According to Bloomberg, Apple is developing a magnetic battery pack for the iPhone 12, an accessory that would charge the phone wirelessly. According to people familiar with the matter, Apple has been working on the MagSafe for at least a year and plans to launch it a few months after the launch of the iPhone 12 series. This means that the MagSafe charger for the iPhone 12 could be released in the future.
The battery pack will be installed on the back of the iPhone 12 using MagSafe's magnetic suction system. New phones will use the battery pack to charge and pair with other accessories. Also, some prototypes of the MagSafe charger have been reported to come with a white silicone shell, and different colors may be available in the future. The charger only provides extra battery life and is not intended to be used as a protective case.
In internal tests, the magnetic accessory system was robust enough to keep the charging unit in place. However, software development has slowed the growth of accessories, such as overheating the iPhone's packaging. The company is also grappling with how users can use the charger on their phone with or without a case.
More products with the technology are expected next year. According to Bloomberg, the plan is to add it to this year's redesigned MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
