One Step Closer to a Fully Wireless Future
The Genius of Apple’s MagSafe
2020’s Apple events were met with controversy when the omission of a charging adapter was announced. The October event also saw the reveal of a new charging method for iPhone: MagSafe. In this article, I talk about how MagSafe offers a carefully thought out combination of both traditional wired charging, and wireless charging, while improving upon both of them, simultaneously.
MagSafe is a Logical Next Step for Charging & More!
Apple’s MagSafe charger currently uses an iPhone’s internal magnets to form a secure connection between the two. It is circular, and resembles an Apple Watch’s charger, only flatter, bigger, and thinner, like a puck. There are many aspirations we have as consumers when it comes to charging our devices, and ideally, the end goal is to never feel the need to charge. Just imagine having a phone you’d never need to actively think or worry about charging. We’re not quite there yet, maybe even far from it. While it’s nice to dream about fixtures that transmit energy into your devices across a room and keeping them juiced up eternally, I’m here to tell you why MagSafe is the charging solution we need right now, until we can come closer to our ultimate goal of never-ending battery life.
Convenience you can Feel.
As MagSafe suggests in its branding name, it provides a magnetic connection that you can trust is reliable, or in other terms, safe. Digital and physical audible cues provide you with satisfying feedback that your device has been connected. When it comes to placing your device onto the MagSafe charger, simply hovering your iPhone will suffice, as the circular puck will automatically snap onto your phone.
Alternatively, when placing your phone on any other traditional wireless charger, one must still try to manually line up the charger to the centre of the phone, then wait to confirm that the device is in fact charging. Still, there are risks of your phone sliding away from the centre of the charger if it vibrates while receiving notifications. Charging with a cable not only requires you to fetch the tip of the charger which is often on the floor, but it also demands that you have both hands free in order to plug the cable into the lightning port. Let’s not forget that both MagSafe and other wireless chargers are weighted, meaning they stay put on the surfaces you leave them on, while cables just fall on the floor.
Effortless Efficiency
When comparing wired to wireless charging, we must not forget the obvious: wired charging is the most efficient way to charge, as it virtually provides the most lossless transfer of energy. However, as previously stated, it is not entirely effortless. On the other hand, traditional wireless chargers are only as good as the accuracy of their placement onto the back of the device. A lot of charging energy can be lost if the coils inside the charger and the device aren’t perfectly lined up, resulting in slower charging. You can see where this is going, as MagSafe ensures charging can be as efficient as the technology and the materials used allow it to be. And of course, you need not even look while placing your device to charge, hence its effortlessness.
Intuitive Manoeuvrability
A big issue with regular wireless chargers is the inability to reliably or comfortably use your phone while it’s charging. A cable never had that issue, as it securely fits into its designated port. However, a plugged-in cable can often get in the way, especially when trying to get immersed while playing games or watching videos in landscape mode. It’s not all bad though, as I personally can appreciate the added grip that it can sometimes provide my pinky during vertical usage, on social media apps that have scrollable content. MagSafe is different in that it sits on the back of your device, also adding an alternative way of securely gripping your iPhone, due to its added tactility and ridges on the back of the device. The main advantage however is the ability to rotate the cable of the MagSafe charger, ensuring it can always be out of the way.
An added advantage to MagSafe is also the option to push the puck away easily with one of your fingers when done charging, meaning you won’t need a second hand to disconnect your phone. A plugged-in cable requires both of your hands, again.
Safety & Durability
For a few years now, iPhones have been improving in water resistance. However, if an iPhone’s lightning port is wet and you desperately need to charge, you can very likely damage and corrode both the iPhone and the cable’s lightning pins. If you’re lucky, you’ll just need to replace a faulty cable, but worse yet, if your iPhone stops charging from its port, a whole unit replacement is the only official repair, and it’s very costly. Worst of all though, you may risk electrocution! iPhone is equipped with some level of smarts that prevent the phone from charging if it detects a wet port, but no matter how you slice it, it is electricity we are dealing with here, so it’s best to be safe than sorry. iOS prompts you to wait a few hours until the port is dry before attempting a charge again, which could be too late by then.
With MagSafe, it doesn’t matter how wet your device is, as energy is inductively transferred. In this case, a traditional wireless charger offers just about the same benefit, ensuring more safety for you, and better durability for your device.
Accessories, Programmability, & the MagSafe Ecosystem
In only the first few months of the 2020 iPhone launch, several manufacturers have already made MagSafe accessories in addition to Apple’s first party offerings. Accessories range from wallets, cases, stands, car mounts, tripod connections, and snap-on battery packs. There are definitely many solutions yet to come, which will certainly improve upon and integrate within our day to day activities. Right now, connecting a MagSafe accessory to an iPhone will play an animation on your screen. Animations inform you on the type and colour of the accessory being snapped on.
With a growing range of MagSafe accessories that integrate NFC (Near Field Communication), iPhones could in theory automatically set themselves in specific modes when they recognize a particular accessory. For example, imagine iPhones automatically enabling Apple’s ProRAW camera feature when connecting to a certain line of MagSafe tripods or professional creator gear.
Security & Privacy
With future iPhones rumoured to leave the lightning port behind in favour of none at all, there are benefits an iPhone with no ports and presumably, a MagSafe charger can provide. Typically, a port is one of the most vulnerable parts in a device, as it allows malicious activity to be performed more intrusively. Although not illegal nor malicious, personal jailbreaking is often way easier and effective when a device is plugged in as opposed to OTA (over the air). Yes, this may make it so much harder for some people to mod their devices and install foreign software onto their devices, but it also makes it that much harder for hackers to access your device and your private information. An MFi (Made For iPhone) MagSafe connection means your iPhone is less exposed to attacks utilizing a wired connection, like the Hak5’s O.MG cable, which can be seen here in an article by Michael Grothaus, on Fast Company. In an increasingly digital world where we store more and more of our data on our devices, it makes sense that cyber attacks will likely only increase from this point on. This makes your experience with Apple products more secure.
Conclusions & MagSafe’s Future Opportunities
In conclusion, MagSafe offers a happy medium and an improvement upon regular wireless charging and wired charging in nearly every aspect, by providing the sense of security of a plugged-in cable and the convenience of wireless charging. It also opens the door to a world of exciting opportunities for third-party accessory manufacturers. It’s hard to be excited about MagSafe this year given Apple’s omission of a charging adapter from the box AND from the separate purchase of the MagSafe charger itself. However, in a near-future that includes portless iPhones and improved wireless technologies, it’s also hard not to be excited for what it could mean for us, users. That being said, you will include a MagSafe charger in the box once the iPhone goes fully portless and wireless, right Apple?
Cheers, and as always, keep looking forward to the future!
