Andrew O'Hara
Alongside it new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple also released a new, faster MagSafe charger. Ours arrived ahead of the launch so here's how it differs from the original models.
MagSafe is Apple's proprietary charging technology that magnetically connects to the rear of your compatible iPhone, encompassing the iPhone 12 and later. It's similar to Qi2, which is based on Apple's technology.
The biggest change is that the charger itself supports 25W of power compared to only 15W before. But we were curious if anything else changed.
The iPhone 16 series benefits from higher charging speedsWe picked up the new cable, grabbed our iPhone and a power supply, and tested it out.
Hands on with Apple's 25W MagSafe charger for iPhone 16
To be clear, the new charger is designed to complement iPhone 16 but it will still work on older iPhone models. It just won't charge as fast as the new phones.
Both cables averaged only about 10W of power as wireless charging has a lot of variablesWe tested this by connecting the a new MagSafe charger and an old version to a power meter and charging our iPhone 15 Pro Max. They both drew the same, just around 15W max, as expected.
You can charge any Qi, Qi2, or MagSafe device on the new charging puckThis charger is backwards compatible with Qi2 and Qi charging, so any Qi or Qi2 device will also be able to use this including your AirPods or Android phones.
The charger itself has slightly changed. It's a millimeter or two smaller, meaning that it won't necessarily be compatible with any "holder" accessories you may have had.
Some accessories, like this leather cover, won't fit the new MagSafe chargerMany companies have produced charging stands where you insert your MagSafe puck and it holds it, versus doing the electronics themselves. Since this is smaller, it will probably just slide out.
We also had a leather cover for our old MagSafe cable, which too, doesn't fit. It's not snug and just falls off.
The new charger (right) has slightly smaller bezels around the edgeThe new charger has slimmer bezels around the metal rim and the whole device itself is thinner. It's impressive Apple was able to up the speeds while also making it overall smaller.
The new MagSafe charger (right) is thinnerThe last change is the cable itself has a braided covering, similar to what's found on Apple's other latest products. It makes it feel more premium as well as more durable.
The new MagSafe cable is braided for extra durabilityTo get the faster charging, you need at least a 30W power adapter, up from the previous 20W requirement. You'll have to provide your own as there isn't one included with the MagSafe puck.
Available now
The new 25W MagSafe puck is available now in one-meter and two-meter versions that will run you $39 or $49 respectively.
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11 Comments
Slide-out-of-holder-feature confirmed! Damn it. 😂😂
I don’t understand this article. What were your test results? Only 10W? On which iPhone? But 15W on last year’s Pro Max?
I'm often carrying something in my left hand when I arrive home, so it's much easier to just use my right hand only to plop the phone onto the charger. As opposed to setting down whatever is in my left hand so I can use both hands to plug in a USB-C charger.