Counterfeiters Preparing for Launch of USB-C MagSafe Battery Pack
Images of fake MagSafe Battery Packs with a USB-C charging port instead of Lightning are being shared on social media sites, potentially hinting at preparations to mirror Apple's release of such an accessory.
The current MagSafe Battery Pack is a widely counterfeited accessory, but most one-to-one replicas available to date feature a Lightning port. The latest series of images, shared across X (formerly Twitter) and Weibo, depict the same one-to-one replicas but with a USB-C charging port.
The entire iPhone 15 lineup is expected to move away from Lightning and feature a USB-C charging port for the first time, and Apple is expected to bring USB-C to other devices and accessories over the next year. It is not clear if Apple plans to release a new version of the MagSafe Battery Pack with a USB-C port, but it is expected to do so with other accessories such as the AirPods Pro's MagSafe Charging Case alongside the release of the iPhone 15 models.
On the most recent episode of The MacRumors Show podcast, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple is seeking to move to USB-C across its lineup of accessories by next year, likely including the MagSafe Battery Pack. The transition will apparently be relatively fast, mirroring the transition to the Lightning connector following its introduction in 2012.
"They're going to need to do a new MagSafe Duo with USB-C," Gurman said, and Apple "certainly can update the MagSafe battery pack" to add USB-C. It is not entirely clear if these refreshed accessories will be introduced at its "Wonderlust" event on Tuesday, September 12, but the proliferation of images of fakes could hint that Apple is preparing to launch some of them next week.
In addition, Gurman explained that an all-new MagSafe Battery Pack is in development, but it is not yet ready to be introduced. The next-generation battery pack apparently involves a new concept that allows users to "daisy-chain" multiple battery packs together by stacking them and wirelessly charge multiple devices at the same time. For example, it will be possible to charge two iPhones at the same time, with one placed on either side of the battery pack.
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