Apple is reportedly working on a MagSafe battery pack for the iPhone

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iPhone 12 Clear Magsafe Case
iPhone 12 Clear Magsafe Case (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Code in the second iOS 14.5 beta talks about a new "Mobile Charge Mode."
  • It also points to a new battery pack that uses MagSafe to attach to the iPhone.

As reported by WCCFTech, it appears that Apple may finally be working on that MagSafe battery pack that we all have wanted since the iPhone 12 lineup was released last fall.

Steve Moser, a contributing writer at MacRumors, noticed code in the second beta of iOS 14.5 that talks about a new "Mobile Charge Mode" for the iPhone. It indicates that the company is working on a battery pack that attaches to the iPhone through MagSafe and keeps the iPhone charged at 90% to maintain "battery efficiency."

New 'Mobile Charge Mode' in iOS 14.5 beta 2 for an as-yet-unannounced 'Battery Pack' and not a case presumedly because it uses MagSafe for charging iPhone 12 devices. Also interestingly it keeps your iPhone charged to 90% for 'battery efficiency'.

The report notes that, while a MagSafe battery pack is a great idea, in theory, there are currently efficiency impacts from wireless charging that still make it an inferior charging method in many situations.

At the same time, there are tons of questions that need answering. For example, a wired connection is a far more efficient way of charging anything. Bring wireless charging into the play and you suddenly lose energy in the form of heat, ultimately leading to inefficiency. Has this upcoming accessory figured all the inefficiency issues out?

If Apple has figured out the power transfer and heat issues, a MagSafe battery pack for the iPhone would be a solid product that many would find useful.

Joe Wituschek
Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.