Apple Launches $99 MagSafe Battery Pack

Tuesday July 13, 2021 10:44 am PDT by Juli Clover

Apple today introduced a new MagSafe Battery Pack to its website, which is designed to work with the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The MagSafe Battery Pack attaches magnetically to the back of one of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models, with the magnets keeping it aligned to your ‌iPhone‌. The ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ is available in a white color, and it appears to be covered with a silicone coating. Based on images of the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌, the accessory has an 11.13Wh battery, which will offer a partial charge for Apple's iPhones. For comparison, the ‌iPhone‌ 12 has a 10.78Wh battery, but Qi charging is inefficient, resulting in power loss.

While on the go, the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ can charge an ‌iPhone‌ at 5W, but plugged in, it can be charged at up to 15W.

The ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ and the ‌iPhone‌ can be charged at the same time. Apple says that a Lightning cable can be plugged into the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ for up to 15W of wireless charging, and with a 20W charger, the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ and the ‌iPhone‌ will charge even faster. Apple recommends a 20W or higher USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C to Lightning Cable for charging the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌.

The ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ can also be charged through the ‌iPhone‌ if the ‌iPhone‌ is plugged into a power source. Apple suggests users might want to charge this way if the ‌iPhone‌ needs to connect to another device while charging, such as wired CarPlay or transferring photos to a Mac.

In a support document for the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌, Apple says that iOS 14.7 or later is required to use the accessory. Charging status can be viewed on the Home Screen or in the Today View with the Batteries widget.

According to Apple, the ‌iPhone‌ might get slightly warm when it charges. To extend battery lifespan, if it's too warm, the software might limit charging above 80 percent, with the ‌iPhone‌ resuming charging when it cools down. A charge management feature helps to maintain battery health when the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ is connected to power for prolonged periods of time, and with Optimized Battery Charging turned on, users will see a notification on the Lock Screen letting them know when the ‌iPhone‌ is fully charged. Tapping on the notification and choosing "Charge Now" will force a charge.

Those who use a Leather ‌iPhone‌ case with MagSafe should be aware that the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ may show imprints from compression of the leather, which Apple says is normal. For anyone concerned about the imprints, Apple suggests using a non-leather case.

The ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ is priced at $99 and will begin delivering to customers on July 19.

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