Andrew O'Hara
After much speculation, Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack for the iPhone 12 line is official. Here's what you need to know about it, alongside some worthwhile alternatives.
Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack is a 1640 mAh battery pack that supports up to 15W of wireless charging on the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. It features the same soft-touch silicone exterior as Apple's silicone cases and has a Lightning input for charging.
When the battery pack is connected to your iPhone, you can plug a 20W or higher Lightning cable into the battery pack, and it will charge both devices. You can also connect power to your iPhone, and it will charge the MagSafe Battery, too. This is useful if you're using something like wired CarPlay.
Otherwise, the battery starts charging when connected to your phone and does not need to be turned on or off.
It retails for $99.
Alternatives to Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack
Apple's battery has a few benefits over the alternatives. It is a first-party solution and features a Lightning port, so you only need one cable. It's also actually MagSafe rather than a ring of magnets that line up vanilla Qi and is integrated into the battery widget. The price point of $99.99 can feel a bit steep.
Fortunately, in the months since iPhone 12 has launched, the market has flooded with other options that offer varying degrees of features.
Hyper
HyperJuice Magnetic BatteryWe reviewed the HyperJuice Magnetic Battery Pack and found it to be a solid option. It has a USB-C input and a 5,000 mAh capacity. It has a hard plastic shell with a manual button to turn it on and off.
You can order the HyperJuice Magnetic Battery Pack for $39.99 direct from Hyper.
Mophie Snap Juice Mini
Mophie's magnetic batteryMophie's offering is another 5K mAh battery pack that can be charged via USB-C. It has a fabric-wrapped exterior for a handsome look and also comes with a Snap adapter in the box to work with other devices besides the iPhone 12 line.
It is available through Amazon for $43.11 or you can buy it direct from Zagg and save 20 percent with promo code INSIDER20.
Anker
Anker magnetic batteryAnker's magnetic battery pack is also 5,000 mAh and can charge with USB-C.
It can be found for under $45 on Amazon.
Zens
Zens dual chargerThe Zens battery is unique with a 4,000 mAh or 10,000 mAh capacity and a built-in kickstand. It can prop up your phone while it charges it. It also supports bidirectional wireless charging. You can set it on a charging mat to power, and you're able to place a pair of AirPods on the back to charge them at the same time you are charging your iPhone.
It is available through Zens starting at $69.99
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Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
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15 Comments
$100 for a 1460 mAh battery pack?
lol
No thank you.
It's a shame they didn't make a separate one for each of the 3 iphone styles. It really doesn't make sense with its size is so constrained by the mini, a phone that I've never seen in the wild with an actual person.
These wireless chargers seem very inefficient. A 15W charge requires a 20W charger?
just plug it in instead. It’s quicker too.