iPhone 12: The high-profile first-gen MagSafe accessories are out

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.

Apple’s iPhone 12 is out after it made its debut at the company’s September event, where Apple also revealed its Apple One subscription and the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, which are coming Nov. 13. All the new phones come with a big addition: MagSafe. The fast-charging feature doubles the power throughput of standard Qi wireless charging on iPhones (15 watts versus 7.5 watts) and boasts a magnetic snap to optimize its placement on the phone’s back — similar to how the magnetic charger works on the Apple Watch. 

Of course, if you have a magnet that can center a snap-on charger, that same magnet can be used to attach other types of accessories to the iPhone 12, too (shades of the late — and not so great — Moto Mods). The iPhone maker might also have plans to use the magnetic system as a way to have the iPhone reverse wirelessly charge other accessories like AirPods, which is similar to a feature found in the latest Samsung Galaxy and OnePlus phones.  Does that mean Apple is skipping a presumed transition of the iPhone from Lightning to USB-C, and opting to jump straight to MagSafe instead? Your guess is as good as ours, but one thing is guaranteed: With Apple licensing MagSafe to third-party manufacturers like Belkin (see below), expect a flood of MagSafe accessories to be heading your way soon. 

Read more: How MagSafe works on the iPhone 12.

One caveat, however, is the MagSafe charger’s effect on credit cards. Apple warns users to remove any cards with magnetic strips or radio chips such as a credit card, hotel room key card or transit card from a wallet accessory before connecting a phone to the charger. Having a card placed between the iPhone and the MagSafe charger can cause damage. 

Read more: iPhone 12 drop test result are in: Ceramic shield is as tough as it sounds

Apple

This is the new MagSafe Charger. It will snap onto the back of the iPhone 12 to make sure it’s in the right spot to start charging. The MagSafe Charger connects to a power source via a USB-C connection.