Is MagSafe Still Relevant?
The iPhone 12 series brought forth a new feature for Apple. One that sounded really cool, but just didn’t seem to take off right away. This feature is what Apple calls MagSafe. It is a magnetic ring that is built into your phone to allow for accessories and chargers to magnetically stick to the back of your phone. Sounds pretty cool right? Well, the reason it hasn’t taken off could be because of the state of the world as we face a pandemic, supply chain issues, and shortages of all types.
However, this is a feature that could be something that people shrug off like other features Apple has included into their devices. So let’s take a deeper dive and see what we come up with.
The Launch
The iPhone 12 series brought a brand new design with flat edges that brought some nostalgia from the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 series. Apple spent a large part of the development cycle for this phone while dealing with a transition to remote work as a result of the shutdowns caused by the pandemic. So, the bad parts of this phone may have been caused by that? Well, who actually knows, right?
The point I am getting to is that Apple added this new feature to all the models. It wasn’t just the Pro models that got it. So this is something that they really were pushing for. Alongside the announcement of this feature was the unveiling of new accessories such as the MagSafe wallet and the MagSafe charger.
Accessories are a requirement for this feature to be useful, which makes me think that this is a way to get people to spend even more money when getting an iPhone. Plus, this introduces extra sales for two types of customers: 1) the people who don’t get cases and 2) the people that keep their phones for more than 2 years. For the people that don’t get cases, this allows them to buy extra accessories that add functionality. I mean think about it, having a wallet on your phone with your license and two most important cards feels liberating. On the other hand, the people that keep their phones for a long time, MagSafe provides another customization option that can keep money coming in throughout the life of their device.
Extra accessory sales aren’t going to be enough to keep it, at least, not with how it seems to be going. I mean, how many people do you see have these magnetic wallets on the back of their phones?
There are a lot of cool offerings from various manufacturers such as Anker with their unique take on the MagSafe battery pack and MOFT for their MagSafe wallets. The problem is that these took a while to launch, which again, could just be part of the issues the world is facing at the moment.
Is MagSafe Good?
Apple has been one of the companies at the forefront of innovation in the mobile device and computer space for years. Steve Jobs helped create some of the most iconic technological devices and pushed the boundaries of what a computing device should be. With that in mind, they have also been creative in finding solutions to problems customers face.
Wireless charging has gained popularity as it has been around for a while, but on iPhones since the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X release. The issue with wireless charging is that you can’t use your device like you could if it was just plugged in. That is where the beauty of MagSafe comes in. Since the wireless charging puck sticks to your phone, you can use it and not worry about it falling off and crashing to the floor.
It is still in its early iterations, so there is room to grow as the engineers at Apple come up with ways to evolve it into something even better. There are certainly ways to improve the feature such as with improving the magnetic strength, grip on the phone, some type of thermal cooling process, and lengthening the cable for the MagSafe charger Apple sells. IT’S TOO SHORT!
There is one more component to how your usage of MagSafe will be for you and that is MagSafe compatible cases. The iPhones have a smooth glass surface, especially the frosted back on the Pro models, so the MagSafe accessories usually slide around a bit more than what you’d probably be comfortable with. That changes with a good case; a case that has strong MagSafe magnets and has a material that adds some additional grip for the MagSafe accessory you like to use.
Materials that I think are best for look and functionality are leather and carbon/aramid fiber, but silicone cases will also have good grip for these accessories as well. Plus, you need to look at reviews to make sure you get one with good magnets in the MagSafe ring in order to ensure you have a good experience.
One example of this is having a good MagSafe car mount. If you get one that isn’t good or the case doesn’t have strong enough magnets, your phone will fall off as you are driving and you will HATE it. But, if you have a good one, YOU WILL LOVE IT! With the positive experience, you will never look back after the ease of use and the great practicality of the use. With a negative one, you might never try it again for that use.
So this begs the question…
Will It Stay?
I’m not Apple, so I am not sure what they will do with MagSafe. However, this does remind me of the days where Force Touch was a unique feature that Apple was pushing for their devices. The similarities come from there being a split between people who love it, don’t like it, or don’t know it exists.
So many people just get a case that they think looks nice and then call it a day. They may not want a magnetic accessory that could just pop off at any given time, especially with a wallet. There is a level of trust you need to have in a product and there are so many that will not risk losing their wallet.
Not only that, but there is just so much that goes into having a positive experience with the product and the launch of the feature was during a time when everyone was at home and didn’t necessarily need some of the benefits of MagSafe. Time will tell how MagSafe will be for the majority of consumers, but who knows if Apple will wait long enough to find out.
One reason why I think that Apple will keep it, at least for the time being, is that it makes them extra money and the accessories allow for people with older iPhones to spend additional money on their iPhones throughout the time they own it. The second reason why I think it might stay, is that the accessories from good third parties are coming out still and some are useful for people with different needs. There are battery packs for those that need the extra battery life, various types of wallets, filming accessories, car mounts, and stands.
It is also important to mention that it has been rumored that Apple is trying to move to a port less design for the iPhone, which might mean that MagSafe will be the only way to charge your iPhone in the future. On top of that, there is a rumor of the new 2022 iPad Pro models having MagSafe. We won’t know if the iPad’s MagSafe feature will be more like the iPhone or more like the MacBooks, so we will have to wait and see.
Either way, it seems like Apple has plans to keep MagSafe and pushing it until people catch and like it, like FaceID or even the last change from the old 30-pin charger to the lightning cable.
This begs the question, is MagSafe the right choice for the next generation of the iPhone charger?
Let us know in the comments what you think of MagSafe. I would love to know your experiences and views on this topic!
