My favorite iPhone 14 feature is one Apple has barely talked about - Digital Trends

1 year ago 97

I’ve purchased 1 iPhone from each procreation for the past 14 years — I’m nary alien to Apple and its ecosystem. Heck, I adjacent marque definite to ever spot an iPhone preorder to guarantee I get my instrumentality connected motorboat time (it’s go my yearly tradition). Like galore people, I enactment successful my pre-order for a heavy purple iPhone 14 Pro, due to the fact that the Pro lineup conscionable had excessively galore large caller features that I didn’t privation to miss retired on. From the whimsical Dynamic Island, the always-on display, and a 48-megapixel camera, it’s 1 fantastic mobile device.

But I deliberation 1 of my favourite features of the iPhone 14 Pro isn’t thing that’s wholly new. In fact, it’s been astir for the past fewer years, ever since Apple launched the iPhone 12 series. While Apple has hardly talked astir it for the iPhone 14 series, it’s 1 of the features that is simply a superior game-changer and 1 that I can’t unrecorded without — MagSafe.

What is MagSafe?

If you’re not acquainted with MagSafe, that’s good — again, Apple doesn’t sermon it overmuch these days. Originally, MagSafe was conscionable utilized connected MacBooks, wherever the charging cablegram would “plug in” to the MacBook charging larboard via magnets. This was useful due to the fact that if idiosyncratic were to travel implicit the charging cable, the MagSafe spot would fto the cablegram easy travel retired of the charging port, truthful your laptop didn’t travel crashing down onto the floor. Apple replaced MagSafe connected MacBooks with USB-C for a fewer years earlier bringing it backmost successful the signifier of MagSafe 3 connected the 2021 lineup of the MacBook Air, arsenic good arsenic 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros from 2021.

Ever since the iPhone 12, though, Apple added MagSafe arsenic a hardware diagnostic for iPhones, including the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 lineups. MagSafe is fundamentally a ringing of magnets located successful the backmost of the iPhone, which clasp your iPhone successful spot with a slew of compatible MagSafe accessories — including wireless chargers, artillery packs, telephone grips, mobile tripods, paper holders, and more.

Putting a lawsuit connected your iPhone volition weaken the spot of the magnets, but thankfully, determination are a ton of MagSafe cases connected the marketplace arsenic well. A MagSafe lawsuit has its ain ringing of magnets embedded successful the lawsuit itself, truthful you tin inactive support your iPhone portion not having to miss retired connected utilizing each of your favourite MagSafe accessories.

MagSafe is an fantabulous diagnostic that I trust connected daily

iPhone 14 Pro with Speck MagSafe Presidio Grip lawsuit on, with a achromatic PopSocket MagSafe with Walt Disney World 50th Celebration PopSocket, on with a postulation of MagSafe artillery packs and PopTops

When MagSafe archetypal launched, the scope of accessories was beauteous constricted and had slim pickings. There was the authoritative MagSafe wireless charger and MagSafe wallet from Apple, and immoderate magnetic (not officially MagSafe) wireless powerfulness banks from third-party manufacturers (like Anker and mophie). But arsenic clip went on, much accessory makers made MagSafe-compatible accessories, similar the PopSockets PopGrip for MagSafe and Joby’s GripTight GorillaPod for MagSafe — and it’s go thing that I really beryllium connected regular erstwhile I usage my iPhone 14 Pro. Seriously, there’s not a infinitesimal each time erstwhile I’m not utilizing MagSafe successful immoderate way, shape, oregon form.

Pop Wallet MagSafe accessory connected an iPhone.

The MagSafe accessory that simply lives connected my iPhone, speech from a MagSafe lawsuit (I’m clumsy and don’t spot myself with a bare iPhone due to the fact that things person happened), is the PopSockets PopGrip for MagSafe. Several years ago, I thought PopSockets were the dumbest things ever, but past I bought 1 to spot what the hype was each about.

I slapped that adhesive integrative to the backmost of an aged iPhone XS with a case, and past I got it — I could usage my telephone with 1 hand! Well, benignant of (I person tiny hands, and a 6.1-inch surface is hardly manageable to statesman with). It besides made it truthful overmuch amended for maine to instrumentality selfies because, otherwise, I would fumble and driblet my phone. But I perfectly hated however PopSockets PopGrips attached via adhesive, adjacent though it’s removable — simply due to the fact that I alteration cases a lot.

When PopSockets launched its MagSafe lineup of accessories, I fto retired a outcry of joyousness — finally! Instead of a tiny circular disc that sticks to your smartphone oregon case, it is present a larger, pill-shaped slab that has the magnetic ellipse and enactment underneath, helping it align perfectly with MagSafe connected the iPhone 12 and up.

Christine Romero-Chan utilizing her iPhone 14 Pro with an Anker PopSocket artillery battalion attached

Sure, it’s larger and volition screen up much of the backmost of your iPhone oregon case, but I’m good with that since it’s truthful casual to instrumentality off. I person built up rather a postulation of PopSockets PopTops (the collectible apical parts of PopGrips) due to the fact that I emotion swapping those retired arsenic well, particularly for my Disneyland trips. I find it beauteous hard to usage immoderate smartphone present without a PopSocket, and MagSafe conscionable made it a full lifesaver for me. I tin easy instrumentality it disconnected if I request to enactment it connected a wireless charger oregon power to a antithetic accessory without removing the PopSocket oregon lawsuit itself.

So erstwhile does my MagSafe PopSocket travel off? I americium often astatine Disneyland, and if I’m doing a afloat time astatine the parks, I whitethorn request to propulsion retired a artillery battalion toward the extremity of the time to apical disconnected my iPhone. Though I transportation a regular artillery battalion (the benignant that needs cables to complaint with) with maine conscionable successful lawsuit my hubby needs to usage it, I similar to usage MagSafe artillery packs instead. My existent go-to’s are Anker’s MagGo 622 (with a foldable backmost screen that doubles arsenic a stand) and MagGo 633 (a MagSafe wireless charging basal with a removable artillery pack). Anker besides conscionable released a caller MagGo artillery battalion with an integrated PopSocket, which I’ve added to my repertoire. I conscionable emotion the convenience of having my telephone complaint wirelessly portion I’m there, and MagSafe holds the artillery successful place, too. No much having to fumble astir with cables! And present the integrated PopSocket 1 lets maine proceed having a bully grip connected my telephone portion charging.

I besides person a MagSafe car equine connected my car’s dashboard, truthful I simply propulsion my PopSocket disconnected and slap it onto my magnetic car equine erstwhile driving. Previously, I utilized those cosmopolitan car mounts that clamp your telephone successful place, but MagSafe is truthful overmuch easier erstwhile I request to region it to usage Apple Pay astatine a drive-thru. Another MagSafe accessory I similar utilizing is my Joby GorillaPod for MagSafe, arsenic I usage my iPhone 14 Pro for beauteous overmuch each of my photography for work. This magnetic tripod has proven to beryllium a utile instrumentality erstwhile I request to instrumentality merchandise photos and I don’t person anyone other to assistance maine instrumentality them.

As you tin see, determination hasn’t been a infinitesimal erstwhile I’m not utilizing MagSafe with my iPhone for the past fewer years. I find it to beryllium 1 of the astir utile caller additions to the iPhone successful a while, and it truly has been game-changing for me.

Where’s MagSafe for Android?

I’ve been utilizing MagSafe connected the iPhone since Apple introduced it 2 years ago. At this point, it’s go an integral portion of my regular life, and I don’t deliberation I could bash without it. As I commencement to dive into the satellite of Android devices, I person to wonderment — wherefore doesn’t a MagSafe-like diagnostic beryllium with different smartphone manufacturers?

As acold arsenic I’m aware, only Realme made an effort astir a twelvemonth ago, called MagDart. However, Realme doesn’t merchantability phones successful the U.S., and the MagDart strategy ne'er truly took disconnected the aforesaid mode that Apple’s MagSafe did. In the smartphone world, companies are ever copying each different successful presumption of hardware and bundle features, truthful I’m amazed that MagSafe isn’t thing that Android brands (at slightest successful the U.S.) person already copied successful the past 2 years.

Again, since I’ve been utilizing MagSafe each day, it’s hard for maine to spell without it. As I effort to usage Android more, it’s conscionable thing that I sorely miss from my iPhone 14 Pro. Plus, I would person to regenerate a fewer of my accessories, similar my MagSafe car equine and artillery packs, with much cosmopolitan versions.

Apple whitethorn not speech astir MagSafe precise overmuch these days, but it inactive remains 1 of the iPhone 14’s champion qualities — and thing the Android satellite has yet to successfully copy.