Apple may need to lower MagSafe in iPhone 17 to fit hugely larger camera bumps

AppleInsider

Following a claim that the iPhone 17 range will see the regular Apple logo moved lower down the chassis, the same leaker says MagSafe charging will get a similar repositioning and for more than just aesthetic reasons.

Representation of the position of MagSafe magnets in the current iPhone

Apple is known for sweating the details, and the claim that it is moving its logo because of a redesigned camera system on the iPhone 17 Pro does at least have some precedent.

Apple last changed its logo on the iPhone, the last time it changed the camera system -- with the iPhone 11 range.

However, one major difference between the iPhone 11 of 2019 and the iPhone of today, is MagSafe. This wireless charging technology was launched with the iPhone 12 series in 2020.

Ever since, most iPhones -- except for the iPhone 16e -- have been able to be charged by snapping them to a magnetic charger. Internally, there is a ring of magnets in the iPhone, which makes chargers align with it perfectly -- and Apple does have its logo in the center.

There were rumors in 2024 that the iPhone 16 would see a change to this magnet ring. But the reports were that Apple was hoping to make a smaller ring and so save on magnets.

That would have altered how the iPhone connected to the millions of existing MagSafe chargers on the market. It would also have reduced the surface area of MagSafe -- but MagSafe is more than skin-deep.

Instead, MagSafe, at least initially, comprised half a dozen components in series. Any one of which may be thin, or even now made somehow thinner, but they are arranged in a stack.

So leaker Majin Bu's insistence that MagSafe will be moved so that it has the Apple logo in its dead center is conceivable, but an enormous amount more work that the leaker suggests. He also insists that Apple is doing this so that the company's logo is prominently displayed in the center of the ring of magnets.

MagSafe components are in a stack within the iPhone -- image credit: Apple

Maybe the new camera system required an extensive redesign of the iPhone's internal structure. And rearranging the entire system just to make a logo more prominent does sound like something Apple would do.

Except that this newly positioned Apple logo will be as forever covered by most MagSafe accessories or cases. And, to date, the ring has been covered completely by the glass back, and invisible to the user.

Consequently, while the leaker insists that case manufacturers know about the move, it just seems like far too much effort and development time for too little value if it were just for a logo shift. What's more possible is that the logo shift came second, and a MagSafe move was necessitated by internal changes caused by the new cameras and the rumored size of the camera bump.

That would be more reasonable, since this would not be the first time that an iPhone camera redesign had an impact on MagSafe. According to reports on Apple's own discussion forums, the larger cameras in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro made it difficult for the MagSafe Duo Charger to connect successfully.

Separately, the iPhone 17 may get much higher wattage charging from MagSafe, based on regulatory findings. And that is because of the Qi 2.2 wireless charging standard, which Apple has contributed to.

Leaker Majin Bu has a poor track record. They often pass off other leaks on Chinese social media as their own, or make a logical guess about something and call it a leak. Wednesday's report is a blend of the two.

Rumor Score: Possible

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rnb2

I have a 15 Pro in Blue with 94% battery health, and I’m likely to keep it for another year at this point. That said, MagSafe is one of my concerns with the new "camera mesa”, as I use an original Apple MagSafe puck with a 3rd party stand at night, and the phone will only connect properly for standby mode in specific orientations that keep the very small frame around the MagSafe puck from hitting the 15 Pro’s camera bump. The “mesa” on the upcoming phones takes away the space even for that, so I don’t think an 18 Pro would work with my current stand if MagSafe isn’t moved down. 

mike1

I would think this is not only possible, but likely. The camera array on my 16 Pro already makes connecting to MagSafe chargers a little more finicky. Even tougher on non-MagSafe Qi chargers, like the one in my car. I can't see how the camera array could get larger and not have to shift the MagSafe components down some.

voice-of-reason

Hugely larger?

tht

So leaker Majin Bu's insistence that MagSafe will be moved so that it has the Apple logo in its dead center is conceivable, but an enormous amount more work that the leaker suggests. He also insists that Apple is doing this so that the company's logo is prominently displayed in the center of the ring of magnets.

I don’t get it. The back of the phone only shows an Apple logo, and not the magnets. What is there to see?

The only thing I can think of is clear cases. These cases show the magnet ring and the Apple logo, and other MagSafe cases that have a hole in it for the logo. 

So Apple will center the logo inside the MagSafe ring for case makers?

macgui

tht said:

So leaker Majin Bu's insistence that MagSafe will be moved so that it has the Apple logo in its dead center is conceivable, but an enormous amount more work that the leaker suggests. He also insists that Apple is doing this so that the company's logo is prominently displayed in the center of the ring of magnets.

I don’t get it. The back of the phone only shows an Apple logo, and not the magnets. What is there to see?

The only thing I can think of is clear cases. These cases show the magnet ring and the Apple logo, and other MagSafe cases that have a hole in it for the logo. 

So Apple will center the logo inside the MagSafe ring for case makers?

I don't think Apple would do a lot of internal re-engineering just to move the logo for purely aesthetic reasons. But if they're going to relocate the magnets for engineering reasons it makes sense to take the opportunity to align the logo with the ring with respect to centering all in the clear space of the phone. Or it's a give that if the magnets are moved, the logo will follow.

The logo would only be covered by some non-Apple cases. Apple has a logo on Apple cases. Third-party cases can't have the Apple logo without Apple's licensing. I don't know if any third-party cases have the logo. So manufacturers have a cut-out if they want to show the phone's logo. I haven't seen a MagSafe-compatible case with a cut-out MFi or no MFi. Maybe somebody else has.

Then there are those who've had iPhones for years and never put them in a case, no problems. Apple sells their own and other cases but they're going to sweat the details of the phone's appearance as though it will never see a case.