Apple finally revealed its highly anticipated iPhone 15 series last week. The annual iPhone event wasn’t full of a lot of surprises. Most of the updates were what we already expected. The all-new iPhone models came with better cameras and USB-C. Together with the iPhone 15 series, the company launched two new Apple Watch models, the Series 9 and the Ultra 2. At the same time, the silicon giant quietly removed two useful accessories from its website. I am talking about the MagSafe Duo charger and the MagSafe Battery Pack. No doubt, it’s surprising for some people.
R.I.P MagSafe Duo & MagSafe Battery Pack!
The MagSafe Duo Charger was an extremely useful accessory if you traveled a lot. It’s the thinnest portable magnetic charger that allows you to charge more than one Apple device. However, the fact is that it was a bit overpriced at $129. It was definitely not perfect. A lot of people complained that it didn’t feel like it was as nicely made as other portable chargers. However, the MagSafe Duo worked okay and did exactly what you expected.
According to the latest reports, the demise of both devices has something to do with the USB-C and an updated wireless charging standard, known as Qi2. There are two possible reasons for killing off both devices. First, Apple might be thinking that there is now no need to serve the market of portable battery packs and portable multi-device chargers. It’s true indeed as there are a lot of third-party companies that make both types of accessories. The silicon giant sees that there isn’t a need anymore and is quietly getting out of that business. In addition to that, the Qi2 standard is suggested to allow third-party accessories to take advantage of MagSafe’s faster charging speeds. Currently, only MagSafe can charge your iPhone at 15W. With Qi2, any certified accessory will be able to charge at that rate. Now let’s jump to the second reason. It’s not impossible that Apple will bring updated versions of these devices back later, once the iPhone is Qi2-certified, and include USB-C on both. It seems quite an obvious reason behind the killing off these Apple devices.
Apple did something similar before with the full-size HomePod. It launched in 2018 and killed off in 2021. So, this news is not surprising at all. What do you guys think?
Laiba is an Electrical Engineer seeking a placement to gain hands-on experience in relevant areas of telecommunications. She likes to write about tech and gadgets. She loves shopping, traveling and exploring things.
