MagSafe came to the iPhone back in 2020 with the introduction of the iPhone 12. Thus far, Apple itself hasn’t really expanded its lineup of accessories that tap into MagSafe technology, outside of the polarizing MagSafe Battery Pack.
New images posted to Twitter claim to show one MagSafe accessory Apple seemingly developed, but abandoned before launching: the “Magic Charger.”
Images of this unreleased MagSafe accessory surfaced on Twitter today from user @TheBlueMister, who is one of multiple accounts that often shares images of unreleased and prototype Apple devices and accessories. The Twitter account Duan Rui also shared images of the accessory.
The “Magic Charger” accessory name is what appears when this accessory is plugged into a Mac. The design of the Magic Charger is basically an aluminum base with an integrated MagSafe puck. The MagSafe puck can be adjusted to lay flat or raised upwards at an angle, sort of like a stand (but not really, more on that below).
There’s no word on any other features of the unreleased Magic Charger, nor do we know why Apple never actually released it. The obvious reason, though, is that it doesn’t look like a very useful or practical accessory….
9to5Mac’s Take
This Magic Charger looks virtually worthless in practice. You’d seemingly only be able to put your iPhone on the MagIc Charger in landscape mode or lay it flat when the MagSafe puck is inset into the base. Portrait mode? Nope.
I’d really like to see Apple invest more heavily into the MagSafe ecosystem for the iPhone. The company offers a few accessories that use MagSafe, but they’ve all been met with mixed responses from users.
The MagSafe Duo was promising when announced, but its $129 price point (charging brick not included) made it hard to recommend. Nowadays, it’s an even tougher sell as it lacks support for fast charging the latest Apple Watch models and has some fit and finish issues with recent model iPhones.
The MagSafe Battery Pack has also been polarizing. While it can be useful for topping off your iPhone, the small battery size and bulky design make it impractical for day-to-day use. The MagSafe Wallet is my personal favorite MagSafe accessory made by Apple, and it’s actually gotten better with a recent refresh that added Find My support.
Third-party accessory makers have been far better at finding ways to tap into the MagSafe technology in useful and clever ways. Ideally, Apple will do the same at some point, but what we’ve seen so far isn’t promising – and this “Magic Charger” shows there are even worse ideas that thankfully haven’t seen the light of day.
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