Apple's MagSafe Duo Charger approved by FCC

AppleInsider

Apple's MagSafe Duo Charger has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission, suggesting that a release date could be near.

Credit: Apple

The two-in-one iPhone and Apple Watch charger was initially unveiled at Apple's October keynote, and although it appeared on Apple's online store last week, it doesn't yet have an official release date.

On Monday, the FCC granted approval to the forthcoming accessory. The FCC filing, submitted in October, covers an Apple "two coil charger" with a model number of A2458 that can charge an Apple Watch and iPhone simultaneously.

Apple's MagSafe technology, released alongside the release of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, magnetically attaches to an iPhone and can supply up to 15W of power to certain iPhone models. In addition to the new charging device, there are also MagSafe-compatible accessories like cases and wallets.

Earlier in November, Korea's regulatory body also gave its approval to the MagSafe Duo.

It isn't clear when the MagSafe Duo charger will debut, and Monday's FCC approval doesn't paint a clear picture of a release date. For comparison's sake, Apple released the iPad Air 4 about one week after it gained FCC approval.

entropys

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

williamlondon

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

mr lizard

Just saw Tech Crunch’s review. What a disappointment. Not even a proper hinge, just two halves held together by cheap flimsy rubber. You can even see the laminated seal around the edge of the product. This has been made using the most inexpensive production methods. 

I was expecting something premium for the price. This is like a cheap knockoff. 

jdb8167

Only worth the money if you travel a lot. It’s lightweight and can fast charge the iPhone 12. For every day use you can find 2 or 3 way charging pads for less than $30.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZH2LF2J/

right_said_fred

williamlondon said:

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

not sure about a huge hit, but at least a decent hit.
awesome for once we can travel again, hopefully mid-2021.

right_said_fred

jdb8167 said:

Only worth the money if you travel a lot. It’s lightweight and can fast charge the iPhone 12. For every day use you can find 2 or 3 way charging pads for less than $30.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZH2LF2J/

yes - I have a couple of the alternates, home office and by the bed. but this one will make a good travel charger.

right_said_fred

mr lizard said:

Just saw Tech Crunch’s review. What a disappointment. Not even a proper hinge, just two halves held together by cheap flimsy rubber. You can even see the laminated seal around the edge of the product. This has been made using the most inexpensive production methods. 

I was expecting something premium for the price. This is like a cheap knockoff. 

it does appear 'pricey'. Im still going to get some though - 

MacQuadra840av

williamlondon said:

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

Are you kidding?  Not for $129 plus the cost of a charger, that is not included.  It is a joke.  So is the leather sleeve for the same price.  No one needs this cheaply made product.  Early reviews basically call it a joke.  You need two hands or manipulate your fingers to get the phone off the pad because the pad remains stuck to the phone, risking damage to your watch if it falls off.  Reviews said the lack of a hinge makes it very cheap as well as the materials used to make it.  They agreed it was grossly overpriced and felt more like a $79 product, not $129.  You can charge better with the $19 USB-C 20W charger, and charge much faster too.  Most people charge their watch with the included cable and a 5w charger because the battery in the watch is so small.

jdb8167

MacQuadra840av said:

williamlondon said:

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

Are you kidding?  Not for $129 plus the cost of a charger, that is not included.  It is a joke.  So is the leather sleeve for the same price.

I was planning on getting the leather sleeve but at $129, probably not. I’ll just stick with the Sena sleeve that I have left over from my iPhone 7+. Slightly too large for the 12 Pro but good enough. 

MacQuadra840av

jdb8167 said:

Only worth the money if you travel a lot. It’s lightweight and can fast charge the iPhone 12. For every day use you can find 2 or 3 way charging pads for less than $30.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZH2LF2J/

A small USB 20w charger and a cable is much smaller than this overpriced device.  And you still need to buy a 20W charger for this to work.  So why would anyone buy it?

jdb8167

MacQuadra840av said:

jdb8167 said:

Only worth the money if you travel a lot. It’s lightweight and can fast charge the iPhone 12. For every day use you can find 2 or 3 way charging pads for less than $30.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZH2LF2J/

A small USB 20w charger and a cable is much smaller than this overpriced device.  And you still need to buy a 20W charger for this to work.  So why would anyone buy it?

One less thing to carry if you also need to charge a watch. For many people a small convenience is worth it. But I agree, at $129+$19 I don’t think this is going to fly off the shelves. 

MacQuadra840av

mr lizard said:

Just saw Tech Crunch’s review. What a disappointment. Not even a proper hinge, just two halves held together by cheap flimsy rubber. You can even see the laminated seal around the edge of the product. This has been made using the most inexpensive production methods. 

I was expecting something premium for the price. This is like a cheap knockoff. 

Apple blew all the money on the research and development of the failed AirPower, so this is all they could come up with.  Wireless chargers are better because the charger is not stuck to the phone when you pick it up.  And using MagSafe to dupe people into buying chargers is not what MagSafe was all about.  The purpose of MagSafe was to prevent damage to the MacBook if someone tripped or yanked on the power cord.  This is the complete opposite of MagSafe because the cable is now stuck to the phone, increasing the chances of damage - your watch flying off the charger when you pick up your phone and the other flappy part free to move anywhere causing the watch to fall off and hit the ground or table.  I bet Apple will have the same disclaimer that the MagSafe ring will damage the leather cases with an indented ring.

Japhey

As I said the other day, this is a fanboy prop. I predict a price drop to maybe $99 within 6 months of release.   

Apple_Bar

MacQuadra840av said:

williamlondon said:

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

Are you kidding?  Not for $129 plus the cost of a charger, that is not included.  It is a joke.  So is the leather sleeve for the same price.  No one needs this cheaply made product.  Early reviews basically call it a joke.  You need two hands or manipulate your fingers to get the phone off the pad because the pad remains stuck to the phone, risking damage to your watch if it falls off.  Reviews said the lack of a hinge makes it very cheap as well as the materials used to make it.  They agreed it was grossly overpriced and felt more like a $79 product, not $129.  You can charge better with the $19 USB-C 20W charger, and charge much faster too.  Most people charge their watch with the included cable and a 5w charger because the battery in the watch is so small.

Reviewers get much more clicks/views when they praise Apple products... /s

and your last sentence really??? 

Read it again but now with the MagSafe duo charger in mind. 

Stop spilling non-sense like the toddler in the WH. 

entropys

williamlondon said:

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

OK, I take back the snipe about it being the equivalent of Mac Pro wheels. It is the iPod socks of charging options.

Japhey

entropys said:

williamlondon said:

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

OK, I take back the snipe about it being the equivalent of Mac Pro wheels. It is the iPod socks of charging options.

Lol. I completely forgot those things ever existed. But,  yes, good comparison. 

sirlance99

williamlondon said:

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

No it won’t. It’s way overpriced. 

macgui

It is overpriced but so what, if it suits somebody's purpose and they don't mind spending the money.

Besides being pricy, the live span of the hinge is my only other concern. It's possible that could wear quite well, and resist breakage much better than a mechanical hinge. Whether or not it will is the question. As a travel charger, it's pretty slick, but pretty expensive.

TechCrunch said:
and there are many third-party accessories on the market that do this job just fine.

Accessories that include the MagSafe connector or just support (literally) its use. I plan on getting a MagSafe connector but don't need a travel version, so no Duo for me. But I would like something like the Duo for a desktop version, no folding required though a popup Watch charger would be mandatory.

My other disappointment, from what I've read, is that my MacBook 30W charger won't do more that 12W with the MagSafe, not 15. That's odd.

entropys

right_said_fred said:

jdb8167 said:

Only worth the money if you travel a lot. It’s lightweight and can fast charge the iPhone 12. For every day use you can find 2 or 3 way charging pads for less than $30.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZH2LF2J/

yes - I have a couple of the alternates, home office and by the bed. but this one will make a good travel charger.

Really? 

When I travel, I take a single multi port Satechi wall plug with five ports and able to charge my laptop, IPhone, iPad and headphones through four cables, which are wrapped around the plug in my suitcase. That setup is more capable, able to charge all devices at full speed, or pretty close too it, is likely more portable, and half the price of this indulgence. 

I guess it can’t charge wirelessly, unless I also buy this MagSafe duo and also carry it in my bag and plug it into the satechi.

razorpit

Apple_Bar said:

MacQuadra840av said:

williamlondon said:

entropys said:

The Mac Pro wheel of charging solutions.
It’s a joke.

Are you kidding? This will be a huge hit.

Are you kidding?  Not for $129 plus the cost of a charger, that is not included.  It is a joke.  So is the leather sleeve for the same price.  No one needs this cheaply made product.  Early reviews basically call it a joke.  You need two hands or manipulate your fingers to get the phone off the pad because the pad remains stuck to the phone, risking damage to your watch if it falls off.  Reviews said the lack of a hinge makes it very cheap as well as the materials used to make it.  They agreed it was grossly overpriced and felt more like a $79 product, not $129.  You can charge better with the $19 USB-C 20W charger, and charge much faster too.  Most people charge their watch with the included cable and a 5w charger because the battery in the watch is so small.

Reviewers get much more clicks/views when they praise Apple products... /s

and your last sentence really??? 

Read it again but now with the MagSafe duo charger in mind. 

Stop spilling non-sense like the toddler in the WH. 

Congratulations. You win the "I'm going to ignore everything you said because orange man bad." award for the day.

Sorry you disagree, but there are far better options out there for a lot less than $148.