AndrewThe Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
An accessory that frankly should have been a part of the launch of the reimagined MagSafe… a battery pack. I’ve been using this for a few weeks now and boy do I have some thoughts. Prior to getting the MagSafe Battery Pack I had been using the Anker Powercore Magnetic 5K a MagSafe battery I have also enjoyed. Back to Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack though. It’s simply that, it’s a small battery for wireless charging that snaps to the back of your MagSafe compatible iPhone and I like it. So let’s jump into my Apple MagSafe Battery Pack review.
Features
It’s rather simple (you know, it’s Apple), a nice white soft touch finish that so far isn’t getting super dirty. It charges via lightning and that’s a massive letdown. It comes with some additional nice features such as 15w charging, reverse charging (the first Apple device to do this), and it works with really any wireless charging device such as my AirPods.
The MagSafe Battery Pack has a 7.62V, 11.13Wh battery inside, with 1460 mAh. That’s great and all but what does that translate to for the average user? These numbers are rough from Apple, so you may not see the same results:
- Up to 70% additional charge with iPhone 12 mini and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro and MagSafe Battery Pack
- Up to 40% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro Max and MagSafe Battery Pack
What I like about the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
The first thing that comes to mind for me on the like list is just how well it holds to my phone, when it snaps on … it snaps on! The Anker Powercore does a good job of holding to the phone but the Apple MagSafe Battery does a fantastic job of this. I think part of this is due to the design, it lays flat to the phone and the edges also lay flat, where as the Anker has a bit of a curve to it (you can see what I mean in the photos below).
As with anything Apple I also like how integrated it is into my phone. Because it’s an official MagSafe device the iPhone recognizes it and in turn it shows up on my battery list. This is nice to be able to see both devices battery percentage. Really I like this because I get an idea of if the battery is empty and I’m carrying extra bulk for nothing.
What I don’t like about the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
First off, the price is ridiculous but I’ll outline that quickly in the next section. I also really really wish they had gone with USB-C for charging. I can kinda understand the decision for lightning, since this is a device for the iPhone and the iPhone uses lightning to charge it makes a little sense, but it just feels like a miss. Even the Anker is USB-C as you can see in the photo below.
I don’t love the color of it, I’m a matte black everything kinda person, so slapping this white brick on the back of my matte black phone just leaves me feeling a bit “meh.” Lastly, the capacity and this one is tough leaving me a bit on the fence. I like that it’s a bit smaller than the Anker and feels better in the pocket & hand, but to only see about a 60% charge on my iPhone 12 Pro kinda stinks. So yeah, idk if I want the smaller size or the bigger capacity.
The Cost
It’s designed and made by Apple, so it’s not cheap. Coming in at $99 is a bit ridiculous when you compare it to other options out there. For $99 you get JUST the battery pack, no power brick, no lightning cable.
Other Options
There are a number of alternate options out there. Just open up Amazon and search MagSafe Battery and you’ll be flooded with alternates. Anker, Belkin, and Mophie are probably the most comparable.
I’ve only used the Anker PowerCore Magnetics 5k so far and can’t speak to the pile other options. For the price savings from ALL of the options out there it makes it tough to spend that $99. So I would strongly suggest looking at the options out there, especially the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5k.
Final Thoughts
This one is a bit tough. I’m a huge Apple fanboy and I really really wanted to love this product and don’t get me wrong, I do love it. But I don’t think I can suggest it for most folks, at $99 for the Apple MagSafe Battery you can snag two of the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5k batteries.
This is designed better, it holds to the phone better and is tightly integrated into the Apple ecosystem. It’s so very close to getting my stamp of approval for being a great product. I truly wish for this price I would get more of a charge from it, and because of that I dropped it on the Features score below. If you want that Apple look with the tight integration into the device, snag one. For everyone else, this is a PASS. Go get the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5k, it comes in more colors now and is half the price! Affiliate Link Below.
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