Since when did Apple start referring to Qi chargers as MagSafe?

[Rod]

Magnetic induction chargers have been with us for a while for iPhones but now I see them referred to as MagSafe.
To me the MagSafe connector was the charger connection for MacBooks, prior to the introduction of the USB-C connection with the 2018 MacBook range.
Of course it is similar but definitely not the same. My 2015 MBP has a MagSafe charger connection and it is quite clearly a 5 pin physical connector. Yes, it is magnetically held in place but it is not an inductor.

 

[ferrarr]

Where did you MagSafe mentioned?

 

[MacInWin]

I think it started with the iPhone 12 and the magnetic coil charger. I have seen that referred to as MagSafe, but I agree it's not the same as the original MagSafe for the MBP.

 

[MacInWin]

Where did you MagSafe mentioned?

MagSafe Charger

Make wireless charging a snap with the MagSafe Charger for iPhone, Apple Watch, and the Wireless Charging Case for AirPods. Buy now at apple.com.

www.apple.com

 

[Rod]

Where did you MagSafe mentioned?

Just about anywhere I look there are ads including Apple Stores MagSafe Chargers for iPhone
I guess I just missed it but with the possibility of Apple reintroducing the MagSafe connector on Future MacBooks it kinda muddies the waters a bit. A new leak indicates Apple is adding an SD card slot, HDMI, and MagSafe to the 2021 MacBook Pro [Updated: Now with an image]

 

[MacInWin]

Rod, I don't see the confusion. Whether or not the MagSafe uses wireless or wired connectors, the idea is that it is magnetically attached to prevent damage to the socket if the wire is accidentally pulled away. The waters are not, for me, muddied at all. Maybe I'm just a simple thinker...

 

[krs]

..... the idea is that it is magnetically attached to prevent damage to the socket if the wire is accidentally pulled away.

I always thought the purpose of the MagSafe connector on the MacBooks was to prevent the computer being pulled off the table or whatever it sits on when someone trips over the power cord so the Mac doesn't end up crashing to the floor.

 

[MacInWin]

I always thought the purpose of the MagSafe connector on the MacBooks was to prevent the computer being pulled off the table or whatever it sits on when someone trips over the power cord so the Mac doesn't end up crashing to the floor.

That, too.

 

[Rod]

I don't think you are a simple thinker at all, far from it. I maybe just nit picking but I was surprised because I did a search on the topic of MagSafe connectors and all I could find initially were chargers for iPhones.
To me the MagSafe connector was magnetic by design to hold a charging cable in place on its port and provided safety from damage to cable and port by being able to be dislodged with a firm pull.
The "MagSafe" charger for the iPhone is magnetic by nature of its function ie. to induce a current flow in another magnetic coil. It does not hold the connection in place firmly enough to provide "safety". I tried tipping my Belkin bedside iPhone/Watch charger forward past vertical and the phone just falls off, no safety there.

My guess is that Apple had not anticipated reintroducing the MagSafe connector for MacBooks when they decided to apply the term to their iPhone chargers. I think including more specialised ports and abandoning the Touch Bar and the USB-C power connector are all reactions to public opinion about recent models.

I have to say I'm strongly in favour of all those decisions. Like all things Apple we will have to wait an see.

 

[MacInWin]

I don't think you are a simple thinker at all, far from it. I maybe just nit picking but I was surprised because I did a search on the topic of MagSafe connectors and all I could find initially were chargers for iPhones.
To me the MagSafe connector was magnetic by design to hold a charging cable in place on its port and provided safety from damage to cable and port by being able to be dislodged with a firm pull.
The "MagSafe" charger for the iPhone is magnetic by nature of its function ie. to induce a current flow in another magnetic coil. It does not hold the connection in place firmly enough to provide "safety". I tried tipping my Belkin bedside iPhone/Watch charger forward past vertical and the phone just falls off, no safety there.

My guess is that Apple had not anticipated reintroducing the MagSafe connector for MacBooks when they decided to apply the term to their iPhone chargers. I think including more specialised ports and abandoning the Touch Bar and the USB-C power connector are all reactions to public opinion about recent models.

I have to say I'm strongly in favour of all those decisions. Like all things Apple we will have to wait an see.

The genuine Apple MagSafe puck is quite strongly held in place. And the coils don't induce the magnetic attraction, there are actually magnets in both the iPhone and MagSafe that create the connection, just like in the MBP MagSafe connectors. I have a couple of desktop stands for my iPhone and none of them have any magnets in them at all. My Watch stand does stick to the watch pretty well, but that also is due to magnets, not the coils. With the MagSafe puck attached to my iPhone I can hold up the iPhone by the cord to the puck and it stays stuck on.

As for Apple not thinking, I suspect they think further down the road than we suspect. I think they used MagSafe deliberately to keep it alive and may well bring it back, as is rumored. The idea is sound and their implementation was great, so there is really no reason not to do so, particularly if they start putting ports back on the systems.

 

[ferrarr]

I guess I was just confused because Rod mentioned Qi in the thread title. So I thought they were used together in an article/ad somewhere. MagSafe is an Apple term, they can use it for whatever they want.

 

[krs]

The genuine Apple MagSafe puck is quite strongly held in place.

Which is the opposite of what one wants

With the MagSafe puck attached to my iPhone I can hold up the iPhone by the cord to the puck and it stays stuck on.

The whole idea of the original MagSafe connector was to disconnect from the Mac Book if the cable was pulled inadvertently so the Mac Book didn't end up on the ground - here just the opposite happens, the MagSafe and the iphone end up on the ground.
MagSafe seems a bit of a misnomer.

 

[MacInWin]

Which is the opposite of what one wants

The whole idea of the original MagSafe connector was to disconnect from the Mac Book if the cable was pulled inadvertently so the Mac Book didn't end up on the ground - here just the opposite happens, the MagSafe and the iphone end up on the ground.
MagSafe seems a bit of a misnomer.

Both connectors serve two purposes--protect the socket from twisting and shearing if the cord is pulled sideways and protect the device from being pulled off the desk by the cord getting pulled on accidentally. In reality, the real difference is the size of the device. An iPhone is significantly less mass than a MBP, so the function of the MagSafe shifts from being there to prevent the device from being pulled off the table to one of preventing the socket from being destroyed by twisting if that happens. So the focus of the connection is changed because of the physics of the devices involved. If you use the iPhone MagSafe by keeping the cord short enough that if the iPhone goes over the edge of the desk it can't reach the floor, the MagSafe will protect the iPhone from that damage, to a point. The magnets will let go if the force is sufficient. But I don't think the name is a misnomer, it is just a change in major focus as a result of the physics

As a side benefit, the MagSafe connector centers the coils for maximum energy transfer.

 

[Rod]

Well, in the end the purpose is the same, to charge the device without a plug in connection. This is an advantage for all the devices and prevents cable and port damage. So, Apple has made the decision to call them MagSafe and thats that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯