If you’ve used an Apple product recently, you’re probably familiar with MagSafe. The wireless charging technology offers a quick & magnetic solution over tangled cables or forcing chargers into your device’s port. With the innovation came an array of new accessories, like MagSafe phone cases and MagSafe battery packs.
How do these attachments protect your device and affect its battery? Do MagSafe cases and battery packs have a beneficial or damaging effect on your smartphone? Here’s a guide on how they work and their advantages and disadvantages for your Apple products.
What is MagSafe Charging?
Apple introduced MagSafe with the launch of the first-generation MacBook Pro in 2006. Instead of a traditional USB charging port, MagSafe utilizes magnets to ensure a secure & quick connection between devices and accessories. While the magnetic charging technology has been an on & off feature of their laptops, it’s here to stay with their smartphones and is an inherent capability of the iPhones 12, 13, 14, and now the newly-released 15 models.
Grab yourself a wood iPhone 15 case:
Inside MagSafe products, a circular array of magnets surrounds a charging coil. These magnets create a strong, precise connection between the charger and compatible devices, like iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches. Because it uses the Qi-based wireless charging standard, the Apple-exclusive technology works similarly to Android & Google chargers, letting you charge your devices without fumbling with or tripping over cables.
Do MagSafe Cases Affect Battery Life?
Wireless charging with MagSafe is great, but you want to protect and prolong your phone’s battery life as long as possible. Your phone case’s materials make a difference, and if it damages the battery or you need to remove it to charge properly, it defeats the purpose of that convenience. Luckily, MagSafe cases won’t affect your device’s battery life and have no direct impact on performance.
The primary purpose of a MagSafe case is to protect and provide a secure connection to accessories. In fact, the case’s built-in magnets maintain a better grip on the phone and supply a more precise link to the charger than traditional wired chargers. Apple equips its iPhones with internal protection mechanisms and designs its batteries to withstand a range of external factors, including magnetic fields. While your MagSafe case does generate an electromagnetic force, it isn’t powerful enough to interfere with the battery. Like all Qi-certified chargers, Apple’s trademark technology controls its charging output and regulates temperature to prevent overheating and battery damage.
Other Factors That Influence Battery Life
You don’t need to worry about your MagSafe case, but consider these other situations to help get the most out of your phone’s battery:
- Poor charging habits – It’s normal for devices to heat up a bit during charging, but a prolonged time plugged in, especially to cheap or third-party cables, can result in overheating. Because wood mitigates heat, a wooden case is one easy way to combat this issue.
- Environmental stress – If you’ve ever left your phone out in the sun for more than a few minutes, you’re familiar with the temperature warning notification. Extreme heat and direct sunlight can damage and overheat the battery, causing it to drain and shut your phone down with it.
- Routinely killing your battery – Routinely keeping your phone above a 50% charge is less demanding on the battery than letting it drop below 10% before charging. Another practical way to extend the battery’s longevity is to avoid powering it to 100% and instead leave it around 80%. Use a wireless charger to make this easier on yourself, and potentially extend your battery’s lifespan in the process.
- Battery age – All lithium-ion batteries, like the ones in your phone, will start to degrade after their first use and won’t perform at their original capacity forever. You can expect your phone’s battery to retain about 20% less power after 500 charging cycles, meaning with time you might need to charge it more often.
MagSafe Battery Packs
MagSafe battery packs are portable chargers that magnetically attach to Apple’s iPhone 12 and newer models. With a compact and lightweight design, MagSafe battery packs offer nifty features like fast charging, seamless integration, and reverse charging, which allows your iPhone to charge its battery pack.
How do they work?
After charging the MagSafe battery pack, snap it on and it will magnetically attach to the back of your iPhone. MagSafe battery packs are able to connect to the battery, even with a phone case separating the two, as long as it’s thin enough. Like all wireless charging, the magnets between the two devices create an electromagnetic field through which energy can pass to power the charging coil in the smartphone.
Because the battery pack’s integrated circuitry is independent and communicates with your smartphone, you won’t have to worry about removing it or manually stopping the process to prevent overcharging or overheating. Overall, a MagSafe pack enhances the device’s battery life by optimizing charging on the go, keeping it at peak performance levels without significant drain.
Potential Disadvantages of MagSafe Battery Packs
Compared to its rivals, MagSafe battery packs are smaller, less powerful, and more expensive. They probably won’t top your device up to a full charge and can only power the smartphone so far depending on its size and model, which in most cases is around 60%. Although compact and convenient, the MagSafe battery pack is best as a day companion to keep your phone from dying, rather than a consistent, multi-day solution.
In addition, like with any accessory, frequent attachment and removal can cause wear & tear on the iPhone’s MagSafe connector. Because your phone will warm up a bit while charging on a battery pack, users should be careful to keep it out of direct sunlight or high temperatures which can provoke overheating and diminish the battery’s long-term health.
MagSafe vs. Other Charging Methods
For now, wired charging is still the quickest way to power devices because it directly connects them to a power source. However, MagSafe offers a distinct advantage over wired charging because its magnets allow for a secure connection, making it easier to attach & align a phone. Forget about the cable clutter around the house or constantly having to plug & unplug your phone – technology is trending to a wireless future.
Compared to traditional wireless charging, MagSafe supports faster speeds and a more reliable connection. You don’t have to fumble with the device to find the right spot on the wireless charger––the magnets take care of the alignment for you. While MagSafe stands out for its seamless integration with iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, its exclusivity to Apple means Samsung or Google fans need to find another wireless charging method.
Of course, if you’re ready to give Apple’s magnetic charging technology a try, you’ll want a MagSafe-friendly case that doesn’t interrupt charging, snaps on easily and protects your device.
If you’re loyal to Apple products, you don’t need us to remind you that MagSafe is an efficient & convenient way to connect your smartphone, AirPods, or smartwatch. But if you’re a Galaxy or Pixel fan, you’ll have to utilize other charging options, because neither of them support MagSafe charging.
Rest assured that MagSafe cases won’t affect your battery, and while MagSafe battery packs aren’t the most powerful, they’re excellent options when you need to charge on-the-go.