iPhone 12 What problem is MagSafe solving?

[Stolz25]

One challenge will be CarPlay in those situations where the vehicle does not support wireless CarPlay.

Frankly I’m not too upset about this. One of the reasons I picked Honda over Toyota was CarPlay, but after having the car several years I rarely use it. Opening a console to get the wire to plug it in every time I get in the car doesn‘t add anything for me over the Bluetooth connection.

The one time I do use it is long car trips, which hasn’t happened in a while with all this Covid stuff.

 

[UltimateSyn]

That you can lift and use your iPhone while normal while it wirelessly charges. That's one of the biggest objections to a portless iPhone answered.

For three pages everyone got their jokes and criticisms off except for you. The ability to use your phone while 'wirelessly' charging is the problem MagSafe was designed to solve.

 

[TechLord]

While it wirelessly charges with a wire attached to it? 🤣

It doesn’t matter. The point is Apple can now remove the port without people complaining they can’t lift their phone and use it while it “wirelessly” charges. You can choose to call it a portless charger instead of a wireless one if you feel it more accurate but the point stands.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

It doesn’t matter. The point is Apple can now remove the port without people complaining they can’t lift their phone and use it while it “wirelessly” charges. You can choose to call it a portless charger instead of a wireless one if you feel it more accurate but the point stands.

I agree. Apple can now remove the port making space for future enhancements and to take the opportunity make all new devices magsafe compatible. We wont have a mixture of USB-C, lightning, qi and non-qi charging. I am sure this is part of Apples future strategy for a standard wireless charging protocol for all their devices.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Nothing yet, but when they take out the lightning port it'll be necessary.

 

[neil74]

I read somewhere that if everybody was to immediately switch from wired to wireless charging for their phones that the carbon footprint would be huge.

Unsure if Magsafe is more efficient or not? I am guessing not as if it was Apple would have been all over that PR wise. Could be a first step to more efficient wireless charging but I suspect it is a cash grab off the back of accessory sales.

 

[saber32au]

Unsure if Magsafe is more efficient or not?

Nope, that's just marketing at work. Magsafe is just Apples rebadged version of wireless charging. At it's core, it's still electromagnetic induction charging (so no, it's not as efficient as a wired connection), and operates no different to any other wireless charging pad out there (bar the proprietary hardware/software customisations which only allow iPhone 12 phones to charge at 15W, whilst other devices will charge at 7w).

 

[VSMacOne]

Really, MagSafe is more than wireless charging. It theoretically will open the door to new categories of accessories, and customization options (I mean look at how the NFC tag in the phone and case/wallet/charger is able to communicate visual cues about the product). The fact that you can have on a case, and then an additional accessory is pretty neat. I think the little wallet attachment Apple is selling will only be the beginning of what's possible.
Plus, you can get faster charging that Qi and still plus/unplug single handedly (just slide the MagSafe off the phone while holding it, or if it's laying down, just place one finger on the magSafe wire and pull the phone with the rest of the hand to release it form the magnets).
I don't think there is anything comparable to this experience from any other company. This is the kind of stuff that makes Apple, Apple!

 

[DeftwillP]

Apple could always make more money on peripheral sales. Problem solved.

 

[alphasports]

Not to worry about CarPlay, Im sure apple is way ahead of us ....

Don't bank on it. Like the no-charger BS with the IP12 they'll just come up with yet another nauseating eco-excuse for screwing the consumer.

 

[_Refurbished_]

i honestly dont understand this thing of waking up and realising your phone hasnt charged as it wasnt in place on the qi charger. When you put it down it vibrates to show its charging. pretty much the same as the notification the magsafe chargers give. do people literally throw it on and just not look at it.

I have had cords “magically stop working” in the middle of an overnight charge. There’s mishaps for both methods of charging. If anything, I feel more confident that the wireless charger will maintain its charge, compared to a cord.

 

[blairh]

I like the magnetism... and I loved MagSafe on Macs, still sorta sad to see it go... but I'm not sure I really get it exactly here when I really think about it.

I'm not a hater, I want to like it, but I'm trying to understand how it fits in with my use cases.

its 15w charging vs 7.5w, so faster than wireless charging - which I've always found to be a downside, the slowness. Unless it's on your night stand and serving as an overnight top off, in which case speed isn't that important.

It addresses being able to charge and use your phone instead of keeping it flat and unusable in a lot of situations, which I like, but lightning charging does that and always has. And without bulking up the device as well.

The magnetism is cool too, but will I have to pry it off the desk and try to keep the magnet in place any time I want to lift it off a desk? Because the lack of magnetism in wireless charging made that a plus, for general ease of use.

Also, the strength of the magnet leads me to believe it's not a fail safe for being tripped over; it will take the phone with it.

Now where I could see this having perks is serving as an iPhone stand and fast charger in the car, being propped up. But that's about it off hand

OP, great question.

This all feels inevitable honestly. I love wireless charging and I figured it was only a matter of time before Apple pushed it hard on us.

The rumors are that we will see a port-less iPhone (or all the new iPhones will be port-less) as early as next year. Apple wants consumers to ditch the idea of plugging in a physical cable into our iPhones moving forward.

I might be in the minority, but I actually strongly prefer wireless charging in general, and welcome this transition.

It won't be an easy one to make though. But Apple and 3rd parties will help us along the way.

 

[4sallypat]

Frankly I’m not too upset about this. One of the reasons I picked Honda over Toyota was CarPlay, but after having the car several years I rarely use it. Opening a console to get the wire to plug it in every time I get in the car doesn‘t add anything for me over the Bluetooth connection.

The one time I do use it is long car trips, which hasn’t happened in a while with all this Covid stuff.

I agree - my Honda Clarity requires a cable connection between the phone and their CarPlay which I don't really use because long distance drives are not happening...

I am sure all car manufacturers will go wireless with Carplay - they will be forced to catch up since Apple and Samsung are all into NFC and short range high speed WiFi....

 

[4sallypat]

Apple could always make more money on peripheral sales. Problem solved.

They already do - ever since Apple dumped Magsafe for Macbooks and went to USB-C / Thunderbolt 3, all these new computers need are lots of pricey dongles or expensive docks to get basic I/O ports like: USB-A, Ethernet, FW 800, etc....

 

[Gjwilly]

I can see Apple trying to ease people into going portless but if they were going to transition as early as next year I would have expected to see MagSafe cases for all of their existing Qi phones and not just the 12.
They won’t support the 15W charging but they could all benefit? from the charging while holding the phone experience.

 

[itsmilo]

this year its optional with some nice accessories to lure us in and next year it will be the only option and people will have less to complain about because they already gotten used to it. First step is to take away the charger and then you let users decide if they buy a charger again or simply switch to magsafe charging in the first place. Therefore next year, when the iPhone comes without a charger and without a port, you either expect to already have a magsafe charger from this year or buy one which also means extra dollaaaars in their bank. Pretty smart actually but of course Apple likes to pretend they only care about the other green "stuff" (the environment, not money).

What I would like to see is a thin magnetic power bank that you literally just "slap" on the back to give your battery a little boost. Something like the MagSafe Wallet but as a charger would be neat and actually more convenient than carrying a power bank and a cable on its own

 

[Renho]

I have an ultra cheap toy drone, and I can transfer all its footage wirelessly via direct WiFi to my Android. If a cheap drone can do this, can’t believe a more advance drone can’t.

key word, Android! But do you transfer from the drone internal memory or a Micro SD Card? and i am sure you dont have a 4k drone. Cause since i have a 4k drone it has to go on a top notch sd card in order to get 4k recording....

 

[ian87w]

key word, Android! But do you transfer from the drone internal memory or a Micro SD Card? and i am sure you dont have a 4k drone. Cause since i have a 4k drone it has to go on a top notch sd card in order to get 4k recording....

Hmm, not sure where you’re going with this, other than more condescending tone. Oh well, I’m out.

 

[AdonisSMU]

For three pages everyone got their jokes and criticisms off except for you. The ability to use your phone while 'wirelessly' charging is the problem MagSafe was designed to solve.

Wireless charging seems more like a gimmick than something people really need tbqh.... It doesn't charge as fast its kind of just extra technology that's in the phone but no one is really confident of its purpose or if its really even needed.

To me extending the areas where iPhone can be used like data transfer with various other devices may be easier with the MagSafe being able to communicate with your iPhone. IDK... wireless tech seems gimmicky still.

 

[Renho]

Hmm, not sure where you’re going with this, other than more condescending tone. Oh well, I’m out.

how do you get tone from typed words..lol No was not trying to come off that way. I just meant cause of 4k recording it has to go on a card. i can have it wirelessly record to my phone but its in 1080 i think.

 

[compwiz1202]

One challenge will be CarPlay in those situations where the vehicle does not support wireless CarPlay.

Yea that and public availability are the two things left. It solves the wireless charging speed being so slow and range to a point.

 

[Gjwilly]

this year its optional with some nice accessories to lure us in and next year it will be the only option and people will have less to complain about because they already gotten used to it.

Only the 12 users will have gotten used to it and the great majority of them won’t be upgrading again next year.
The older iPhone users will scream bloody murder and rightfully so.
Id bet money that exclusively portless is more than a year away.

 

[compwiz1202]

I agree with the OP, I don't see an advantage other than faster charging.
My current 2 iphones are charged on a dual Qi charge pad from a single 18W charger.
When I get up in the morning, I don't want the magnetic charger stuck to the backs that causes the chargers to get hung up.
I grab and go...

I think what would be cool is if the charger could detect 100% and shut down the magnets.

EDIT: are the magnets only active when there is power? If so, we could get those plug timers, and set them to off a little before we wake up.

 

[Newbie67]

Well I don’t know if it solved a problem but the MagSafe puck attaches perfectly and firmly to the existing magnet on my trucks Proclip mount. Instant wireless charging mount! Nice upgrade IMHO.. 👍

 

[aibo82]

MagSafe or what ever it’s STILL not wireless charging as you all call it, your still sticking a puck with a wire and holding it there no different to holding your phone with a wire from the bottom.

possibly more annoying that the thing will keep dropping off like MagSafe did on the MacBooks sometimes.

yes I have got an iPhone 12 pro coming but MagSafe is a gimmick I’m not impressed with, the true innovation will be being able to send power a metres like WiFi router type chargers in your home.

but that is a long way off and probably would cause us all to be cancer ridden, much like the unknown future affects of sticking AirPods on your head all day.

really is the cable just better? Environmentally:

• It charges faster
• More efficient
• Less parts
• waste (now we will have MagSafe toys from every manufacturer and dumping Lightning products people have)
• Less expensive
• Less bulk to carry
• And phone won’t be glued together being un-repairable causing more waste in the search of thinner designs with less ports