MagSafe is the worst thing Apple has made maybe ever

[PNutts]

Yep they do list the possibility of marks. For me, I don't really care. That said, I found some bright lights and took a photo from 2 different angles of my launch-day proMax in leather case. I use magsafe to charge every night. It is very hard to see, but I think I managed to capture (using my iPad camera) the extent of the "imprint" I'm experiencing on my leather case. Under certain lighting conditions it is visible for sure, but doesn't bother me one iota.

I like the effect around the logo.

 

[Royksöpp]

I bought this one from Amazon. I didn't like how easy it was to drop the charger onto the desk. The silicone is pretty good quality. The bottom also has little feet.

ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00

 

[Robbosan]

Here is otterbox's answer to the magsafe ring that will only come off with water on the Symmetry, lol.

Dear Brett ,

Notes from Maggie: We are sorry to hear the experience you have, we would sure pass your comment to our relevant team for further evaluation and improvement in future. Maggie Thank you, OtterBox Customer Support

 

[James Godfrey]

I have never used wireless charging with any of my previous iPhones however, something about MagSafe intrigues me... this is obviously the future of the iPhone going port-less and future iPhones will likely come with the MagSafe puck in the box.

I can see where Apple were going with MagSafe, three main issues of wireless charging and the reason why I never invested in it previously are:

1. Wireless charger not lining up properly and waking up to an uncharged phone in the morning.

2. Not being able to use your phone whilst wireless charging unless holding the wireless charger in position on the back which is quite awkward to do.

3. Slow charging speeds in comparison to wired charging.

I feel with MagSafe it solves all three of these problems... with a few draw backs most of which have easy workarounds...

1. Marks on leather/silicon MagSafe cases, I think this will likely be rectified on future iPhone case releases, yes it’s an issue but one which Apple is obviously not scared to highlight, I can imagine a Apple putting a ring on the back off all apples MagSafe cases matching the colour of the case itself for future iphone, don’t like the idea of your case getting marked, simply get the clear case or just continue using Qi chargers.

2. MagSafe puck lifting with the phone... this can rectified with putting some sort of double sided tape on the reverse of the puck or getting a heavier style third party dock... I imagine Apple may release something like this in the future also... however the market is saturated so not sure if they actually ever will, the MagSafe duo is really a travel charger rather than a dock but couldn’t be marketed as such with the current pandemic.

3. Overheating, this is the only major issue with MagSafe from what I am reading... but the iPhone generally does a good job of regulating this automatically, so I don’t think it will have a major adverse effect on the longevity of the battery.

At the end of the day if your happy with standard Qi charging then continue using it, MagSafe does not prevent it from working... however if the drawbacks of using Qi charging are annoying to you and you want to continue wireless charging and feel you will benefit from MagSafe then use MagSafe, if both don’t apply then just use a cable.

MagSafe is very likely here to stay, will MagSafe be made better in the future? Maybe it will, maybe it won’t, but how it can be made better is the question, only Apple will know how they are going to tweak it going forward... they may not even bother.

Although I feel MagSafe is quite unapple especially as it marks cases etc... it’s something which Apple thinks solves a lot of issues with wireless charging in its current form and to be fair it does it’s just it does have a few drawbacks... but it’s not like Apple have prevented it’s customers from continuing to use Qi chargers.

These are just my thoughts, and personally I was originally going to go with the MagSafe Duo as my first wireless charger, however after seeing the price and my use case I think I am going to wait for the Belkin 3 in 1 as I don’t really see much benefit of MagSafe duo for me personally as I will use cables to charge when travelling and the Belkin at home on my night stand.

 

[Nozuka]

Can't really complain, since i'm very happy with my Duo Charger.
Very easy to put the phone on the charger and it is instantly aligned. Very satisfying. Very easy to take off the charger. (yes, even one handed)
Phone has always been full in the morning so far... My nightstand looks more clean now, because i don't have a cable dangling around and the Apple Watch charger that kept moving... And the Apple Watch is also easier to remove now.

No complains from me, except for the high price.

But: I'm not using a case. It would definitely annoy me to get a circle, if i was using a case.

 

[Duncan68]

Whoever said this was the worst thing ever never used a butterfly keyboard.

 

[Super T]

I'm going to include a photo of a quad-lock case just for context. The quad lock system is a fantastic (proprietary) mechanism for mounting your phones to things I had one in the past as well.

As you can see, the quad lock case you mention is a thick-ass case made worse by the fact it doesn't let your phone rest (closely)on the wireless charger. Quad lock specifically sells a wireless charging head that may help you.

I know I've had issues in the past (especially with my Pixel 4XL) with thicker cases preventing wireless charging. Some combinations of phones/chargers are more or less sensitive to the charging distance. I think some phones reject greater charging distances in an attempt to mitigate the higher heat generation. I suspect that is the case (pun intended) with your iPhone. Sucks though.

I get that you are invested in Quad-lock and it is an awesome system. For your wife...since she just got her phone, I'd advise returning her case and trying another one. There are literally thousands to choose from that will work.

I just did some testing with my "YooTech" charger on my desk. Even with the leather case on, the phone starts charging at ~5mm distance between the back of the leather case and the charger aka not touching.

Appreciate the feedback. For context I've been using Quadlocks since about the 6S, with annual upgrades to the most current phone. All previous wireless capable phones (what did it start with, X? seems like forever ago now) worked fine w/ these chargers and the Quadlock. Quadlock confirmed the rear of their case has not changed in design (thickness or materials). So it has to be something different w/ the coil placement or strength (possibly a software limitation based on some current threshold) inside the phone. I mean to your point yes, this case has some junk in its trunk. But no more than before. Their wireless charging head looks rad but then you have to "unlock" your phone from it every time you want to grab a call. For me that blows because it charges on my desk while I work. It also junks my combo watch/phone charger. #FIRSTWORLDPROBLEMS I guess, but I'm stupidly optimistic there will be a software fix.

 

[Jett0516]

Whoever said this was the worst thing ever never used a butterfly keyboard.

I still think the iPhone 5 case with holes is the worst product ever from

 

[theautopilot]

I still think the iPhone 5 case with holes is the worst product ever from

Oh yeah forgot about that thing. Not only looked unbelievably horrible, but caused marks. I remember the look of horror on my friends face when he took his off and found all the permanent pockmarks.

Maybe not the worst Apple product though, but its definitely up there.

 

[lordhamster]

Appreciate the feedback. For context I've been using Quadlocks since about the 6S, with annual upgrades to the most current phone. All previous wireless capable phones (what did it start with, X? seems like forever ago now) worked fine w/ these chargers and the Quadlock. Quadlock confirmed the rear of their case has not changed in design (thickness or materials). So it has to be something different w/ the coil placement or strength (possibly a software limitation based on some current threshold) inside the phone. I mean to your point yes, this case has some junk in its trunk. But no more than before. Their wireless charging head looks rad but then you have to "unlock" your phone from it every time you want to grab a call. For me that blows because it charges on my desk while I work. It also junks my combo watch/phone charger. #FIRSTWORLDPROBLEMS I guess, but I'm stupidly optimistic there will be a software fix.

I think you are spot on. My guess would be that the combination of several things are causing these issues:

• Repositioned coils causing havoc with some charges (especially stands)... that some people have been able to fix on some chargers by adding a little spacer to lift the phone, or charge sideways.
• Addition of magnets. I think this combined with the above item is triggering foreign object detection.
• Perhaps the phone is also more finicky about thresholds (as you mentioned) than previous iterations were. This one could definitely be addressed via software.

 

[x-evil-x]

if you guys don't want imprints of the charger on your case line the aluminum ring outside the puck with sticky back felt or leather so it doesn't sit so hard on the puck part. It will still charge and still hold the phone. Just a small amount less of a hold but doesn't matter too much from my findings.

 

[theautopilot]

if you guys don't want imprints of the charger on your case line the aluminum ring outside the puck with sticky back felt or leather so it doesn't sit so hard on the puck part. It will still charge and still hold the phone. Just a small amount less of a hold but doesn't matter too much from my findings.

Thats a good point - I wonder is there anything on the market to add to the MagSafe to reduce the effect of the magnet, just to the point which it’s only powerful enough to help align it, not hold tightly. I might have to try some different materials myself. Felt sounds good 👍🏻

 

[theautopilot]

if you guys don't want imprints of the charger on your case line the aluminum ring outside the puck with sticky back felt or leather so it doesn't sit so hard on the puck part. It will still charge and still hold the phone. Just a small amount less of a hold but doesn't matter too much from my findings.

Thats a good point - I was wondering if there was anything on the market to add to the MagSafe to reduce the effect of the magnet, just to the point which it’s only powerful enough to help align it, not hold tightly in. I might have to try some different materials myself. Felt sounds good 👍🏻

 

[Pipinou83]

If I am disappointed when charging the iPhone 12 Pro Max with the Mag Safe charger (as I commented in a previous post, it never goes beyond 11 W and usually is under 10 W during most of the charge time), I have tried with the 12 Mini and this a complete different story ! At around 11 W most of the time, It reaches 35/38% in 30 min which is quite fast ! Even if I know the battery is way smaller, the MagSafe charger is really efficient...It's like it had been created for the Mini ! And it does not get as warm as the Pro Max. So in a nutshell, if you have a Mini, get it !

 

[Luba]

I'm sorry, I've tried to love this product, and then I even tried to just like it, but its just absolutely terrible. Apple has effectively ruined wireless charging in their new devices all in the name of keeping things proprietary for them to keep the cash rolling in. Its is such a poorly done product that makes absolutely zero sense outside of Apple screwing over both the consumer, and manufacturers of Qi charging products.

I watched an interesting video on YouTube (SnazzyLabs) who theorized that Apple made MagSafe because they refuse to comply with the EU's new law that states that all manufacturers must now use the same chargers (USB-C). Apple will be forced after this year to make all of their phones with a standard USB-C charging cable. Well that would be a huge loss of income for Apple due to the fact that the lightning cable and 3rd party MFI (Made for iPhone) lightning cables is a billion dollar industry. Apple makes $4 for every single lightning cable sold in the world with the MFI logo on them. That is a massive amount of money lost if they had to comply to this new law in Europe. So to get around this law, they are going to make a portless phone that only charges with Magsafe next year. 3rd party Manufacturers will have to comply to Apple's standards and have the MFI logo put on any MagSafe alternatives to wirelessly charging, which keeps the cash in Apple's hands. I realize this is a business but they are forcing manufacturers to comply to a new standard of wireless charging while also making us as the consumer buy new wireless chargers if we want to get the full benefit out of them.

The other reason I hate Magsafe is that its crippled all of my other wireless chargers. Apple purposely made its new iPhones only capable of charging at a VERY low wattage on standard Qi charging pads. This is obviously done to push people to use MagSafe, or to buy the new wireless chargers that will have the (MFI) logo on them that comply to Apple's new wireless charging standards. My wireless chargers charge my iPhone 12 max so slowly now that its not really worth using them if I need to get a quick charge in.

Outside of those reasons above, I don't like it becuase its the same as using a cable, it heats up your phone way to much, the cord is too short, the cord gets in the way if not pointed directly down, it damages Apple's expensive leather case, and to me its a completely pointless accessory that Apple is shoving on us because they refuse to make a standard USB-C charging cable for their phones.

I'm sorry for the rant but I had to get that out.

Adjusting to MagSafe has been a pain as I bought and returned Apple’s silicone and Clear cases because their quality control was bad this year. I ended up “solving” the MagSafe dilemma by getting a bumper case and a sleeve so now I like MagSafe. But not many companies make sleeves or bumpers. I’m also surprised i like the MagSafe wallet.

I would like a port less iPhone since the port is vulnerable to lint etc getting in there. But if the iPhone needs to have iOS reinstalled how we will do that without a port??

 

[Luba]

That whole Lightning argument brakes down though with the iPad Pros for example. Apple is obviously willing to ditch Lightning if it makes sense.

I also don't think that the EU ever decided what they actually wanted to do. The latest articles I could find about the topic were from earlier this year. And they had not come up with an exact plan by then. Maybe someone has a more current link?

The advantage of MagSafe is supposed to be that you don't have to align your device on the charger. That is actually something I personally don't like about "normal" charging pads. It is easy to misalign the phone or the phone might move/slip. Won't happen with MagSafe. I like the charging puck for the Apple Watch a lot for that very reason.

But that charging on "normal" Qi pads is actually slower than it should be does suck of course.

Don’t mind iPad Pro uses usb-c . . . Why couldn’t it use Lightning? USB-c more powerful and can do more?

 

[x-evil-x]

Adjusting to MagSafe has been a pain as I bought and returned Apple’s silicone and Clear cases because their quality control was bad this year. I ended up “solving” the MagSafe dilemma by getting a bumper case and a sleeve so now I like MagSafe. But not many companies make sleeves or bumpers. I’m also surprised i like the MagSafe wallet.

I would like a port less iPhone since the port is vulnerable to lint etc getting in there. But if the iPhone needs to have iOS reinstalled how we will do that without a port??

Portless just seems insane to me. Apple will basically kill off all people that use high end headphones wired. Or anyone with normal headphones. Not everyone loves Bluetooth and it would make a lot of people mad. It wasn’t like taking out the 3.5 jack because we still had the lighting option. With no port the small gains equal to a lot of downside in the things you can use. Also everyone that has a wired CarPlay will be mad about this. Im hoping the port stays. I don’t want to use magsafe and Bluetooth for everything. Might as well toss my old wired headphones out then and lots of accessories.

 

[Robbosan]

Useless, rings on all MagSafe cases I have tried, MagSafe charger gets the phone too hot, car vent holders so far are a joke, wallet cases stuck on the phone lol, apples wallet handbag sleeve haha, no black so definitely targeted for women.
Worst thing they have done.
Yes I have had every iPhone,iPad, imac, MacBook pro’s, new M1, Apple TV’s, and AirPods so not trolling before anyone comments.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I can’t say I’m in a rush to try any of the MagSafe products in all honesty. The charger is expensive and I currently have no issues charging anyway. The cases aren’t anything special in terms of looks and I don’t need a card holder as I use Apple Pay more often than not on my watch. It also seems to add bulk to the phone which I don’t see the point of. Seems like a rather odd addition to be honest and feels a bit like a feature they included to add a bit of extra marketing spice. I could be wrong and maybe it’ll be something that has better utilisation in the future. The usb-c cable that came with the phone is also still in the box which is in the top of my wardrobe lol. At least the phone itself is really good.

 

[x-evil-x]

Useless, rings on all MagSafe cases I have tried, MagSafe charger gets the phone too hot, car vent holders so far are a joke, wallet cases stuck on the phone lol, apples wallet handbag sleeve haha, no black so definitely targeted for women.
Worst thing they have done.
Yes I have had every iPhone,iPad, imac, MacBook pro’s, new M1, Apple TV’s, and AirPods so not trolling before anyone comments.

speak for yourself on car magsafe chargers being a joke. Ive already converted my old setup for them also in my bedroom with a car magsafe and its brilliant. I also use my phone without a case and haven't had any problems.

 

[Duncan68]

Portless just seems insane to me. Apple will basically kill off all people that use high end headphones wired. Or anyone with normal headphones. Not everyone loves Bluetooth and it would make a lot of people mad. It wasn’t like taking out the 3.5 jack because we still had the lighting option. With no port the small gains equal to a lot of downside in the things you can use. Also everyone that has a wired CarPlay will be mad about this. Im hoping the port stays. I don’t want to use magsafe and Bluetooth for everything. Might as well toss my old wired headphones out then and lots of accessories.

Headphone audiophiles won't be giving up their DACs and amps and wired headphones anytime soon.

 

[Hooterville]

OB Symmetry after 5 mins on magsafe charger lol. Will only come off with water.View attachment 1688884

Does it come 100% clean with water or is there still a faint outline?

 

[Robbosan]

Does it come 100% clean with water or is there still a faint outline?

I think clean i returned it before xmas and sold the magsafe charger.

 

[HeathH]

Useless, rings on all MagSafe cases I have tried, MagSafe charger gets the phone too hot, car vent holders so far are a joke, wallet cases stuck on the phone lol, apples wallet handbag sleeve haha, no black so definitely targeted for women.
Worst thing they have done.
Yes I have had every iPhone,iPad, imac, MacBook pro’s, new M1, Apple TV’s, and AirPods so not trolling before anyone comments.

Actually pretty happy with the MagSafe car mount using so far. That’s pretty much the only thing I see MagSafe having value for. Nice to get in the car and just plop on the MagSafe holder.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I love MagSafe so far. I used it last night to charge my phone. It worked through my case. No issues with the phone not getting charged after I used it to check something in the night.