As rumored, Apple brought back its MagSafe Battery, but the only iPhone it works with is the new iPhone Air. However, Apple says it does have another feature that could come in handy.
The new iPhone Air MagSafe Battery is meant to extend its battery life by 65%, which Apple says amounts to longer than any other iPhone.
Apple discontinued its original MagSafe Battery when the iPhone switched from Lightning to USB-C. The first battery pack charged with Lightning, and Apple let third-party accessory makers have the market for MagSafe battery packs with USB-C.
While iPhone Air battery is on par with iPhone 16 Pro, the dramatically thinner iPhone isn’t overly thick nor heavy when paired with the iPhone Air MagSafe battery.
So why doesn’t the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery work with other iPhones? The most apparent answer is that its shape is only compatible with the iPhone Air. The camera bumps on iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro make it physically incompatible.
However, Apple does say that the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery is capable of charging more than iPhone Air.
That’s because its USB-C port allows it to serve as an external battery pack for anything that can connect with a USB-C cable. Its smaller capacity makes it ideal for smaller USB-C accessories, but there’s technically no reason why it couldn’t help power any USB-C device that can charge over a cable with USB-C on one end.
iPhone Air MagSafe Battery retails for $99, which means it’s not the best value for a general-purpose external battery pack. However, if you buy an iPhone Air and the compatible MagSafe battery, it could be helpful in a pinch for other devices too.
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