MagSafe

One of the more interesting first-party products for Apple’s MagSafe system is the Leather Wallet that attaches either directly to your iPhone 12 or to MagSafe compatible cases. However, the first reviews are detailing what looks like a relatively weak magnetic connection. Meanwhile, shipping times have been delayed for those who preordered the MagSafe Leather Wallet as soon as it became available.

An intriguing Apple patent application published yesterday shows a MagSafe battery case which can not only charge an iPhone, but also a pair of AirPods. It follows Apple repurposing the MagSafe branding for the wireless charging system introduced in the iPhone 12 lineup.

The folio case design included an embedded battery …

If you’re looking for cases to use with your iPhone 12, OtterBox has just announced its full lineup of accessories for this year’s iPhones, including MagSafe compatible cases. The company is offering several new case options for the iPhone 12 models, ranging from clear options to the more colorful ones with a pop socket.

Apple announced that its MagSafe tech is back with the iPhone 12 lineup but there have been some lingering questions about some of the planned accessories. Let’s take a look at the new iPhone 12 leather cases and tidbits about the new MagSafe products.

An exciting feature for all four of the new iPhone 12 models is the MagSafe system that Apple is using for a range of accessories. Charging is a central part of the revived MagSafe and it brings a big boost to the wireless speeds at which you can power up the new iPhones.

Apple has officially announced its new wireless charging accessories for the iPhone 12. In an all-new line of MagSafe for iPhone accessories, there are cases, chargers, and more.

There’s been growing evidence that we’re going to see a magnetic wireless charger for the iPhone 12, this year’s phones incorporating a ring of magnets designed to automatically and securely position them on a compatible charger.

Apple is said to be releasing its own magnetic chargers, reportedly reviving the MagSafe branding to do so, and we’ve today got a look at an upcoming third-party version …

Alongside the move to USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 on the MacBook, Apple ditched its iconic MagSafe charging connection. Products like the Griffin BreakSafe attempt to bring magnetic charging back to the Mac, but not without limitations. ThunderMag, however, is a new magnetic adapter with full Thunderbolt 3 support.

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After a lot of abuse, my MacBook Pro’s 85W MagSafe 2 adapter finally died last week. Often Apple adapters fray at joints and this one did to an insane degree but somehow it kept working for 3 years through tons of travel, work and even some fun.

My MagSafe needs to last another month. What’s the over/under? https://t.co/dZeV3ZHz1Z pic.twitter.com/EnKkmdX0d6

— Seth Weintraub (@llsethj) September 29, 2016

So what to do? Typically I’d buy a new Apple Magsafe 2 adapter. But clearly Apple has some redesigned MacBook/Pro/Airs coming later this month and they will likely be charged via USB-C, at least in some cases. So that means I only need MagSafe to power this 2013 MacBook Pro for at least a few more weeks before it gets relegated to backup machine, kid’s computer or sold off when I get Apple’s new OLED/USB-C creation.

So I thought I’d get a little creative and save a few bucks at the same time. As I was looking for options on Amazon, I came across an interesting product: The “BND 85W MagSafe 2 Replacement Power Adapter Charger w/ 5 USB Ports for Apple MacBook Pro”. For less than half the price of a discounted $77 Apple MagSafe Adapter this $37 charger includes 5 USB ports and gets solid 4.3/5 star reviews. What the heck, I’ll give it a try…
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One of the most interesting accessories that came out of the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year was Griffin’s BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable. As a 12-inch MacBook owner (and lover), one of the things I’ve missed the most with the machine is the MagSafe connection. Apple introduced the MagSafe technology 10 years ago, but thanks to the switch to a single USB-C connection, it is nowhere to be found on the ultra-slim MacBook.

That’s where Griffin’s BreakSafe comes in the. Retailing for $39.99, the BreakSafe is a six-foot-long magnetic USB-C cable. The BreakSafe brings the laptop-saving MagSafe technology that Apple users have to love to the 12-inch MacBook. And it does it surprisingly well, but it’s not perfect…

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Yesterday we detailed an Apple patent showing work on a stackable Smart Connector plug of sorts. Today we get a look at a similar invention aimed at making the I/O on future devices more versatile with Apple’s invention of a “Universal Magnetic Adapter” that could allow for more future-proof devices using only a single port. As pictured in the drawing accompanying the patent above, the technology allows for a single port that uses magnetic inserts as adapters for your various devices. Or in other words, MagSafe for everything using a single port and adapters for the various connectors.

In its patent, Apple describes the problem with the current mess of adapters and cables users have to deal:

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One of the biggest complaints regarding the 12-inch MacBook has been the ports, or lack thereof, that the device offers. The MacBook features just as single USB-C port that you use for everything, including charging. This means that the MagSafe technology that Apple introduced 10 years ago and that we’ve all come to love is nowhere to be found. A new accessory introduced by Griffin today, however, aims to fix that problem.

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When Zolt announced the Laptop Charger Plus ($100) at CES this year, I was skeptical that the accessory — a practical, logical power solution — would actually make it to market. Zolt promised that it would work with any laptop, including Macs with MagSafe connectors, and at that point, zero third-party MagSafe accessories were available to purchase. But a week ago, a company called Beaver sent us Quarter, the first MagSafe-based battery pack and car charger. And now Zolt is sending out review samples of the finished Laptop Charger Plus, complete with both MagSafe 1 and MagSafe 2 cables (the $20 “Optional MacBook Accessory Cable”), which will hit stores in less than two weeks. Are MagSafe accessories finally about to become a real thing?

The Laptop Charger Plus continues the concept Twelve South pioneered with the $35 PlugBug, leveraging a MacBook wall adapter to charge both your laptop and a USB-based device, such as an iPhone or iPad. But Zolt’s execution goes several steps further, as it fully replaces any 11″ or 13″ MacBook’s wall adapter with something smaller while adding two extra USB ports. Even if the price is a bit steep, the all-in-one functionality may justify the expenditure for travelers with limited bag space…

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Leveraging a connector that has previously been exclusive to Apple products, Chinese developer Beaver Electronics has announced the Quarter Super PowerBank ($59), a battery pack built with a MagSafe 2 port for recharging. Clad in Mac-matching silver aluminum, Quarter is designed to work with both Apple’s MacBook wall chargers and the Quarter Car Adapter ($16), a silver metallic and mirrored charger with a MagSafe connector. This Car Adapter is designed solely for Quarter, not for MacBooks.

The 5,000mAh battery claims 2.1-Amp output that’s safe for iPad, iPhone, and iPod use with a full-sized USB port, while itself recharging at up to 3-Amp speeds in only 45 minutes — up to 10X faster than typical batteries, Beaver says — or via a 1-Amp micro-USB input in 7 hours. Beaver notes that after only 15 minutes of MagSafe recharging, Quarter will have enough power to refuel an iPhone 5s. Rather than pressing a button to see how much battery power remains, you just shake the battery once, triggering four blue LED lights…
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Is this the first third-party Apple Watch charging cable? Apple hasn’t yet announced official plans for a third-party accessory program for Apple Watch, but that hasn’t stopped accessory makers from creating stands, charging docks, straps, and other accessories for the device. This charging cable from Ionic, a company that sells a lot of MFi certified cables and adapters through Amazon, might be the first advertising a third-party version of Apple’s own magnetic charging cable.
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Standardizing on USB was arguably the best thing ever to happen to gadget lovers. Instead of having an unholy mess of chargers cluttering up your home, you just need a few USB cables and something to plug them into. I’ve previously reviewed the Lightning Rabbit Triforce and Truffol Station 5 USB chargers, which offer stylish options for the home or office. We’ve also reviewed a bunch of others.

When travelling, though, I pack light. I tend to just charge everything from my MacBook Pro, which is convenient but doesn’t offer the fastest of charging speeds. The Oneadapter Twist and Twist Plus World Charging Stations are designed to overcome that issue, offering a combined USB charger and international plug adapter … 
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When Apple unveiled the new 12-inch MacBook with just a single port (plus a headphone socket), it was doing not just one radical thing, but two. Reducing a machine to just one port was the first; dropping MagSafe was the second.

MagSafe has been one of the key features of MacBooks since it was first introduced by Apple in 2006. It is still highlighted on Apple’s website as one of the key design features of both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

MacBook Air offers innovations you won’t find anywhere else — like the MagSafe 2 power connector, which breaks cleanly away from the notebook if you accidentally trip over the power cord.

The magnetic power cord attaches securely and detaches cleanly.

It’s one of the features that even the most die-hard opponents of Macs tend to grudgingly admit is a good idea. And yet that (very) shiny new MacBook aimed at the largest slice of the MacBook Air market doesn’t have it. Is this a one-off move for a single model, or will we see USB C power replacing MagSafe across the entire MacBook range … ? 
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