iPhone 12 Pro Max charging tests with various Apple chargers (incl. MagSafe) and cables + MagSafe car mount review

[EugW]

iPhone 12 Pro Max, power measured by Kill-A-Watt:

7-8 Watts - MagSafe with Apple MacBook 29 Watt USB-C charger - (Occasionally reads 6 and 9 Watts.)
15 Watts - MagSafe with Apple 20 Watt USB-C charger (Fluctuates a fair bit)
0 Watts - MagSafe with Apple iPad 12 Watt USB-A charger through USB-C to USB-A adapter (Not recognized.)
0 Watts - MagSafe with Apple iPhone 5 Watt USB-A charger through USB-C to USB-A adapter (Not recognized.)
0 Watts - MagSafe with Monoprice USB-A car charger through USB-C to USB-A adapter (Not recognized.)

21 Watts - USB-C Lightning cable with Apple MacBook 29 Watt USB-C charger
20 Watts - USB-C Lightning cable with Apple 20 Watt USB-C charger
8 Watts - USB-C Lightning cable with Apple iPad 12 Watt USB-A charger through USB-C to USB-A adapter
11 Watts - USB-A Lightning cable with Apple iPad 12 Watt USB-A charger
6-7 Watts - USB-C Lightning cable with Apple iPhone 5 Watt USB-A charger through USB-C to USB-A adapter
5 Watts - USB-A Lightning cable with Apple iPhone 5 Watt USB-A charger

BTW, the MagSafe charger will charge fine at the same wattage through my a non-MagSafe case I got off Amazon. However, the magnetic attraction is not very strong. With the case on, the magnets can hold the weight of the Magsafe charger, but it can't hold the weight of the phone. OTOH, with the case off, the magnets can hold the weight of the phone.

Does this matter? Yes, because if I want to use that case from Amazon, I can't use it easily with MagSafe in my car. Fortunately, the back of the MagSafe adapter is strongly held by the magnetic mount in my car. However, if I put the phone on the MagSafe adapter, the phone will fall off if lightly bumped. In contrast, if I remove the case, everything stays in place nicely even if bumped.

BTW, the MagSafe cable is relatively short. It looks like I'll be getting an extension cord for my desk. And I'll pick up a USB-C PD car charger as well for a second MagSafe charger in the car. Damn this is getting expensive.

 

[EugW]

BTW, the MagSafe charger will charge fine at the same wattage through my a non-MagSafe case I got off Amazon. However, the magnetic attraction is not very strong. With the case on, the magnets can hold the weight of the Magsafe charger, but it can't hold the weight of the phone. OTOH, with the case off, the magnets can hold the weight of the phone.

Does this matter? Yes, because if I want to use that case from Amazon, I can't use it easily with MagSafe in my car. Fortunately, the back of the MagSafe adapter is strongly held by the magnetic mount in my car. However, if I put the phone on the MagSafe adapter, the phone will fall off if lightly bumped. In contrast, if I remove the case, everything stays in place nicely even if bumped.

BTW, the MagSafe cable is relatively short. It looks like I'll be getting an extension cord for my desk. And I'll pick up a USB-C PD car charger as well for a second MagSafe charger in the car. Damn this is getting expensive.

As expected my MagSafe charger will not charge through a USB-C to USB-A adapter with my MFi Monoprice USB-A car charger.

So, I picked up a ugreen USB-C PD + USB-A car charger and the MagSafe charger works fine through that... sort of.

If I plug in the MagSafe to the ugreen car charger and leave the charging phone on the seat, it charges fine. (Note, I picked an Apple leather Magsafe case so now the magnetic attraction is strong.) However, I can magnetically attach the MagSafe charger to my pre-existing magnetic phone mount, and the connection is strong.

However, if I do this, the MagSafe charger no longer works. It says it's charging but it periodically loses the connection temporarily, or else loses it completely. And it doesn't charge, or at least not to any significant amount, so that if I'm using it while it's attached that way, the charge will actually deplete. I took the MagSafe back off the magnetic mount, and again it charges my iPhone just fine.

Hoping it was just due to some weird third party incompatibility, I went out and bought the Mophie USB-C/USB-A car charger from the Apple Store.

It appears to keep the connection longer, but still periodically loses the connection for a split second. However, it never completely loses the connection. Does this mean it works better than the ugreen? Unfortunately no. It also does not charge that way. Again, the only way it works is if I remove the MagSafe charger from the magnetic car mount.

Now I have to figure out another way to use a MagSafe charger in the car. The Belkin car charger doesn't seem like it would work for my car. I have seen this one, but it looks really low end:

VAHIGCY Wireless Car Charger Mount for MagSafe Wireless Charge, Car Phone Holder Charger Cradle Stand Dashboard Air Vent Car Phone Mount

VAHIGCY Wireless Car Charger Mount for MagSafe Wireless Charge, Car Phone Holder Charger Cradle Stand Dashboard Air Vent Car Phone Mount

www.amazon.com

I might give it a shot though.

 

[M5RahuL]

Sub’d! Looking for a magnetic mount ( wireless charger or not at this point ) that will support the weight of the PM with a case ( Apple leather case ) because as of now, I literally have no solution ( my iOttie easy mount 4 with wireless charging will not work with the case on plus doesn’t support the weight and the entire unit falls off of the dashboard!! ) and really need one!!

 

[EugW]

I ordered that MagSafe car holder on AliExpress from a seller who ships from the US to Canada. It may take a while to get here though.

 

[nephron8]

whats max charging speed through higher chargers like 100 watt usb c pd charging?

 

[EugW]

whats max charging speed through higher chargers like 100 watt usb c pd charging?

I don’t have one of those so I can’t test that.

 

[lordhamster]

For a car charger (or any charger for that matter), you'll want a USB-C PD 3.0 charger with >20w, ideally one that supports the PPS protocol. I use this: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08G1MS6JW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Can confirm it gives the full 15w as confirmed by my USB-C tester thingie.

 

[lordhamster]

whats max charging speed through higher chargers like 100 watt usb c pd charging?

Of the ones he tests, I own the 120w baseus one and can confirm in my own tests it achieves peak charging. I have a similar USB-C tester to what the guy has.

 

[EugW]

For a car charger (or any charger for that matter), you'll want a USB-C PD 3.0 charger with >20w, ideally one that supports the PPS protocol. I use this: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08G1MS6JW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Can confirm it gives the full 15w as confirmed by my USB-C tester thingie.

The Ugreen power adapter I mentioned above is a 18 Watt dual USB-A/USB-C charger with USB-C PD 3.0. I didn't measure max output, but it seems fast with the MagSafe charger.

However, this guy measured it at 12.x Watts, but then says it's 18 Watts somewhere else in the review:

Review: UGREEN CD130 18W Power Delivery QC Car Charger

(Last Updated On: December 9, 2020) Fast charging your smartphone while you’re driving is a lot more useful than not charging it at all or using a standard port. That’s because you may be heavily using your phone at home, then you have to commute somewhere and you find that your battery is low...

www.chargerharbor.com

I also bought the Apple mophie dual USB-C/USB-A adapter, but it doesn't seem to offer much real-world advantage, at least with one phone charged at a time. I didn't try charging two phones at a time.

 

[TotalMacMove]

I use this AUKEY Car Charger and it works really well with magsafe. It says it supports up to 30watts if only the usb-c port is being utilized but have not tested it. I will say it charges MUCH faster than my old USB-A car charger.

AUKEY Car Charger Compatible with iPhone 12/12 Mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max,30W USB C Car Charger with Metal Dual Port,Fast Car Charger Adapter with PPS&QC 3.0 and Mini Flush Fit for iPad, Samsung,Google

AUKEY Car Charger Compatible with iPhone 12/12 Mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max,30W USB C Car Charger with Metal Dual Port,Fast Car Charger Adapter with PPS&QC 3.0 and Mini Flush Fit for iPad, Samsung,Google

www.amazon.com

 

[nmeed]

As expected my MagSafe charger will not charge through a USB-C to USB-A adapter with my MFi Monoprice USB-A car charger.

So, I picked up a ugreen USB-C PD + USB-A car charger and the MagSafe charger works fine through that... sort of.

If I plug in the MagSafe to the ugreen car charger and leave the charging phone on the seat, it charges fine. (Note, I picked an Apple leather Magsafe case so now the magnetic attraction is strong.) However, I can magnetically attach the MagSafe charger to my pre-existing magnetic phone mount, and the connection is strong.

View attachment 1681992

View attachment 1681991

However, if I do this, the MagSafe charger no longer works. It says it's charging but it periodically loses the connection temporarily, or else loses it completely. And it doesn't charge, or at least not to any significant amount, so that if I'm using it while it's attached that way, the charge will actually deplete. I took the MagSafe back off the magnetic mount, and again it charges my iPhone just fine.

Hoping it was just due to some weird third party incompatibility, I went out and bought the Mophie USB-C/USB-A car charger from the Apple Store.

It appears to keep the connection longer, but still periodically loses the connection for a split second. However, it never completely loses the connection. Does this mean it works better than the ugreen? Unfortunately no. It also does not charge that way. Again, the only way it works is if I remove the MagSafe charger from the magnetic car mount.

Now I have to figure out another way to use a MagSafe charger in the car. The Belkin car charger doesn't seem like it would work for my car. I have seen this one, but it looks really low end:

VAHIGCY Wireless Car Charger Mount for MagSafe Wireless Charge, Car Phone Holder Charger Cradle Stand Dashboard Air Vent Car Phone Mount

VAHIGCY Wireless Car Charger Mount for MagSafe Wireless Charge, Car Phone Holder Charger Cradle Stand Dashboard Air Vent Car Phone Mount

www.amazon.com

I might give it a shot though.

Off topic, but could you please tell me if that Mophie charger has the UL certified stamp on it? Or if you could take a picture of the the side of the charger with the seals and voltage information it.

 

[EugW]

Off topic, but could you please tell me if that Mophie charger has the UL certified stamp on it? Or if you could take a picture of the the side of the charger with the seals and voltage information it.

Mophie:



Ugreen:

 

[nmeed]

Mophie:

View attachment 1690370View attachment 1690372

Ugreen:

View attachment 1690371View attachment 1690373

Mophie support told me it’s UL certified and based on that I purchased it. Oh well. Thank you.

 

[EugW]

Mophie support told me it’s UL certified and based on that I purchased it. Oh well. Thank you.

CE + FCC not good enough?

But no, it doesn't have either UL or CSA logos anywhere as far as I can tell.

EDIT:

So I just looked this up. You generally don't need UL certification if it doesn't plug into an AC outlet.

 

[EugW]

I use this AUKEY Car Charger and it works really well with magsafe. It says it supports up to 30watts if only the usb-c port is being utilized but have not tested it. I will say it charges MUCH faster than my old USB-A car charger.

AUKEY Car Charger Compatible with iPhone 12/12 Mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max,30W USB C Car Charger with Metal Dual Port,Fast Car Charger Adapter with PPS&QC 3.0 and Mini Flush Fit for iPad, Samsung,Google

AUKEY Car Charger Compatible with iPhone 12/12 Mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max,30W USB C Car Charger with Metal Dual Port,Fast Car Charger Adapter with PPS&QC 3.0 and Mini Flush Fit for iPad, Samsung,Google

www.amazon.com

Glad it works for you, although it blocks your screen. I am personally not a big fan of vent mounts and I also have the main vents above my screen so I didn't want to go with something like that for those reasons.

BTW, it turns out the Belkin MagSafe vent mount doesn't actually have a charge function anyway. Lame.

Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe for iPhone 12 | Belkin

Set your iPhone 12 on the Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe & go. Provides a seamless experience while keeping your phone safely mounted & in view. Shop now.

www.belkin.com

 

[nmeed]

CE + FCC not good enough?

But no, it doesn't have either UL or CSA logos anywhere as far as I can tell.

EDIT:

So I just looked this up. You generally don't need UL certification if it doesn't plug into an AC outlet.

I’m super OCD about UL certification so unless it’s TUV certified, I really won’t feel great using it. Then again Apple sells it, so it can’t be too sketchy. As far as your edit, I had a feeling that might be the case just based on how difficult it is finding a UL certified charger. Though I must say Anker does sell a few.

 

[lordhamster]

For usb-pd chargers the most important certification to look for is usb if

Compliance | USB-IF

www.usb.org

 

[TotalMacMove]

Glad it works for you, although it blocks your screen. I am personally not a big fan of vent mounts and I also have the main vents above my screen so I didn't want to go with something like that for those reasons.

BTW, it turns out the Belkin MagSafe vent mount doesn't actually have a charge function anyway. Lame.

Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe for iPhone 12 | Belkin

Set your iPhone 12 on the Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe & go. Provides a seamless experience while keeping your phone safely mounted & in view. Shop now.

www.belkin.com

Well this is a iOttie magnetic CD mount that I attached my magsafe to. If I use my phone in landscape mode, it does not block my screen (which is pretty useless anyway besides the backup camera)

 

[EugW]

So, I picked up a ugreen USB-C PD + USB-A car charger and the MagSafe charger works fine through that... sort of.


If I plug in the MagSafe to the ugreen car charger and leave the charging phone on the seat, it charges fine. (Note, I picked an Apple leather Magsafe case so now the magnetic attraction is strong.) However, I can magnetically attach the MagSafe charger to my pre-existing magnetic phone mount, and the connection is strong.


However, if I do this, the MagSafe charger no longer works. It says it's charging but it periodically loses the connection temporarily, or else loses it completely. And it doesn't charge, or at least not to any significant amount, so that if I'm using it while it's attached that way, the charge will actually deplete. I took the MagSafe back off the magnetic mount, and again it charges my iPhone just fine.

Hoping it was just due to some weird third party incompatibility, I went out and bought the Mophie USB-C/USB-A car charger from the Apple Store.


It appears to keep the connection longer, but still periodically loses the connection for a split second. However, it never completely loses the connection. Does this mean it works better than the ugreen? Unfortunately no. It also does not charge that way. Again, the only way it works is if I remove the MagSafe charger from the magnetic car mount.

Now I have to figure out another way to use a MagSafe charger in the car. The Belkin car charger doesn't seem like it would work for my car. I have seen this one, but it looks really low end:

VAHIGCY Wireless Car Charger Mount for MagSafe Wireless Charge, Car Phone Holder Charger Cradle Stand Dashboard Air Vent Car Phone Mount

VAHIGCY Wireless Car Charger Mount for MagSafe Wireless Charge, Car Phone Holder Charger Cradle Stand Dashboard Air Vent Car Phone Mount

www.amazon.com

I might give it a shot though.

I got the above mount from AliExpress recently.

To my surprise, this mount works really well. Yes it's cheap and doesn't have great looks, but nonetheless it works. The mount base is firmly attached to the surface on my dash even though the dash is somewhat rounded. The round soft holder in which the charger is placed is soft enough to come right off the mount easily but in real world usage it is strong enough to hold the weight of the Pro Max firmly without even a hint of it wanting to come off. Note that mine is one at an angle and not vertical, but I think it would work fine vertically also. The only issue is that the charger is held in place in that soft round holder not by the edges of the mount, but by an adhesive sticker inside, so you need to have the charger dedicated for this purpose.

Also, if you want to change the orientation, instead of turning the mount head, all you have to do is lift off the phone and re-orient it.

You can also just turn the whole assembly, but this is not ideal because it moves the charger cable too. If you look at the picture below, I had turned the phone from portrait to landscape but that pushed the charger cable to the right. That wouldn't work if the cable was tight though. I have since run the cable along the seam of the dash panel so it can't move like this, so to move the screen like that I have to lift it off and put it back, which is fine.

BTW, it turns out the Belkin one I mentioned before isn't actually a charger. It's just a MagSafe mount, so that wouldn't have been useful for me anyway.

 

[EugW]

This is that mount on Amazon.com:

Quarble Dashboard Car Mount Compatible with Magsafe Charger 360° Rotation Holder Super Stable

1 x dashboard car Mount Compatible with Mag safe Charger(the charger is not included)

www.amazon.com

However, as mentioned, I bought it on AliExpress.

Side view:

Charger holder removed from mount base:

The actual charger is on the other side. I'm showing you the bottom. This whole piece is flexible, and the rim on this side is what holds it to the mount base. As I mentioned, it's quite soft but it still holds quite well.

Here is the Amazon pic showing the different pieces:

 

[EugW]

MaxTech reviewed the same MagSafe car mount charger:

The review of this starts at 7:52.