Apple's iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are launching this Friday, and ahead of that release date, Apple is shipping out various accessories like the MagSafe charger and MagSafe cases. Yesterday we took a look at the MagSafe charger, and today our MagSafe case came in the mail, so we thought we'd take another look at the charger to see how it works with the case and just how strong the case magnets are.
Design wise, the new Apple Silicone Case with built-in MagSafe compatibility is similar to any other Apple Silicone case designed for past iPhones, but there is a little circle inside the case that lets you know there's a magnet ring built in. The case slips on and off the iPhone easily, and it's made from the same silicone material as previous iPhone cases.
We looked at an OtterBox MagSafe case yesterday and weren't super impressed with the design because the magnets were just glued into the back of the case and covered with a bit of plastic, but Apple's design has the magnets built into the silicone of the case for a nicer finished look.
The magnets in the OtterBox case were strong enough for everyday use but not super strong, and while we thought Apple's magnets might be stronger, that's not the case. The magnets in the Apple Silicone case are about the same strength as the magnets in the OtterBox case, and if you watch the video up above, you can see them in action.
We don't have an iPhone 12, and the iPhone 12 has its own magnets and is a key part of how these cases and attachments work, so keep that in mind when watching our video. iPhone 12 reviews came out today, though, giving us an idea of how strong the magnets are. Some reviewers ended up being unimpressed with the magnets for use with accessories like the Wallet that Apple makes.
Apple’s MagSafe Charger is surprisingly large. The connection is decent. Not strong enough to prevent a fall off a nightstand though. pic.twitter.com/rEP5OdptaQ — Neil Cybart (@neilcybart) October 20, 2020
MKBHD, for example, used the Wallet accessory from Apple with the iPhone 12 and when he put the phone and wallet combo in his pocket, the wallet attachment fell right off, which is not ideal given that what's generally kept in a wallet is important.
Magnet strength isn't as important when it comes to the MagSafe charger because it's mainly meant for charger alignment, but for an accessory like a wallet, it needs to be solidly stuck in place. More testing is required, but early impressions suggest iPhone 12 buyers should use caution with the Wallet option.
If you missed our dedicated MagSafe charger video yesterday, make sure to check that out too if you want a better look at the MagSafe design.
We'll have an iPhone 12 and 12 Pro to test out on Friday with both the MagSafe charger and the MagSafe cases, so tune in to MacRumors later in the week to see both of these accessories in more detail alongside the new iPhone models.
Top Rated Comments
How about the wallet is a failure and does not do what it was designed for... to keep your ID and a credit card or two safe. It’s a literal piece of crap.
Stop going soft on Apple and call them out when they produce crap. They shouldn’t release the wallet IMO. It’s going to tarnish their brand (to some degree).
I mean, I'm super-excited for all of this new stuff, too - but these premature puff pieces run the risk of crowding out meaningful stories as we scroll through the MR feed. Ah well.
Edit: and I keep seeing these videos of people slinging attached phones around by the MagSafe cord to prove the magnetic strength... Are we just trying to prove that the cord will fail and that it should've been detachable? Lol.
Great points on the wallet case, though. Absolutely unusable as a wallet case.