iPhone Air MagSafe Battery Pack Uses Same Battery as iPhone Air

[MacRumors]

iFixit today took apart the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery pack, an accessory designed to work exclusively with the iPhone Air, and discovered something interesting.

The battery inside the accessory has an unusual shape, leading iFixit to conclude that it's possible that Apple is using the same battery for the iPhone Air and the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery.

iFixit compared the battery in the MagSafe Battery pack to the iPhone Air battery that Apple showed off when introducing the new device, and it does appear to be a close match if not identical.

The battery has a 12.26Wh capacity, and it is 2.72mm thick, which means it is thin enough to fit inside the 5.6mm iPhone Air.

The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery pack is only able to charge an iPhone Air to 65 percent even though it appears Apple is using the same exact battery that's in the iPhone, but that's due to energy transfer loss during wireless charging.

The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery is thicker than the iPhone Air, and iFixit speculates that the size was the minimum needed to make it a viable product. The battery inside is protected with plastic and it does not have the same titanium frame as the iPhone Air.

Article Link: iPhone Air MagSafe Battery Pack Uses Same Battery as iPhone Air

 

[AnotherOpinion]

This is hilarious… like… let's make the battery half as thick and charge extra, and call it the thinest iPhone ever…

 

[F23]

Tim Cooks us again

 

[jdavid_rp]

How viable would be to make the apple logo a circuit between the battery and the accessories (like a Smart Connector from the ipad) so this kind of batteries could be more efficient?

 

[Mazda 3s]

The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery pack is only able to charge an iPhone Air to 65 percent even though it appears Apple is using the same exact battery that's in the iPhone, but that's due to energy transfer loss during wireless charging.

I have an Air arriving tomorrow, but this is just hilarious to me. With that said, I already have a 10,000 mAh MagSafe portable battery that attaches to the back of my current iPhone 16 Pro, but I only use that when I'm traveling out of state/country.

 

[JesterJJZ]

How viable would be to make the apple logo a circuit between the battery and the accessories (like a Smart Connector from the ipad) so this kind of batteries could be more efficient?

This, I always thought a magsafe system that relies on wireless charging makes zero sense. If it needs to physically touch the device just make it a physical connection more like a Macbook magsafe.

 

[firstcitazen]

Battery life is secondary to me, as I have to carry 2 phones. If needed I'll just plug it in

 

[chrisone]

This is hilarious… like… let's make the battery half as thick and charge extra, and call it the thinest iPhone ever…

And sell the other half of the battery as an extra battery pack…!

 

[ShivneelSingh]

They should’ve made swapable batteries. Companies used to do this back in my day. Circa 2006 high school era.

#PalmTreo650 😍

 

[Macalway]

200% markup for 65% return

Apple

 

[neuropsychguy]

This is hilarious… like… let's make the battery half as thick and charge extra, and call it the thinest iPhone ever…

Half as thick as what? Charging extra compared to what? Also, is it not the thinnest iPhone ever?

Don't the battery life tests posted here on MacRumors show the Air has similar battery life to the thicker iPhone 17? I'm not sure what your comment is about.

 

[now i see it]

People might be looking at the Air battery situation from the wrong perspective...
Imagine (in a different universe) that all iPhones were thinner and substantially lighter, and the secondary battery pack could be snapped on when desired to give you all day use.
It looks like a nice universe to me. Shame it doesn't exist yet with all the phones.

 

[tomtad]

This is the most Tim Cook product I’ve ever seen. The battery doesn’t even fill the footprint being designed for the inside of the phone

 

[Anaxarxes]

This is hilarious… like… let's make the battery half as thick and charge extra, and call it the thinest iPhone ever…

You can not buy the Air.

What a life!

 

[jecowa]

I didn’t realize transfer efficiency was so bad. I usually calculate it at 80% when estimating how much charge a battery pack will give me.

Edit: Just realized this is a MagSafe charger, so the extra loss is likely because of the inductive charging.

 

[BGrifter]

On the bright side, Apple finally gave us a phone with half of a user replaceable battery

 

[Radeon85]

If anyone buys this battery pack, why didn’t you just get a slightly thicker phone? Because with this thing attached, it’s fatter than a Pro phone 😄

The Air has way too many compromises.

 

[code-m]

On the bright side, Apple finally gave us a phone with half of a user replaceable battery

iPhone Air customers are summed up with one phrase “more money than brains”. 😂

Increase the iPhone Air asking price then charge more for an external battery pack to get through an unrestricted day of usage, at that accumulated price might as well go for a Pro.

 

[oneMadRssn]

The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery pack is only able to charge an iPhone Air to 65 percent even though it appears Apple is using the same exact battery that's in the iPhone, but that's due to energy transfer loss during wireless charging.

And this is a perfect real-world example of why wireless charging stinks. 65% efficiency in electric energy transfer is abysmal.

 

[oneMadRssn]

If anyone buys this battery back, why didn't you just a slightly thicker phone?, because with this thing attached it's fatter than a pro phone 😄

The Air has way too many compromises.

If 9 out 10 of days, the iPhone Air built-in battery is enough, then you only need to use the battery pack 1 out of 10 days. And even in that 1 day, you'd only have the battery pack attached for about an hour (the time it would take to empty the battery pack at 12w). So all in all, in a given 10-day period, you'd only have a thick iPhone Air + battery pack phone less than 1% of the time, and the 99% of the time you'd just have an thinner phone.

I'm not getting the Air, but it's for camera reasons. The battery is a total non-issue.

 

[neuropsychguy]

You can not buy the Air.

What a life!

No, you don't understand. That commenter is being forced to buy the Air. Tim Cook is personally shipping an Air to that individual's home and garnishing that commenter's wages until it's paid off. If the commenter defaults -- instant debtor's prison with no chance of parole!

 

[JPack]

We know that it is.

It literally has the same weight (0.046g) and 12.263 Whr based on Apple's own safety data.

Legal - Global Trade Compliance - Apple

www.apple.com

 

[zach-coleman]

If 9 out 10 of days, the iPhone Air built-in battery is enough, then you only need to use the battery pack 1 out of 10 days. And even in that 1 day, you'd only have the battery pack attached for about an hour (the time it would take to empty the battery pack at 12w). So all in all, in a given 10-day period, you'd only have a thick iPhone Air + battery pack phone less than 1% of the time, and the 99% of the time you'd just have an thinner phone.

I'm not getting the Air, but it's for camera reasons. The battery is a total non-issue.

I agree in general but if it’s anything like the old MagSafe battery you’ll be wearing it most of that day, that one didn’t charge very fast. 10% still is fine imo.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery pack is only able to charge an iPhone Air to 65 percent even though it appears Apple is using the same exact battery that's in the iPhone, but that's due to energy transfer loss during wireless charging.

Man, wireless charging really does suck from an efficiency standpoint. I wonder why Apple went with it opposed to pins and magnets like MacBooks.

 

[t0rqx]

This is the first step towards selling you an iPhone without actually selling you an iPhone.

Ive said this last year...