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Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack: Everything You Need to Know

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Apple in July unveiled its rumored MagSafe Battery Pack, introducing an add-on battery that's designed to work with the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Priced at $99, the MagSafe Battery Pack provides extra battery life for the iPhone 12 lineup and it also has a few nifty features, such as a reverse wireless charging option that lets it be charged through the iPhone.

magsafe-battery-pack.jpg

This guide features all of the details that we know about the new MagSafe Battery Pack and how it works.

Design

The MagSafe Battery Pack has a rectangular design that matches the shape of the iPhone, and it attaches to the back of an iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, or 12 Pro Max to provide extra power.

magsafe-battery-pack.jpg

Apple only debuted the MagSafe Battery Pack in white, and it has an Apple logo. It is sized to take up the full rear of the iPhone 12 mini below the camera cutout, while it has a smaller fit on the other iPhone models.

The back side of the MagSafe Battery Pack that's visible has a rounded look with rounded corners, while the front is flat with a MagSafe indentation.

There is a built-in Lightning port for charging the MagSafe Battery Pack.

Charging Speed

The MagSafe Battery Pack charges an iPhone 12 model at 5W when out and about, with Apple limiting charging speed due to heat concerns and to prolong battery life.

When the MagSafe Battery Pack is attached to an iPhone and plugged in to a Lightning to USB-C cable that's connected to a 20W or higher charger, the iPhone is able to charge through the MagSafe Battery Pack at 15W.

Most people will need the MagSafe Battery Pack while on the go, and in this situation, it's good to be aware that charging is limited to a slower 5W speed.

Battery Size

Apple did not provide details on how much additional battery life an iPhone user can get with the MagSafe Battery Pack.

magsafe-battery-pack-3.jpg

The MagSafe Battery Pack has a 7.62V, 11.13Wh battery inside, with an mAh of 1460. Comparatively, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have a 10.78Wh battery, the iPhone 12 mini has an 8.57Wh battery, and the 12 Pro Max has a 14.13Wh battery.

Qi-based wireless charging is not efficient and some of the battery capacity is lost, so it's not entirely clear just how much the MagSafe Battery Pack will charge up an iPhone 12, especially as charging capacity may vary based on temperature conditions.

Roughly, the MagSafe Battery Pack may provide one full charge for the iPhone 12 mini and a partial charge for the rest of the iPhone 12 models.

Reverse Charging

The MagSafe Battery Pack has a reverse wireless charging feature. This means that if you charge your iPhone, the MagSafe Battery Pack will also charge at the same time.

So you can charge both the iPhone and the MagSafe Battery Pack through the Lightning port on the MagSafe Battery Pack or through the Lightning port on the iPhone, and you'll get the same ultimate result with both devices charging up.

Apple says that this charging method is useful for when the iPhone is plugged into another device, such as a wired CarPlay setup or when an iPhone is connected to a Mac.

When charging the iPhone and MagSafe Battery Pack simultaneously, the iPhone will charge to 80 percent or higher before the MagSafe Battery Pack begins to charge.

Note that a 20W or higher power adapter is recommended for charging and is required for charging the iPhone at 15W when the MagSafe Battery Pack is plugged in.

Viewing Charging Status

The power level of the MagSafe Battery Pack can be viewed in the Batteries widget that can be placed on the Home Screen or accessed through the Today View. MagSafe Battery Pack battery level is displayed alongside the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and other connected accessories.

apple-magsafe-battery-case-widget.jpg

Heat and Charging Control

There are built-in charge management features in the MagSafe Battery Pack that are designed to help maintain battery health in situations where the MagSafe Battery Pack is connected to power for long periods of time.

Apple says that an iPhone 12 might get warm while it charges. If that happens, to extend the lifespan of the battery, Apple says that the software might limit charging above 80 percent. If this happens, Apple recommends moving to a cooler location as the iPhone will charge again when the temperature drops.

When using the MagSafe Battery Pack to charge an iPhone, you might get a notification that that the iPhone will only charge up to 90 percent. To charge beyond 90 percent, Apple recommends opening Control Center, pressing and holding on the Low Power Mode icon, and then tapping "Continue."

If Optimized Battery Charging is activated, you may also see a Lock Screen notification letting you know when the iPhone will be fully charged. To force a charge you can tap and hold the notification, then tap Charge Now.

Interaction With Other MagSafe Accessories

The MagSafe Battery Pack can be attached to a naked iPhone or to an iPhone with a MagSafe case attached. If you use a leather charging case, Apple warns that the case might show imprints from the compression of the leather, which is normal. Those concerned about the imprints should use a non-leather case.

Because the MagSafe Battery Pack needs direct contact with the iPhone, accessories like the MagSafe Wallet need to be removed.

Compatibility

The MagSafe Battery Pack works with the iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It will charge other devices like the iPhone 11 lineup because it's just Qi-based wireless charging, but only the iPhone 12 models have magnets to keep the MagSafe Battery Pack in place. iOS 14.7 or later is required.

How to Buy

The MagSafe Battery Pack can be purchased from the Apple website for $99.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the MagSafe Battery Pack, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Article Link: Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack: Everything You Need to Know
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It is more important for it to be slim and light enough to stay on my mini all day long than charge the battery 1 full cycle. It just need to keep my phone battery top up for a few hours longer in the morning. That should be enough to get the phone through the day.
 
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They couldn't have added a substantial battery to this? 1460mah. $99 for half a charge? A 1500mah battery on Amazon is the AA size and they cost in bulk $1. Apple really pushing the value equation on this one.

Is that really worth it when I can just carry a proper battery pack? I so rarely need to top up my phone's battery anymore, and 20 mins connected with a cable gives me tons of juice.

Will appeal to some but this "gen1" sure seems handcuffed by the tiny battery size. A 5000mah internal battery surely wouldn't have been that much bigger.

Is it the fingerprints of Jony Ive?
 
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rmn1644 said:
They couldn't have added a substantial battery to this? 1460mah. $99 for half a charge? A 1500mah battery on Amazon is the AA size and they cost in bulk $1. Apple really pushing the value equation on this one.

Is that really worth it when I can just carry a proper battery pack? I so rarely need to top up my phone's battery anymore, and 20 mins connected with a cable gives me tons of juice.

Will appeal to some but this "gen1" sure seems handcuffed by the tiny battery size. A 5000mah internal battery surely wouldn't have been that much bigger.

Is it the fingerprints of Jony Ive?
Click to expand...

It’s a full charge. There are two 1460mAH batteries in there. Look at the voltage.
 
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How much bigger would the iPhone be if the battery sized was doubled? That is, just build in this much power. I know that many get a day out of their battery, but my X is now at 85% and that is noticeable, so more battery at the start would be nicer and one less thing to worry about.
 
MacRumorUser78 said:
How much bigger would the iPhone be if the battery sized was doubled? That is, just build in this much power. I know that many get a day out of their battery, but my X is now at 85% and that is noticeable, so more battery at the start would be nicer and one less thing to worry about.
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Did you see the picture of Tim at millionaire camp? The iPhone is already to large.
 
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Slap an Apple logo and people will buy it, this just proves that, but thanks, my investment in Apple is thanking you all!
 
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DerDoJo said:
Because Lithium batteries only have ~3.4-3.8 Volts. To get to 7.62V you have to put two batteries in series.
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This isn't something new to these battery (cases) though and doesn't mean they're going to magically outperform other batteries.

The 11 Smart Battery case had almost exactly the same specs and offered a 50% charge to an 11.
 
Was about to purchase this like a good sheep but luckily I read full post, 5w charge and half a phones worth battery backup for $99. To expensive for me. I’ll just keep exploring for now and that too with no usb c.
 
Nice design, functionality, and price. I’m sure pro photo/video users will keep a bunch of these in their bag when traveling.
 
I would only buy this if somehow direct wiring (iPhone <-> battery back) is possible and overrides wireless charging, then I would trust third parties to come up with a nifty and non-obstructive U-shaped short cable to throw on the bottom to connect both.

Alas, probably no chance.
 
nicho said:
This isn't something new to these battery (cases) though and doesn't mean they're going to magically outperform other batteries.

The 11 Smart Battery case had almost exactly the same specs and offered a 50% charge to an 11.
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It does though.
mAh doesn’t mean jack **** if you don’t take the voltage into account.
A (theoretical - batteries are usually 3.7V) 10000mAh battery @ 1V comes down to 10Wh
A 1460mAh battery @ 7.62V comes down to 11.125Wh

A lot of people got brainwashed by all these companies advertising only the mAh, what actually matters is the Wh.
 
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bobmans said:
It does though.
mAh doesn’t mean jack **** if you don’t take the voltage into account.
A 10000mAh battery @ 1V comes down to 10Wh
A 1460mAh batter @ 7.62V comes down to 11.125Wh

A lot of people got brainwashed by all these companies advertising only the mAh, what actually matters is the Wh.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you have misunderstood what has been written. I'll clarify.

IT DOESN'T. Why doesn't it? Because the specs - mAh, V and Wh - are essentially the same as the 11 Smart Battery Case, and that only provided a 50% charge.
 
Naive question but isn’t this preferred to a MagSafe charger since it’ll do the same and also be a battery pack?
 
Do you know if it’s possible to charge the battery pack with the normal Magsafe charger?

This would be really useful to be able to just place it on their and charge. If not a massive oversight considering it can be charged through reverse wireless charging .
 
I am very interested in a battery pack that won't wear out my lightning plug and abuse it into misalignment (like I apparently did to my 6s) and will still allow me to use CarPlay. I've been looking forward to this since I preordered my 12.

Tell me there will be colors other than white.
 
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votdfak said:
I think I'll try my luck with some AliExpress offerings.
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Oh have you not seen the 7+ page thread on this yet?
4jasontv said:
Between MagSafe, Qi, and BT I rarely find myself using the port. For me, it's just another point of failure. I'd rather see a MagSafe 3.5mm and MagSafe USB C adapter.
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So you want a circular port perpendicularly placed against the flat back of your iPhone? Na-uh, that’s not it.
 
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