Apple's new MagSafe Battery Pack appears to support reverse charging from iPhone, allowing both devices to be charged if an iPhone is plugged into a power source.
Credit: Apple
The $99 MagSafe battery pack, launched Tuesday, can charge an iPhone device via MagSafe if it's plugged into a 20W or higher power adapter. It'll deliver up to 15W of charge.
However, it also appears that an iPhone is able to charge the battery pack itself via the same MagSafe connection, according to a recently published support document.
"You can also charge both if you attach your MagSafe Battery Pack to your iPhone, then plug your iPhone into a power source. You might want to charge this way if you need to connect your iPhone to another device while charging, like if you're using wired CarPlay or transferring photos to a Mac," the document reads.
Apple does note that, whether the iPhone is charging the MagSafe pack or vice versa, the handset may need to reach 80% battery or higher for the battery pack to begin charging.
This does appear to be the first instance of reverse charging being used on the iPhone 12 lineup. Although a Federal Communications Commission filing hinted that the 2020 iPhones could potentially charge accessories, the actual feature remained dormant until now.
The MagSafe Battery Pack is currently available to order from Apple's website with an estimated delivery date a couple of weeks out.
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