Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 12 Has Magsafe been a wasted opportunity?

Paddle1 said:
They have practically given the brand away. Qi2 chargers are more commonly known as MagSafe so MagSafe is now being associated with non-Apple products.
Click to expand...
Valid point. Do something well enough and you can kinda lose your branding to success; e.g. Band-aids or Kleenex.
 
I just wish the phone could recognise specific MagSafe chargers, and run automations on that basis.

  • Different standby mode screens for different chargers.
  • Automatically changing focus modes.
  • Setting a HomeKit scene or controlling accessorises.
  • Running Shortcuts or Control Centre Controls.
I’d love to have several actions run when I place my phone on my bedside table charger, for example.

Bonus points for advanced options like running a different set of actions depending on other factors (time, HomeKit sensor status, etc). For example: different “bedside MagSafe” options for daytime placement (I’m not going to bed, do nothing) vs nighttime (run several actions).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Timpetus and Razorpit
Nope, nothing wasted, just a well executed feature on iPhones. It makes it easy to charge wirelessly and easy to put on a holder in my car, desk and bedside table. Job done✅
 
  • Like
Reactions: kitKAC and MisterSavage
ndouglas said:
agreed, if only it would stay on though (the time display for a nice night clock)… assuming you mean the regular watch charger?
Click to expand...
Mine is a cheapy third-party stand that barely charges, but it has all night so it works OK for me. Personally I do not want the display always on; the tiniest of taps on the nightstand easily cause the AWU to light up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ndouglas
Ctrlos said:
For example a Yale key holder with snapback so you can leave them at home on a night out. A small Moleskin for jotting down ideas. A reverse Apple Watch charger. A narrower medication dispenser. A blood sugar monitor. A narrow dry-powder inhaler. Airpods. A controller with shoulder buttons and a cooling fan for extended sessions.
Click to expand...
To me, none of these sound appealing - they seem like solutions looking for a problem?
 
  • Like
Reactions: boss.king
Cirillo Gherardo said:
Not to a user, which is why they are marketed the same with the same name. Thanks for playing. You lost.
Click to expand...

First of all Cirillo, I was correcting a wrong statement that you had made.
It was quite obvious from your early posts that you had no idea as to how the two technologies differ from one another.
Statements like "same in name and concept" and "Minor technical difference", betray a degree of ignorance of the subject that is being discussed.

Second, and most importantly, I have no interest in playing games with you, or keeping scores, so if you want to feel like you won anything just be my guest as I am now out of this thread.

Stammi bene.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Spiritualized and boss.king
I love Magsafe, I have stand in car, on the desk, I use a compatible waller when traveling to put the hotel keycard and other things like portable battery. It is super handy.
 
I got sort of a „brace“ with a mag-safe holder for my ps5 controller so I can use my phone as a mobile gaming device with physical controls. For me, it’s more about holding things with the added bonus of charging, if necessary . I wouldn’t mind, if the magnets were stronger so it would hold the phone with a lot of cases that don’t support mag safe charging.
 
The only potential advantage of wireless charging via MagSafe is to reduce the wear and tear on the USB port on the iPhone.

Lightning was a superior connection do to it's design over USB-C. I can see that middle piece snapping right off and be the mercy of apple to replace it if it drops chin down while plugged in.

But then at that point I guess I could switch exclusively to charge via wireless. Eh, whatever. Use whatever you want and be happy. Extra options is a nice thing.

Bigger battery? Don't be silly, this is Apple and if means a few extra grams in weight or mm in thickness it will be viewed as inelegant not only by the people in Cupertino or some people on this site who were complaining how 'chonky' the new MacBook Pros were when introduced with the new design.
 
Ctrlos said:
Despite nicking the idea wholesale from the Palm Pre, Magsafe on the iPhone has been one of Apple's best successes of recent years. This is to the point that they open sourced it and it now forms the basis of Qi-2 charging across Android devices.

But have they gone far enough?

A key selling point for the iPhone 12 was Magsafe accessories yet beyond the wallet (which has been done better by 3rd parties) nothing has really come of it. Unless I'm travelling or commuting I, like many people prefer to leave as much at home as possible; are there further creative areas for Magsafe exploration that we have not seen?

For example a Yale key holder with snapback so you can leave them at home on a night out. A small Moleskin for jotting down ideas. A reverse Apple Watch charger. A narrower medication dispenser. A blood sugar monitor. A narrow dry-powder inhaler. Airpods. A controller with shoulder buttons and a cooling fan for extended sessions.

Magsafe isn't going anywhere and is now in Android phones. Releasing an accessory doesn't mean it only works with a narrow niche of phones.
Click to expand...
IT never appealed to me for iPhones because I always want and require fast charging. So a cable would be superior over magsafe.

Like i don't "need it". I'm as simple as putting a case on and that's it.
 
Wando64 said:
First of all Cirillo, I was correcting a wrong statement that you had made.
It was quite obvious from your early posts that you had no idea as to how the two technologies differ from one another.
Statements like "same in name and concept" and "Minor technical difference", betray a degree of ignorance of the subject that is being discussed.

Second, and most importantly, I have no interest in playing games with you, or keeping scores, so if you want to feel like you won anything just be my guest as I am now out of this thread.

Stammi bene.
Click to expand...
You were wrong. I corrected you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Timpetus
The-Real-Deal82 said:
Just read back through your conversation and it’s clear they were right. Two different concepts sharing the same brand name.
Click to expand...
Not that it matters, this is sort of a dumb argument anyway, but the concepts have far more in common than not.

Here's my summary of the major components of each concept:
MagSafe original: plugs into power source, uses wires, magnetically connects to charge, doesn't carry data, uses physical connection on side of device.
MagSafe on iPhone: plugs into wider array of power sources, uses wires, magnetically connects to charge, doesn't carry data, uses wireless connection on back of device (still physically attached to device). Also adds mount capabilities, since the devices it's used on are much smaller and don't stand on their own like a laptop.

It's a slightly different application of the same base concept, because it's being used for different devices which need some different side benefits (preventing laptops from being pulled to the floor by their cords vs. precisely aligning wireless charging coils and mounting things and phones on each other).
 
I'm still pissed about MagSafe wallet being awful. I bought an AirTag and put it in my wallet.
 
ndouglas said:
Great points, would love to see a link to the tripod charger that you refer to, if you like it. It sounds useful for photography and in the kitchen too!
Click to expand...
It’s two separate things. I found a MagSafe tripod mount on Amazon, I selected the one I bought ultimately based on maximum height. I think I’d tried looking for one that would allow me to connect to a tripod mount (instead of using its own tripod) but couldn’t find one when I looked last year. The one I picked up was this one: https://www.amazon.com/OMOTON-Compa...2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1

As for the charger I’ve bought, it’s the Anker folding 3-in-1 stand for iPhone, AirPods/AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch. It’s a little pricey, but I picked it up on one of Amazon’s recent pre-Prime Day deals, which made it a little more reasonable. I haven’t actually used it yet, but I’ll be on vacation next week and plan on using it. I kinda wish it would also let me charge an external battery pack using either a USB C output port on the stand or via a second port on the power supply, but, oh well. It’s still one or two fewer chargers/cables (and I suppose I could always disconnect the stand and use its USB cable to charge the Anker MagSafe battery pack I use). https://www.amazon.com/Compatible-A...afe+apple+watch+charger&qid=1721053172&sr=8-3
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
  • Like
Reactions: ndouglas
Incidentally, I did end up using the Anker stand on vacation. It was nice only needing one cable and one USB power brick, and the stand does a great job of securing both the phone and Apple Watch. The AirPods Pro case can slide out of the sweet spot to some degree, and I wish the power brick had a second USB C port so I could charge a power bank (instead, I ended up charging it when the phone and watch were fully charged).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back