Resolved MagSafe Battery Pack. Any regrets?

[Alpha Centauri]

Hi all,

are you finding it's a great accessory for your use case, any buyers remorse, or was it a straight return?

I bought one a week ago to supplement my Mini 13, but mainly for an upcoming long haul flight and holiday. Watched/ read the reviews on its intended use but unsure if it's something I want piggy backing on my phone during longer outings and day trips.

In all honesty, have only had it attached to the Mini for an hour and was put off by the marks it left on the new Apple silicon case. For that period, they rubbed off easy enough. But still, will be permanent for long term use?

On my flights, USB charging will be available, so I guess that's a moot point. And one of the reasons I bought the Mini was for lightness/ compact form factor and having this brick along on the back does effectively negate this somewhat. In a way I'm answering my own questions in this thread already. I still have a couple of days to return it.

Was has your experience been?

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJWY3AM/A/magsafe-battery-pack

 

[Mlrollin91]

Cost and thickness turned me off from the Apple battery pack. Returned it within a week. I went with an Anker 621 and much happier. I will note that because you are using a Mini, the Anker might overhang around the edges.

Anker Magnetic Portable Charger, 5,000mAh Wireless Portable Charger with USB-C Cable, Battery Pack Only Compatible with iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max, iPhone 14/13/12 Series and more

Model Number: 1610 Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Slim B2C - UN Violet Iteration 1

www.amazon.com

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Cost and thickness turned me off from the Apple battery pack. Returned it within a week. I went with an Anker 621 and much happier. I will note that because you are using a Mini, the Anker might overhang around the edges.

Anker Magnetic Portable Charger, 5,000mAh Wireless Portable Charger with USB-C Cable, Battery Pack Only Compatible with iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max, iPhone 14/13/12 Series and more

Model Number: 1610 Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Slim B2C - UN Violet Iteration 1

www.amazon.com

Thank you for your reply. Was the Apple pack much thicker? Yup, it would appear this Anchor product doesn't list the Mini but I'm questioning if I even need one or would be bothered to carry around. Something only I can obviously answer.

Can I ask, how have you used them. Attached at all times or rather only to top up and then removed once enough charge was available?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Thank you for your reply. Was the Apple pack much thicker? Yup, it would appear this Anchor product doesn't list the Mini but I'm questioning if I even need one or would be bothered to carry around. Something only I can obviously answer.

Can I ask, how have you used them. Attached at all times or rather only to top up and then removed once enough charge was available?

I found the Apple one to be quite thicker. Anker previously had an earlier model that was about as thick as the Apple one. This one seems to be about half.

I primarily use it at Disneyland. Just something to snap on the back and not have to deal with cables when waiting in line for rides, or just walking around. Its not a powerful charger, but its great when needed.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I found the Apple one to be quite thicker. Anker previously had an earlier model that was about as thick as the Apple one. This one seems to be about half.

I primarily use it at Disneyland. Just something to snap on the back and not have to deal with cables when waiting in line for rides, or just walking around. Its not a powerful charger, but its great when needed.

Yes, saw that thicker Anchor one you mention. Then, anything is a piggy back riding, thick Goliath on the Mini's back

I do like the concept itself of the Apple device, but holidaying in a hot climate could also perhaps quite limit the charging level (aka heat protection as intended)? That's just a pure speculation on my part, based on all the review materials I've come across.

I probably need to walk around with it, attached, and see if works for me. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I like mine. It is very handy.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I like mine. It is very handy.

Are you also mainly using it with your Mini 13? Attached for the day as a battery extension or when the main battery starts getting low?

It's interesting, as mentioned in my OP, the marks left after just an hour use with the silicon case. There was mention this occurring with the leather case only in this article. Nothing about the silicone case.

 

[teh_hunterer]

The long haul flights I've been on have all had powerpoints, so no need to bring a battery pack.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

The long haul flights I've been on have all had powerpoints, so no need to bring a battery pack.

Yes, a realization I added onto my OP as really being a moot point.

 

[Andeddu]

The MagSafe battery pack is a lifesaver if you have a Mini. I had the 12 Mini and required it after a year or so as the battery health had decreased. The trick to using the battery pack is to wait until your phone drops to 25-30% before using it. That way it’ll just completely charge and deplete itself within 2 hours so you don’t have to have it attached all the time. I used an Apple silicone case and there were no ring marks on the back which were permanent.

I use a 13 now but still use the MagSafe battery pack when required. I have needed it 3 times in the last month.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

The MagSafe battery pack is a lifesaver if you have a Mini. I had the 12 Mini and required it after a year or so as the battery health had decreased. The trick to using the battery pack is to wait until your phone drops to 25-30% before using it. That way it’ll just completely charge and deplete itself within 2 hours so you don’t have to have it attached all the time. I used an Apple silicone case and there were no ring marks on the back which were permanent.

I use a 13 now but still use the MagSafe battery pack when required. I have needed it 3 times in the last month.

Excellent, your reply makes it interesting to not return it.

Just going by various YT review sites they suggest attaching when the ph is close to full charge and lugging both piggy backed, then removing the Pack, ending the day with a full (90%) phone charge. That for me, took away the portability.

Also, could you reverse charge both Pack and Mini using a 5W charger? Wonder if there's a limitation and perhaps 20W is required?

 

[Andeddu]

Excellent, your reply makes it interesting to not return it.

Just going by various YT review sites they suggest attaching when the ph is close to full charge and lugging both piggy backed, then removing the Pack, ending the day with a full (90%) phone charge. That for me, took away the portability.

Also, could you reverse charge both Pack and Mini using a 5W charger? Wonder if there's a limitation and perhaps 20W is required?

I don’t know why they’d advise the user to place the MagSafe charger on at all times as, like you said, it negates any portability you’d get with the phone. Most review sites don’t really know what they are talking about anyway. I had my battery pack on for only a few hours each day and I was able to get more than a days worth of charge. The MagSafe charger is essential if you are a moderate or heavy phone user.

You can charge via the battery pack but you have to use a 20W fast charger to do so. I don’t think you can reverse charge via the phone to the battery.

 

[IJBrekke]

I own one, but with the 13 mini battery life being pretty good I don’t use it a lot. It’s also kinda slow and generates a fair amount of heat, plus it adds weight and bulk.

My #1 use case has been the rare days I forgot to charge my phone, or when my phone didn’t sit right on the wireless pad overnight. I bought it because I was on my feet a lot in my last job and couldn’t just plug in…this is really where it shines, as a battery extender. But if there’s access to a charge point and you can sit, that is definitely the more efficient option. A 15-minute charge from being plugged in is like an hour with the battery pack.

All to say, I have found the use-case limited and probably wouldn’t buy again if I had a do-over.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Are you also mainly using it with your Mini 13? Attached for the day as a battery extension or when the main battery starts getting low?

It's interesting, as mentioned in my OP, the marks left after just an hour use with the silicon case. There was mention this occurring with the leather case only in this article. Nothing about the silicone case.

I use it on my mini or 14 pro only when needed. I don't leave it on all day.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I’ve had it for my 12 mini for two years, would not recommend.
It does what it’s advertised to do fine enough, but it’s very strange.
The slightest amount of heat will completely stop it from charging. Sticking that pack on your phone while you’re spending a day in the hot summer sun is a terrible idea and will basically do nothing but waste power.
Likewise if you’re a heavy phone user, using your phone while that battery pack is on (unless you’re in a cold environment)basically makes it useless also.
Pretty much anything that produces heat makes the battery pack stop working.
Previously I’ve been stuck in a cycle of my phone showing me the low battery notification over and over and over again because the battery pack would just stop and start charging, stop and start, stop and start bouncing between 19 and 21% before I just… Plug it into the wall and let it charge fully.
it also doesn’t charge up your phone all the way.
Again, depending on heat, my 12 mini will charge from about 20% to between 60 and 75% usually.
Fine enough I guess, but definitely not worth $100.
There are cheeper, better, more useful batterypacks out there, I would totally avoid this one.

 

[Andeddu]

I’ve had it for my 12 mini for two years, would not recommend.
It does what it’s advertised to do fine enough, but it’s very strange.
The slightest amount of heat will completely stop it from charging. Sticking that pack on your phone while you’re spending a day in the hot summer sun is a terrible idea and will basically do nothing but waste power.
Likewise if you’re a heavy phone user, using your phone while that battery pack is on (unless you’re in a cold environment)basically makes it useless also.
Pretty much anything that produces heat makes the battery pack stop working.
Previously I’ve been stuck in a cycle of my phone showing me the low battery notification over and over and over again because the battery pack would just stop and start charging, stop and start, stop and start bouncing between 19 and 21% before I just… Plug it into the wall and let it charge fully.
it also doesn’t charge up your phone all the way.
Again, depending on heat, my 12 mini will charge from about 20% to between 60 and 75% usually.
Fine enough I guess, but definitely not worth $100.
There are cheeper, better, more useful batterypacks out there, I would totally avoid this one.

I don’t think anyone pays $100 for the MagSafe battery pack as you can purchase it for half price in a lot of online outlets. While you are right that the MagSafe charger is sensitive to heat, the only task that I found it would not charge during is any form of gaming. Web-browsing, video and music streaming and instant messaging were all fine. I would just stick it in my pocket too and it would charge fine.

I would certainly not go as low as 19-21% before using the battery pack otherwise you might get annoying low battery messages.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I’ve had it for my 12 mini for two years, would not recommend.
It does what it’s advertised to do fine enough, but it’s very strange.
The slightest amount of heat will completely stop it from charging. Sticking that pack on your phone while you’re spending a day in the hot summer sun is a terrible idea and will basically do nothing but waste power.
Likewise if you’re a heavy phone user, using your phone while that battery pack is on (unless you’re in a cold environment)basically makes it useless also.
Pretty much anything that produces heat makes the battery pack stop working.
Previously I’ve been stuck in a cycle of my phone showing me the low battery notification over and over and over again because the battery pack would just stop and start charging, stop and start, stop and start bouncing between 19 and 21% before I just… Plug it into the wall and let it charge fully.
it also doesn’t charge up your phone all the way.
Again, depending on heat, my 12 mini will charge from about 20% to between 60 and 75% usually.
Fine enough I guess, but definitely not worth $100.
There are cheeper, better, more useful batterypacks out there, I would totally avoid this one.

That's interesting, thank you also for sharing your long term experience. Yes, I was aware that charge will be limited to 90%. I wonder, it sounds like it struggles to recover once the phone enters a low battery state. I will actually be holidaying to a destination of ambient temps of around 35-40C.

 

[zhtfreak]

I use one with a 12 mini and an Apple silicone case. As others have said, it's great for when you need a bit of extra charge and can't plug your phone in. My iPhone is my only device, so it obviously gets heavy use. I always take the battery pack with me, but don't always use it. It's great to pop it on about half way through my day at work and then when I get home my phone is around 90% charged, so I just plug the battery pack in and it's ready to go for the next day.

Pro tip: You can also use the battery pack to charge your Air Pods case.

 

[MisterSavage]

I bought the Anker one. I rarely use it, but the times where I did use it I was so happy that I had it.

 

[rambo47]

The MagSafe battery is overpriced for 1400 milliamps but it's beautiful and convenient. My buddy paid half of what the Apple battery costs for 5000 milliamps. It's thicker and less stylish but you get several full recharges with it vs. less than one full recharge with the Apple offering.

I use my Apple MagSafe battery as a bridge - just to get me the time to get where I'm going and plug in for a full recharge. It's not a 24/7 solution for expanding my battery capacity. And with the 13 Pro Max my battery is enough to get me almost anywhere. But when circumstance collides with necessity I can reach into my bag for the Apple battery and remain connected.

 

[Apple_Robert]

The MagSafe charger can charge the 12 or 13 mini to 100%, provided you toggle off the 90% default.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I'm marking this thread as resolved, have come to a decision. But first I'd like to thank everyone for the replies and contributions by providing real life pros and cons with various uses.

I've decided to keep the battery pack! The car I'll be using during the longer holiday is older, and doesn't have usb. Also for those times a power point isn't right at hand during the multiple transit points of the intercontinental flight. So this will happily see me through when charge gets too low for comfort.

I've actually spend more money today, buying a 20W charger also. I'll keep using the 5W (over 6 yrs old now) from the old SE for overnight charging but also will now have a fast charge option if required.

So all set to keep the SE, 13 Mini, Airpods and Battery Pack powered up.

Cheers

 

[Brooke795]

I found the Apple one to be quite thicker. Anker previously had an earlier model that was about as thick as the Apple one. This one seems to be about half.

I primarily use it at Disneyland. Just something to snap on the back and not have to deal with cables when waiting in line for rides, or just walking around. Its not a powerful charger, but its great when needed.

I have a portable charger for Disney too but I use a cable to charge it in my crossbody. It works but always looking for other ways. Idk if Apple would be better but I use the Apple leather case. I also don’t want to have to use the Apple MagSafe charger “first” and be forced to leave it on longer than I’d like. I’m trying to do my research before I switch from my portable power bank. I’d like the Apple one to refill my phone if I put it on halfway through the day then remove it so the ring on my leather case is minimal- the old battery cases Apple made would want to use the external battery source first . Idk.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I have a portable charger for Disney too but I use a cable to charge it in my crossbody. It works but always looking for other ways. Idk if Apple would be better but I use the Apple leather case. I also don’t want to have to use the Apple MagSafe charger “first” and be forced to leave it on longer than I’d like. I’m trying to do my research before I switch from my portable power bank. I’d like the Apple one to refill my phone if I put it on halfway through the day then remove it so the ring on my leather case is minimal- the old battery cases Apple made would want to use the external battery source first . Idk.

Hi, I'm the OP of this thread.

I've only used the Battery Pack fleetingly at home to try/ test, whilst deciding if it's something I need or want (predominately) for an upcoming holiday.

It's obviously quite dependent what phone you have but just to give you a very unscientific idea of charging times, attached to my 13 Mini, charging continuously from 25% to 99% at 7.5W (Battery Pack was then depleted). The battery had some warmth, was through Apple's silicon case, on WiFi and the Mini was just sitting idle. This took 95 minutes.

Off course that's just one way of using it but likely I'll just end up just attaching/topping up as needed. Also quite neat to charge Airpods with the Battery Pack whilst on the go without power. Equally I like the concept to charge both the Battery Pack and Mini overnight, simultaneously and whilst attached to each other.

 

[Brooke795]

Hi, I'm the OP of this thread.

I've only used the Battery Pack fleetingly at home to try/ test, whilst deciding if it's something I need or want (predominately) for an upcoming holiday.

It's obviously quite dependent what phone you have but just to give you a very unscientific idea of charging times, attached to my 13 Mini, charging continuously from 25% to 99% at 7.5W (Battery Pack was then depleted). The battery had some warmth, was through Apple's silicon case, on WiFi and the Mini was just sitting idle. This took 95 minutes.

Of course that's just one way of using it but likely I'll just end up just attaching/topping up as needed. Also quite neat to charge Airpods with the Battery Pack whilst on the go without power. Equally I like the concept to charge both the Battery Pack and Mini overnight, simultaneously and whilst attached to each other.

Hi there!!

Yeah it’s just for topping off through a Disney day. I do have a leather case so another caveat is the ring it would leave. I use my battery pack only at Disney. I don’t have a need for any external battery otherwise (14 pro max)

So this could potentially charge an Apple Watch too then? I still may look into it…