Belkin is launching a new magnetic iPhone 12 stand that adds face-tracking, letting Apple's smartphone swivel to follow you much like Amazon's Echo Show 10. It's part of the slowly growing ecosystem of accessories that use Apple's MagSafe system for iPhone, though unfortunately it sounds like it's not quite as flexible as you might hope.
The Anker iPhone MagSafe battery pack was released at last - just as the company suggested it would. They've had this particular battery pack in the works for a couple of months, having digitally previewed the device first at CES 2021. This device has the name Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank, and it's available for the masses right this minute.
The next Apple event was tipped to take place approximately one month from now, on March 16, 2021. At this event, we'll likely see the next iPad, the next iPad Mini, AirTags, and an expansion of what Apple Card will be able to accomplish.* This latest lineup tip suggests that the most extravagant device will be the iPad, modifying previously most-recent rumors that suggested that the most powerful device in the lineup will be the iPad Pro.
With the introduction of MagSafe on the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple has opened the door to a number of magnetic accessories. The company itself has crafted some MagSafe accessories for the iPhone 12, and now it's rumored to be working on a magnetic battery pack. As you might imagine, a MagSafe battery pack would allow users to wirelessly charge their phones without needing to find an outlet first, and without using a bulky battery case that has to attach to the phone through a Lightning passthrough.
Almost all electronic devices generate electromagnetic fields when in use but the iPhone 12 series is special in that it actually contains magnets inside. These are used to support Apple's new generation of MagSafe wireless charging but it may also have some effect on objects and devices that rely on magnetism to function correctly. Apple already issued a warning about the phones' electromagnetic interference but insisted that it doesn't carry more risk than any other iPhone before it, something that cardiologists discovered might not be the case.
Although it was quite late to jump on the wireless charging bandwagon, Apple's implementation did eventually introduce an element that, truth be told, should have become standard in almost all wireless charging systems today. Just like many of its small but significant conveniences, Apple used magnets to bring a bit of stability when wirelessly charging the iPhone 12. Impressive as it may be, the iPhone 12 and its matching MagSafe accessories had one side effect that may have gone unnoticed until recently.
A lot of rumors have been swirling about incoming MacBook updates lately, and today we have a particularly juicy report to sink our teeth into. Just as Apple is rumored to be updating the MacBook Pro significantly, so too is it apparently looking to make some big changes to the MacBook Air. The first big change is rumored to be a switch back to MagSafe chargers.
Perhaps to distance itself from the embarrassment of AirPower, Apple reused its old MagSafe brand from the early MacBook days for its own spin on wireless charging for iPhones. Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in many accessory makers rushing to adapt to the new technology as well as its new requirements, especially those that make use of iPhones' rears for one thing or another. Those include not just the usual culprits like cases but also phone grips, which is why PopSockets, one of the more popular manufacturers of the latter, have come out with new iPhone 12 accessories that take MagSafe into account.
Apple's MagSafe for iPhone system can be a whole lot more convenient for charging than plugging in a Lightning cable, but Satechi may in some ways have just bested the official MagSafe adapter. As with previous iPhone accessories, Apple's plan is to license out MagSafe to third-parties so that they can fill out the ecosystem. In some cases, that means adding some advantages over Apple's own products.
The AirPower wireless charging mat may have been a complete disaster but Apple definitely made a comeback when it announced its new MagSafe wireless chargers. Apple actually announced two chargers in October but only one has been available, perhaps raising worries of a repeat of the AirPower. Although there were hints at an upcoming launch date, it is definitely a pleasant surprise to see the MagSafe Duo Charger finally available for sale, though people might want to keep an important thing or two in mind before they buy one.
In October, Apple unveiled its new iPhone 12 line and announced new MagSafe and MagSafe Duo chargers. The standard MagSafe charger is currently available for purchase, but the MagSafe Duo availability is a mystery. A reseller from Switzerland called Digitec Galaxus, apparently a known and popular reseller, has published a listing for the MagSafe Duo charger suggesting that the charger will start shipping this month.
Apple's iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini aren't the only new devices going up for preorder today, with some hotly-anticipated accessories either available for your shopping cart or promising to arrive there soon. The HomePod mini, the smaller version of its smart speaker, can be preordered now, while two iPhone 12 accessories are now listed as "coming soon" on Apple's site.