin 3-in-1 where it will be seated almost like it's resting in a chair. The problem I have with the latter is how bulky it all becomes but there is no real way around it as your phone has to be resting on top of something that make sure the phone is in the correct hight for the wireless charger to actually work. MagSafe solves all of this as the magnets make it possible to just snap your phone directly to the charger.


And of course, all of this is to prepare for a portless iPhone coming in a few years. The whole argument "I might as well just use the cord at this point" is moot as soon as the phone no longer has any ports.

 

[spazzcat]

And screw over all the CarPlay wired customers... still don’t get how that’s going to work.

You can make your carplay wireless right now if you wanted to.

 

[spazzcat]

Ok, so this looks very apple like, and it's cool factor is a 10/10...but...

What is the advantage of this compared to just playing the iPhone on a normal Qi Charger? In fact, wouldn't it be easier to take the iphone off the charger WITHOUT a magnet?

Still not getting how people are missing the point. It puts the phone perfect on the charger and doubles the speed of wireless charging.

 

[spazzcat]

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/jev9k1

Is there really no speaker hole?

There is, it's a defective case, CS failed on this one.

 

[spazzcat]

After watching the two "jiggle" videos - I have to admit, I don't get the point of the MagSafe charger. I mean, yeah, it charges. But with the whole "snap to the back" of the iPhone 12 thing - it looks like it's going to take two hands to get it off of the charger. And that's the point I don't get. I've got a couple of Qi chargers and I just set my phone down on them, and when I'm ready to go, I pick it up and go. Yes - it's kind of a pain to slide the phone around until it aligns properly - but I can still do this one handed. This MagSafe charger looks like I'll have to pick up the phone, and then with my other hand pull the MagSafe charger off the back. I just don't understand how that's better. What's the point of a big magnetic charging puck on the back that stays on there when you pick up the phone? If someone wants to use their phone while charging it - get a longer lightning cable.

The point is your phone will change twice as fast...

 

[Braderunner]

15w charging vs. 7.5w charging, at least without plugging in.



Except I can't decide anything related to any of this because the magnets in the phone are part of the whole system. What magnetic strength the case has by itself is meaningless, since in all almost every practical application, there will be an iPhone inside it that will make the case perform differently - whether with the puck, wallet, or other.

At least some of the reviewers in the videos posted elsewhere have got real live iPhone 12s inside the cases and are showing usable information. MKBHD in particular demonstrated what happens with the wallet, for better or worse...

Ummmm...yeah. I thought you were referring to the reviews WITH the phone. There are lots with just the phone and charger and phone in case with charger.

 

[Olijolly]

Walletgate? Apple responsible for hundreds/thousands of lost IDs and CCs?

I laughed when I first saw the wallet. Who wants a detachable wallet? You'd never even know it's gone until it's way too late.

I get the magnetic charger. Guaranteed good alignment; phone won't vibrate off. MagSafe is the wrong name for it, though.

The wallet, however, is a bozo bean-counter idea.

Actually the magsafe is intelligent it knows when a case or wallet is attached and even which color the case it. If Apple wanted to, they could proably make some notification on you watch that your wallet has been detached from the magnet, and they could probably also save a GPS coordinate where the wallet was detached last time. If you allowed that location.

 

[Olijolly]

After watching the two "jiggle" videos - I have to admit, I don't get the point of the MagSafe charger. I mean, yeah, it charges. But with the whole "snap to the back" of the iPhone 12 thing - it looks like it's going to take two hands to get it off of the charger. And that's the point I don't get. I've got a couple of Qi chargers and I just set my phone down on them, and when I'm ready to go, I pick it up and go. Yes - it's kind of a pain to slide the phone around until it aligns properly - but I can still do this one handed. This MagSafe charger looks like I'll have to pick up the phone, and then with my other hand pull the MagSafe charger off the back. I just don't understand how that's better. What's the point of a big magnetic charging puck on the back that stays on there when you pick up the phone? If someone wants to use their phone while charging it - get a longer lightning cable.

Im pretty sure some 3rd party manufacture also gonna make a QI charger with a magnet so it makes the operation 1 handed.
To your question with whats the purpose. Then next year people who wanna use it while charging it can not use a lightning since the IP is probably gonna go portless. Just like the apple watch doesnt have a port and nobody complaint about that. The IP 12 is just a transition phase to portless.

 

[Vanilla35]

MR has really doubled down on the "we don't have all the parts, but here's how this one component functions without much context" videos.

I mean, I'm super-excited for all of this new stuff, too - but these premature puff pieces run the risk of crowding out meaningful stories as we scroll through the MR feed. Ah well.

Edit: and I keep seeing these videos of people slinging attached phones around by the MagSafe cord to prove the magnetic strength... Are we just trying to prove that the cord will fail and that it should've been detachable? Lol.

I personally like them. It gives me more context about the tech I follow without having to do more thorough research. When looking at new products/technology, there are immediate questions that a video like this can answer, and then there are more in depth questions that a full review could answer. You don't always have to wait for the full review though, imo.

 

[4jasontv]

Watch MKBD's video. Putting it in your pocket causes it to fall off 100% of the time. Failure

He is putting them upside down into a pair of leggings. What did he expect to happen?

 

[4jasontv]

I don't really see the problem with having to use two hands to take it of the charger. I prefer wireless charging. It's just easier to not having to fiddle with a cable even though Lightning fits no matter the orientation. You also get the added benefit of not having to physically insert anything that will be causing wear and tear on both the lightning plug itself ad the lighting port on the phone.

The only two downsides I have with wireless charging has been charging speed/efficiency and how fiddely wireless chargers tends to be. I love my Nomad Wireless Charging Station Apple Watch Edition. Using one single power outlet in my bedroom I can charge my iPhone, my Apple Watch and my AirPods Pro all at once using a single charger.

But man is it annoying that I have to make sure that I align my iPhone and AirPods Pro correctly. It's also annoying not being able to actually use my phone while it's charging and this becomes even more annoying because of how slowly the phone charges so it increases the likelihood of me wanting to use my phone before it's fully charged.

MagSafe seems to improve on a lot of these issues. Firstly the 15W charging makes it almost equivalent to USB-C PD which is limited to 18W on the iPhone I believe. This will make the annoyance of not being able to use my phone while it's charging that much easier to live with. The magnet fixes the issues of having to make sure I align my phone correctly. Sadly this will only work for my iPhone, not my AirPods Pro.

It will also make it so much easier for companies to make wireless charging stands where your iPhone will be seated in a perfect hight and orientation for you to use it for various things while it's attached. Currently without any magnets you have to options. Either you go for a charger where it's flat or your go for something like the Belkin 3-in-1 where it will be seated almost like it's resting in a chair. The problem I have with the latter is how bulky it all becomes but there is no real way around it as your phone has to be resting on top of something that make sure the phone is in the correct hight for the wireless charger to actually work. MagSafe solves all of this as the magnets make it possible to just snap your phone directly to the charger.


And of course, all of this is to prepare for a portless iPhone coming in a few years. The whole argument "I might as well just use the cord at this point" is moot as soon as the phone no longer has any ports.

Turn the screen down and “wipe” the charger with your thumb. It will pop right off.

 

[crawdad62]

He is putting them upside down into a pair of leggings. What did he expect to happen?

That's what you got from that video? He was wearing jeans and they weren't even hipster tight. If that video is the norm then the wallet is a huge fail.

 

[4jasontv]

That's what you got from that video? He was wearing jeans and they weren't even hipster tight. If that video is the norm then the wallet is a huge fail.

His jeans were so tight he couldn’t get his fingers in with the phone and wallet. That’s not normal.

 

[Hieveryone]

Still not getting how people are missing the point. It puts the phone perfect on the charger and doubles the speed of wireless charging.

Believe it or not most people are able to put their iPhones perfectly fine on their Qi charger. Like I’ve never placed my iPhone down and said “oh no! I missed the Qi charger ugh”

 

[Rugbydman]

Will this case https://www.totalleecase.com/products/iphone-12-pro-max-case
work with the MagSafe charger or does the case need a magnet too?

 

[crawdad62]

Believe it or not most people are able to put their iPhones perfectly fine on their Qi charger. Like I’ve never placed my iPhone down and said “oh no! I missed the Qi charger ugh”

Maybe I'm the exception but I've done it plenty. I have a cheap combo watch/phone wireless charger and the phone has to be rather precisely set on it. It has a green light when you're charging but lots of time I just put it on and walk away just to comeback and see that not only has my phone not charged but actually now less so.

 

[vinegarshots]

Doesnt anyone find it ironic that Apple makes such a big deal about e-waste and eliminates the power brick from their iPhone packaging, but then they go an make this MagSafe charger that requires a bigger power brick to function and uses way more materials to build than a standard lightning cable?

 

[DotCom2]

Still not getting how people are missing the point. It puts the phone perfect on the charger and doubles the speed of wireless charging.

They don't want to "get it". They just want to bitc* and complain.

 

[SuperCachetes]

Doesnt anyone find it ironic that Apple makes such a big deal about e-waste and eliminates the power brick from their iPhone packaging, but then they go an make this MagSafe charger that requires a bigger power brick to function and uses way more materials to build than a standard lightning cable?

Nope. I might if a MagSafe puck was in every iPhone box, but it isn’t. Purchasing Apple’s charging solution is completely optional and it will definitely not have the same take rate as the phones.

 

[Hieveryone]

Not giving us a charger and then claiming they’re saving the environment while still trying to sell us one is like an episode of punk’d except this time Ashton kutcher is for real

 

[miamialley]

That wallet accessory was doomed from the start. Who honestly thought that was a good idea?

I love the idea, but if it won't hold then yeah - major fail. I have used a stick on wallet on my phone case for occasional use (taking off the case when I don't want to use the wallet).

 

[crawdad62]

I love the idea, but if it won't hold then yeah - major fail. I have used a stick on wallet on my phone case for occasional use (taking off the case when I don't want to use the wallet).

Oh I agree. Great idea. This isn’t something new though. My daughter has been using a wallet case for a while now. I also agree if the thing falls off all the time it’s pretty much useless.

 

[TheLurg1687]

Oh I agree. Great idea. This isn’t something new though. My daughter has been using a wallet case for a while now. I also agree if the thing falls off all the time it’s pretty much useless.

I have a stick on wallet case on my phone. Comes in handy quite often. I had really high hopes for the apple wallet case.

 

[vinegarshots]

Nope. I might if a MagSafe puck was in every iPhone box, but it isn’t. Purchasing Apple’s charging solution is completely optional and it will definitely not have the same take rate as the phones.

Except for when they remove the charging port from the phones in a year or two, and the only option is to charge wirelessly...

 

[SuperCachetes]

Except for when they remove the charging port from the phones in a year or two, and the only option is to charge wirelessly...

Not sure of your point. Many, many people already have Qi charging at home, or even in their cars. CarPlay aside, a lot of people are already well-prepared for a portless phone.

In fact, the main reason I won’t buy the MagSafe charger is because I already have a few 7.5w pucks at home, as well as a few USB-C slots I can plug into. Remind me how this is a net negative for the environment?