Perhaps the most surprising element of the iPhone 16e reveal is the absence of support for MagSafe – the magnetic charging and accessories feature loved by iPhone fans.
Why Apple chose to cut MagSafe from the iPhone 16e remains to be seen, but the company is denying its new homemade C1 5G modem is to blame.
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Many had speculated the magnets integral to the solution might have interfered with the performance of the new modem.
MacWorld was among them, citing “sources from inside the accessories industry.” It was possible, they said, that “Apple had to drop MagSafe in order to ensure the best possible connection for its first-gen 5G modem.”
However, Apple later contacted the site to correct the record stating that the new C1 modem was NOT responsible to MagSafe being omitted from the iPhone 16e.
Whether that means it was a choice Apple made to keep a little allure for the standard iPhone 16, or whether there was another design-based reason it couldn’t be integrated remains to be seen.
Either way, iPhone 16e owners will still be able to access Qi wireless charging, albeit limited to measly 7.5w speeds that’d take hours to fully replenish a phone. Using 25w MagSafe, an iPhone 16 can be replenished by 50% in just half an hour.
There is, of course, USB-C charging too and Apple is promising 26-hours of battery life compared to just 22-hours on the iPhone 16 standard edition.
An odd decision
Initially, I didn’t think the absence of MagSafe was too big a deal, especially for those upgrading from a 2022 iPhone SE. I’d have been more enthused about the upgrades I *was* getting rather than concerned about the updates I wasn’t getting.
However, having slept on it, this is a really odd decision and quite a big omission. If the modem isn’t to blame, then why wouldn’t Apple include MagSafe, which has been standard among models since the iPhone 12? Unless it was actively choosing to limit the value proposition.
At the end of the day, the phone costs £600. Users have every right to expect it.
