Change my mind: MagSafe is awesome

As I followed each new trend, I hoped it was correct, but soon discovered that it wasn’t. I didn’t want anything to get permanently attached to my phone or case, and I didn’t want to clean the grime off a sticky pad every day. All I wanted was a means of attaching an accessory to my phone that would remain until.

I had never considered that Apple’s iPhones would provide me with this answer, but hey, what do I know? When MagSafe was debuted, it was a “eureka” moment for me. Of course, magnets had to be magnets. And they were. MagSafe is beautiful and simple in its simplicity It’s my belief that it’s

MagSafe is first and foremost a standardized shape and size of magnetic elements. The proprietary 15W wireless charging and NFC elements may be Apple’s main focus, but we all know they wouldn’t mean much without the connection mechanism. If you are an accessory manufacturer and you want your product to adhere to an iPhone 12 or 13, you must follow Apple’s guidelines, even if you are not going to get official certification for your product.

Given the influence Apple has and the huge market share of iPhone accessories, it was certain that most accessory makers would join in right away. It was even very likely that they would overturn their own magnetic or other fasteners to adopt Apple’s. Anker, Moment, Belkin, Mophie, Satechi, Otterbox, and even PopSockets, to name a few, jumped on the bandwagon. Many more are doing the same thing every day.

So despite being a proprietary format, MagSafe has quickly become a standard where no other standard could be set before. It brought together all the accessory add-ons in a single form factor: a circular array of magnets. Say what you want about Apple, but it brought order out of chaos.

This is why MagSafe appeals to me. If I have a compatible device or case, I know I can find wallets, power banks, stands, and dozens of other accessories from various brands, and they will all work. I have many options, even in terms of price, and I don’t have to worry about one product not being compatible with another.

Invisible, always ready and convenient

A new standard alone is not enough to convince me; it has to be a good one. And in the case of MagSafe, I think Apple made the right decision. The built-in magnets are invisible, unlike the metal plates that I used to stick on the back of my phones or cases. They also don’t catch on the fabric when I slip my phone into a pocket or purse, and they don’t bother me when I hold it.

They are always there though, and I don’t have to worry about sticking or removing them, or making a semi-permanent decision to keep them in my phone or case. Whenever I want to add an accessory to my phone, I don’t have to think twice; I just grab it and break it.

Check: Best MagSafe Cases for iPhone 13 Pro Max

This convenience is also due to the nature of magnets. It takes a fraction of a second to hook it onto something and another fraction to deliberately separate it. And while it’s fixed, it forms a very strong bond.

MagSafe accessories can be temporarily attached to my phone, freely changed, or removed, and I know the system is always there when I need it. The best technology is so good that it disappears and doesn’t require you to actively think about it, and MagSafe is exactly that.

Some flaws, some breaks

The biggest obstacle to using MagSafe is magnetic interference with medical devices. Apple has some guidelines on this, but suffice it to say that MagSafe is best avoided if you have a pacemaker. Your life and safety are more important than adding an accessory to your phone.

Magnets can also affect the magnetic stripes on a credit card (if you live in a country that still uses them), but also security badges, passports, and key fobs. Technically speaking, you can keep these objects near a MagSafe device or accessory, but Apple advises you not to place them between the MagSafe phone and the charger. That’s a lot less likely to happen, and I’m not personally too concerned about that.

You might also wonder if external magnets could affect the electronics inside a device. The short answer is that you need much stronger magnets for that. Even then, the two items that can succumb are the compass and the speakers, which are generally positioned toward the top and bottom of the phone, not toward the middle. Two accessory manufacturers, Pitaka and RokForm, have explained this in detail and, while they are keen to say that magnets are relatively safe, they base their claims on scientific evidence and facts.

For me, MagSafe’s biggest disappointment remains the arbitrary wireless charging speed limit that Apple has set around it. You only get a measly 10W for non-certified devices and 15W for certified ones, while competitors like Realme MagDart can go up to 50W. Too bad Realme doesn’t have the same aura as Apple and can’t initiate a wide adoption of its technology.

MagSafe for Android, somehow

As a MagSafe convert, but first and foremost an Android user, you can imagine that I spent the past year playing with my thumbs waiting. I knew there would be makeshift solutions that would allow me to enjoy the accessory ecosystem while still maintaining my beloved Pixel, and there is finally some movement there.

Moment, the manufacturer of those stylish lenses that you can attach to your phone, has launched the (M) Force cases for the Galaxy S21 and Pixel 6 lines. These black cases, although a bit boring in my opinion, open the door to two great accessory ecosystems. First, they have the Moment lens attachment ring, and second, they have a built-in circular array of magnets that is MagSafe compatible. As long as that case is on my Pixel 6 Pro, my phone can stick to any MagSafe-compatible wireless charger, ring, wallet, stand, tripod mount, and more.

I wish more case makers would join the fray and offer MagSafe cases for Android devices. I don’t understand why this is a rarity; After all, it is a small accessory that can open a whole market to Android users. And yes, I am aware of the dozens of additional magnetic stickers that can bring MagSafe to any phone, but I would get back to square one with them, that is, having to permanently stick something to my device. Give me a case instead, please, but you do it.

Once you sign in to MagSafe, you won’t be able to go back

My current setup consists of a Pixel 6 Pro with the Moment (M) Force case ($ 49) and an iPhone 12 Pro Max with a yellow Apple MagSafe case ($ 49). Along with them, I’ve been using Moment’s Tripod Mount ($ 49), as well as Anker’s MagGo Phone Grip ($ 15.99), Wireless Power Bank ($ 59), and Dual Wireless Charger ($ 59). 79).

The grip has become an essential accessory for my Pixel 6 Pro, due to how unwieldy and heavy that phone is. Whenever I am out and about, I keep it on my phone to prevent it from falling and it can be used with one hand, especially when taking pictures. When I come home, I just take it off and continue to use my phone as normal.

The power bank is also incredibly useful for charging my phones on the go, without having to worry about cables or maintaining exact alignment of the wireless pads. As for the other accessories, I appreciate how convenient it is to put my phones on them for charging or taking pictures as needed, but also how quick and easy it is to remove them. No mess, no hassle.

I’m very excited to see all the new accessory categories and ideas that will start to emerge now that MagSafe is established. Razer, for example, just released a cooling fan that connects via MagSafe. Hope other quirky and interesting accessories keep popping up.

MagSafe has convinced me and, for now, there is no going back. Until a better solution is presented, this is the system I will be looking for whenever I want to get any accessory that connects to my phone.

Keep reading: Apple’s MagSafe brings us closer to portless phones