The Nomad Base One adds much-needed heft to MagSafe charging

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Nomad Base One
Nomad Base One (Image credit: Nomad)

What you need to know

  • Nomad has announced the Base One MagSafe charger.
  • The MagSafe compatibility extends to 15W fast-charging.
  • The Base One is available for $130.

Nomad has announced the Base One, a new MagSafe charger that is attached to a chunk of metal and glass to weigh the whole thing down so it doesn't move around.

That, right there, is perhaps the main reason to consider the Base One — and on the face of it, the only reason. Apple's own MagSafe charger is pretty great but it has one big problem — you pick your iPhone up and the charger comes with it. That's an irritation I can do without, so the idea of having 515g of metal and glass holding the Base One down is one I'm absolutely here for. There are two colors to choose from, too — a rather fetching silver and a blacked-out carbide that could make this one of the best iPhone chargers for those who want a stealth aesthetic.

Nomad says the charger is MFi-certified for MagSafe and 15W charging, which is great. But Nomad also says that this charger requires a 30W power adapter whereas Apple's own MagSafe only needs a 20W part. Nomad says that's down to the use of USB-C in terms of cabling. I've reached out to Nomad for clarification. Note that no adapter comes in the box, so you'll need to buy one. Nomad cites environmental reasons, which is fine. But my concern is that the 30W requirement will catch people out and most people have 20W plugs at home.

And then, there's the price. $130 is a lot to pay for a MagSafe charger that needs another $30 or so spending before it will work. That's a shame, too, because this has the potential to be the answer to a lot of MagSafe problems for those with iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 devices.

We'll be giving the Nomad Base One a full review soon enough so keep your eyes peeled for that — hopefully, we'll have some answers on that adapter situation by then, too!

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.