MagSafe myths debunked
Everything you need to know.
MagSafe might be an old name to Apple veterans, but it has a whole new purpose. Apple slipped a brand-new charging and modular accessory system into the iPhone 12, resurrecting the charging connector Apple retired when it switched to USB-C charging on the MacBook.
But since Apple isn’t including a MagSafe connector or even a compatible power adapter in the iPhone 12 box, you probably have some questions about MagSafe. And depending on where you find the answers, they might not be all that accurate. So forget about what you’ve read: here’s the truth about MagSafe.
MYTH: SPEEDS ARE TOO SLOW WITH A THIRD-PARTY CHARGER
REALITY: AS LONG AS IT’S 20 WATTS OR HIGHER, IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER WHICH CHARGER YOU USE
Charging is tricky. Depending on the phone you buy, there are several different protocols out there – QuickCharge, Warp Charge, Adaptive Fast Charging, and so on – but the most common is USB Power Delivery, which is what Apple uses.
But if you buy a MagSafe charger for £39, you’ll need to bring your own power adapter, since Apple doesn’t provide one with the iPhone 12 or the MagSafe cable. That’s where things get a little tricky. MagSafe will charge the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max at a maximum of 15 watts (only 12 watts for the iPhone 12 mini), but to get those speeds you’ll need to use Apple’s new 20-watt charger. Otherwise, you’re going to get 12-watt charging.
That sounds worse than it actually is. I tested MagSafe with several chargers and MagSafe worked fine with all but one, Choetech’s 100-watt charger. And while it’s true that none of them charged quite as fast as Apple’s 20watt charger, they all filled up my iPhone at roughly the same pace.
Apple 20-watt charger
Highest: 17 watts
Battery life after 10 minutes of charging: 12 per cent
Aukey 65-watt charger
Highest: 12 watts
Battery life after 10 minutes of charging: 11 per cent
Apple MacBook charger 60 watts
Highest: 12 watts
Battery life after 10 minutes of charging: 12 per cent