MagSafe Charging Port for iPhone Appears in Apple Patent

In a newly granted patent, Apple envisions a type of connectivity port using an iteration of its magnetic MagSafe charger to charge an iPhone, potentially paving the way for a future without Lightning.

Screen Shot 2021 03 03 at 11
Submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday (via Patently Apple), the patent outlines a three-pinned ‌MagSafe‌ charger, similar to the ones found in older MacBook computers. Apple discusses multiple different pin designs that would connect the charger to the device. The patent shows a pin that is more round in one image, while another shows a more flat-surface design.

The patent itself doesn't mention or reference an ‌iPhone‌ by name, but an image in the filing depicts what seems to be the bottom of an ‌iPhone‌ with the ‌MagSafe‌ charger concept. Compared to the current Lightning port on the ‌iPhone‌, ‌MagSafe‌ has its advantages. Based on a set of magnets, ‌MagSafe‌ allows the device to easily detach from the charger if it gets tripped on or yanked.

Screen Shot 2021 03 03 at 11
With the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, Apple reintroduced ‌MagSafe‌ in the form of large circular magnets on the back of the device. Currently, Apple is marketing ‌MagSafe‌ on the ‌iPhone‌ as a place to charge and attach various accessories.

The patent could entail Apple's long-term vision of turning the current ‌MagSafe‌ charge on the back of the device as a place for accessories, such as a battery pack, and leave the magnetic ‌MagSafe‌ charger on the bottom in place to charge the ‌iPhone‌. Implementing the concept on a lighter-weight device like an ‌iPhone‌ would presumably require a detaching mechanism using weaker magnets with more give.

This week, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo poured cold water on hopes that Apple would switch the ‌iPhone‌ to a USB-C connector anytime soon. Kuo states that USB-C has lower specifications compared to Lightning and ‌MagSafe‌. Kuo specifically says that if an ‌iPhone‌ in the future abandons Lighting, it would immediately adopt a portless design with ‌MagSafe‌.

Apple is expected to bring ‌MagSafe‌ back to the Mac, according to both Bloomberg and Kuo. The version of ‌MagSafe‌ expected to debut in the upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will likely feature a similar design to previous iterations and offer faster-charging speeds. Learn more about ‌MagSafe‌'s history and potential future uses in our comprehensive MagSafe guide.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases Firmware Updates for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday November 11, 2024 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released firmware updates for both AirPods 4 models (version number 7B20) and the AirPods Pro 2 with both Lightning and USB-C charging cases (version number 7B21). All of these AirPods models were previously on firmware version 7B19. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in firmware versions 7B20 and 7B21, but we will update this story if we find...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Camera Modules to Enter Mass Production Next Month

Tuesday November 12, 2024 2:56 am PST by
Apple's camera module supplier for the upcoming iPhone SE 4 is set to begin mass production of the components in December, according to a new report coming out of Korea. Economic newspaper Ajunews reports that LG Innotek will supply the front camera module for the budget-friendly fourth-generation device. Final tests are now said to be underway, with mass production of the module following...
airpods pro spring blue

Apple Customers Sue Over Unfixed AirPods Pro Crackling Issue

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:01 am PST by
A trio of Apple customers this month filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the Cupertino company of violating California consumer protection laws and false advertising for continuing to sell AirPods Pro models that had ongoing issues with crackling or static sounds. A few months after the AirPods Pro came out in October 2019, buyers began to complain about crackling, rattling, ...
iPad iOS 16 WP Display Feature eric edit

Apple to Launch AI-Powered Home 'Command Center' as Soon as March 2025

Tuesday November 12, 2024 1:09 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch an AI-powered smart home display as soon as March 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The display will measure in at approximately six inches, and while it is similar to an iPad, it is square rather than rectangular and it has thick bezels around the edges. There is a camera at the top front so that it can be used for FaceTime, plus there are internal speakers...
new mac holiday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Monday November 11, 2024 7:45 am PST by
Black Friday is getting closer, and prices on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini computers have started to drop as the shopping holiday nears. These deals include the latest models of the M4 MacBook Pro and iMac. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site...
maxresdefault

M4 Max MacBook Pro: Real-World Usage Tests

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:59 am PST by
Apple last week replaced the M3 Max MacBook Pro with the new M4 Max MacBook Pro, and we picked up one of the new high-end MacBook Pro machines to see how it compares to the prior model with both benchmarks and real-world tests. We tested an M4 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and 48GB RAM against an M3 Max MacBook Pro with similar specs. The two machines look similar, but the display on...
iOS 18

Here's Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 3

Monday November 11, 2024 4:53 pm PST by
Apple seeded the third betas of iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 to developers for testing today. While the third betas of each update are minor relative to the first two betas, there are still a handful of changes across the Photos app, TV app, and more. A corresponding iOS 18.2 public beta with these changes will likely be released later this week, and Apple previously confirmed that the software...
final cut pro magnetic mask

Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac

Wednesday November 13, 2024 3:02 pm PST by
Apple today announced the launch of major updates for its Final Cut Pro video editing software designed for Macs and iPads. Final Cut Pro has been version 10 since 2011, but after 13 years, Apple is finally ready to debut Final Cut Pro 11. Apple first teased a new version of Final Cut Pro when introducing the new M4 Macs in October, and now the updated software is available for download with ...

Top Rated Comments

Michael Scrip Avatar
48 months ago
I like the idea in the first image.

If this MagSafe concept gets implemented across all of Apple's product lines... we can finally use the same magnetic cable to charge an iPhone and a Macbook. And an iPad and whatever else.

It makes this look ridiculous by comparison:



Attachment Image
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
48 months ago
Now this is what I want on my MacBook!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Souponastick270 Avatar
48 months ago
This! I could get behind this, way better than the portless idea
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CJM Avatar
48 months ago
Would've been useful like 5 years ago, at this point it's just not needed when the move should be to USB-C.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LFC2020 Avatar
48 months ago

Would've been useful like 5 years ago, at this point it's just not needed when the move should be to USB-C.
Usb c will never happen on a iPhone, knowing apple they’ll go port less instead of adding usb c.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vicviper789 Avatar
48 months ago
They sell USB to lightning cables with a magnetic coupler on Amazon. I thought it was silly at first but I can’t imagine not having one now and I use them on all of my headphones now

Attachment Image
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)