CES 2017: Griffin Announces 100W Hi-Power Breakaway MagSafe-Style Cable for MacBook Pro - MacRumors
Skip to Content

CES 2017: Griffin Announces 100W Hi-Power Breakaway MagSafe-Style Cable for MacBook Pro

by

Griffin today announced several new additions to its line of BreakSafe products, adding to the original BreakSafe magnetic USB-C cable that it introduced in January of 2016.

The new 100-watt BreakSafe Hi-Power Magnetic USB-C Breakaway Cable, the BreakSafe USB Breakaway Adapter, the BreakSafe Car Charger, and the BreakSafe Wall Charger all include a patented MagSafe-style quick-release magnetic connectors.

"Last year at CES 2016, our acclaimed BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable stole the show with its innovation and Type-C support," said Rick Kennedy, Category Manager of Cables at Griffin. "We're proud to continue that legacy by extending the BreakSafe experience to more audiences beyond USB-C. Now, whether users are at their laptops or on the go, they get the safety that comes from a magnetic breakaway cable on any device."

Griffin's new 100-watt BreakSafe Hi-Power Breakaway cable, coming in the second quarter of 2017 for $39.99, is designed for use with the new MacBook Pro. Like the original BreakSafe cable, it's designed to safely disconnected when accidentally pulled away from the MacBook.

griffinbreaksafehipower
The BreakSafe Magnetic USB Breakaway Adapter ($19.99), which features standard USB power and data speeds of up to 480Mb/s, adds BreakSafe capabilities to any standard USB-A device and will be coming during the first quarter of 2017.

griffinbreaksafeadapter
The BreakSafe Car Charger and the BreakSafe Wall Charger are both designed for USB devices like tablets and smartphones, with the ability to deliver up to 15 watts of power to accessories. Each accessory is priced at $39.99 and will be available in Q2 2017.

griffincarandusb
A popular Kickstarter project, the MagNeo, has been receiving a lot of attention lately and is similar to the new Griffin MacBook Pro Hi-Power cable but promises to offer more than just power. The MagNeo, priced at $35 for Kickstarter backers, promises to combine MagSafe-style connectivity with a USB-C Adapter that offers 100W charging, data, and video capabilities, but it remains to be seen if the product will be able to offer all of that functionality.

magneo
The MagNeo lists an estimated delivery date of January 2017, but potential backers should be aware that Kickstarter estimates are often off by months as new designers tend to underestimate the time required for manufacturing and ramping up from a testing phase to mass production.

Top Rated Comments

dannys1 Avatar
126 months ago
Having your data connected via a magnetic connection, I wonder what could go wrong...
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
126 months ago
Could they make it any bigger? Did they even TRY making it compact? Ideally the plug should be just a stub that barely sticks out past the side of the laptop.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tazinlwfl Avatar
126 months ago
It'll take a few years for it to look nearly as elegant as MagSafe did, but it's a start.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
126 months ago
The kludgefest continues.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
126 months ago
What annoys me even more is the lack of orange/green status lights for charging in the new machines. That was a godsend. Apple should add a hidden (visible only when ON) status light somewhere on the new machines in the next design tweak to let users know when their closed-lid machine has reached 100%. Orange could mean 15 or 75 percent, yes, but green only always means 100%. There's a feeling of familiarity and confidence that comes with that, and it was totally reliable. And I never tripped over my MagSafe once and I've owned three MBA's. What I did love MagSafe for however was the ease of magnetic connection daily. I'd find it much easier to live without MagSafe than that status light. It's a step backward in design ease of use now. It's not just a change—it's worse.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
126 months ago
Why did they have to screw up MagSafe so bad?! First they move to a T cable instead of keeping the L cable and then they get rid of it altogether?! What would Steve say, Tim?! WHAT WOULD STEVE SAY?!?!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Handoff Feature

iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature

Wednesday September 2, 2026 12:35 pm PDT by
Apple has added a new "iPhone Handoff" feature to iOS 27 that will allow you to switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device. This functionality was briefly mentioned during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June, on a slide that listed hundreds of new features coming in iOS 27 and corresponding software updates, but Apple never shared any further details at the time. ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium

New Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 Features Revealed

Sunday August 30, 2026 7:54 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today further outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 set to be unveiled on September 9. While it was initially rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch this year, Gurman reiterated that he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models. ...
John Ternus and Rainbow Countour Apple Logo

Apple Just Made a Very Controversial Decision on New CEO's First Day

Wednesday September 2, 2026 6:31 am PDT by
Apple's former hardware engineering chief John Ternus became its CEO on Tuesday, and the company made a controversial decision on his very first day in charge. As of Tuesday, Apple Maps users in the U.S. see the name "Lake America" instead of Lake Ontario for the Great Lake that straddles the New York—Ontario border. Apple made this change after the U.S. Geographic Names Information...