Initially launched on January 10 2006, the concept got its inspiration from magnetic power connectors used in deep fryers and Japanese Countertop cooking appliances in the early 2000s. While it has its pros in the segment, Apple didn’t leave any stone unturned to experiment with its Devices to ease accessibility. This was when it was facing troubles with its barrel connector during the days of iBook and PowerBook. That’s how MagSafe made its first entry with MacBook Pro in 2006 and continued for a decade until the Big Boys decided to replace it with USB-C in Retina MacBook and MacBook Pro, launched in 2016. The last MacBook to have MagSafe was the 2017 MacBook Air. But that wasn’t the dusk of innovation. Instead, Apple took its time to learn the loopholes and hit back by taking curtains of the 2020 MagSafe accessories designed for the iPhone 12 Range.
Getting Ready for The Future
It isn’t like the idea to go wireless came out of the blue. Apple had plans to go wireless since 2017. That was the time when they introduced ‘AirPower Wireless Charging Pad’ at the iPhone X event. Acknowledging that, by then, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone X series and iPhone 11 series and iPhone SE (2020) all supported wireless charging through available Qi charging mats and accessories. Hence the vision was to serve iPhone users with an in-house developed wireless charging mat. However, nothing worked for 18 Months. It was then Apple’s SVP of hardware engineering, Dan Riccio released a statement, “After much effort, we’ve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards, and we have cancelled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward.” Even though Apple introduced wireless charging supportive devices long back, it’s home-made wireless charger was still missing. While the world thought Apple threw the idea of going Wireless in some dump-box, the Big Boys started preparations in the background, without creating much fuss about it. Not until 2020!!
A Fresh Start: Introducing MagSafe for iPhone
At the ‘Hi, Speed’ event on October 13, 2020, Apple took curtains off from MagSafe for iPhone 12 lineup. The series included MagSafe Charger and compatible cases and wallets for the iPhone 12 Series. While wireless charging has been counted as a groundbreaking innovation, it did have some loopholes. One major drawback was aligning the wireless charging pad with the coil inside the device. The reason being, until the two are not aligned together, the user can’t charge the device properly. With the launch of MagSafe, the Cupertino based tech giant bridged the gap in an appreciable manner. Maybe we can call it an alternate or upgraded and refined version of AirPower. Besides Magnets, AirPower was Apple’s attempt to charge multiple device wirelessly using a single mat. However, MagSafe for now is just for iPhone. The section will have all the features and functionalities of MagSafe combined with the capabilities of inductive charging. Technocrats at the smartphone making company have integrated strong magnets in the iPhone 12 lineup and the MagSafe charger. This will allow the inductive charging cords to build a seamless connection between each other and offer an exceptional charging experience. The MagSafe charger, once connected, can deliver charging up to 15W, which is double the charging strength of prevailing Qi wireless chargers. Though, this more or less depends on the adapter you are using. For the best experience, consider using Apple’s 20W USB-C power adapter. Talking about the accessories, leveraging the power of wireless charging gets further comfortable with MagSafe cases. They are made using silicon but have smartly placed magnets to help you built a connection and align the charger with the coils and magnets inside your iPhone 12 device to deliver faster charging.
Authenticating The Feasibility
Looking at the tech giant’s past, users were assured that it wouldn’t release something until it’s sure about its product quality. In particular, talking about MagSafe, it was primarily loved by users when it was for mac, and now with iPhone 12, it received the same acceptance. However, people still are curious to use it once and feel the experience. Few points that were highlighted by Apple and noticed while reviewing the products include;
The Good Side of MagSafe Charger
While there’s so much yet to reveal, these are few points that can be highlighted as of now.
The Ugly Side
Like any other technology, MagSafe has its pros and cons. Let’s have a look at the ugly side.
The Near Future
It’s undeniable that Apple’s products are backed with great R & D. In a recently released report by Statista, we can have a closer look at their annual spending on the related department. Here’s the chart. As can be seen, they have consistently raised the budget with USD 2 Billion YoY on an average. The amount does reflect the sincerity and commitment Apple has towards building innovative and user-friendly products.
Can AirPower Be Considered a Detour While Reaching MagSafe?
It failed, and Apple didn’t hesitate to accept that the device didn’t match their standards. With the advent of MagSafe, it is safe to presume that it might reroute the Operandi to manufacture AirPower after taking key considerations from its latest launch. MagSafe did create new milestones for its competitors by looking at the prevailing market of wireless chargers, their capacity, and ease of use. Let’s have a look at a few key expectations that we can keep from the future. This is just a milestone over Apple’s much-anticipated boulevard to creating a wireless world of iPhone. What started with AirPods is expected to soon land in ultimately going wireless. It might not be soon, but expect to have the next frame by the end of 2021. Are you prepared?
