Samsung, Google forced to adopt iPhone MagSafe charging! Best thing to happen to Android in 2023?
As someone who used an iPhone with a home button in 2022, switching to the iPhone 13 mini has given me a new perspective on some neat hardware features that Apple’s newest phones offer…
In fact, I find these features so useful that I believe Android devices could benefit from borrowing some of them
Qi is an open interface standard that defines wireless power transfer using inductive charging over distances of up to 1.6 inches (4 cm). Developed by the Wireless Power Consortium, the system uses a charging pad and a compatible device (smartphone, smartwatch, wireless headset), which sits on top of the pad to charge… wirelessly. There are believed to be over 500 manufacturers working with the standard including Apple, Samsung, Google, Asus, Motorola, OnePlus, Sony, Huawei, Xiaomi and more.
Of course, the next-generation Qi charging standard (Qi2) for all phones that support wireless charging is now set to incorporate Apple’s MagSafe magnetic charging functionality! Again, Qi2 should soon become the new unified wireless charging standard worldwide and will be based on the MagSafe charging technology provided by Apple! I repeat… Okay, you won’t. Now, I know (and agree) that foldable Android phones, variable apertures, and 1-inch camera sensors are truly some of the most technically impressive hardware innovations we’ve seen in the last ten years, but here’s a question… How practical and applicable on a daily basis are these features, really?
On the other hand, you charge your phone every day, and I know for a fact that many can’t go without charging their phone several times a day – either with a cable or an external battery pack…
That’s why I believe it’s important to talk about how important MagSafe can be to the smartphone industry and users; why every Android person should celebrate Apple’s innovative push and also what other features Samsung, Google and other Android phone makers should probably copy from the iPhone, instead of some far less useful ones… I’m throwing the last bit as a “Bonus” because I was already planning a similar story.
Apple’s innovative MagSafe charging technology will come to Android by the end of 2023; why Galaxy, Pixel users should be excited
There are hundreds of third-party accessories that already make it possible to use MagSafe on Android! Now, Android’s relationship with Apple’s charger is about to become official!
As I managed, after switching from the ancient iPhone 8 in the spring of 2022, it was MagSafe that turned out to be one of the most useful features for me, which was surprising, because I never found MagSafe to be technically impressive. just pay a lot of attention to it. Of course, the main idea behind the MagSafe charger is to help make your wireless charging experience more efficient by connecting the back of your phone to the charger, which is great! That said, I wouldn’t be honest with myself if I didn’t admit that I don’t find the MagSafe charger very useful. That’s because, basically, the MagSafe charger doesn’t seem to do anything different than what my Lightning Cable already has! Whether it’s Lightning or MagSafe “wireless charging”, while charging my iPhone is still very much tied to a cable, which in the case of MagSafe actually charges my phone at a significantly slower rate! What makes MagSafe great, and what Android users should really be excited about, isn’t the MagSafe charger, but the MagSafe accessories
However, like many Apple products and hardware innovations, the secret lies in the simplicity of the product, and of course the excellent execution. In this case, you have to look beyond the MagSafe charger to find what makes the magnets on the phone special, and for me that’s my favorite… The MagSafe Battery Pack! XO.
As an iPhone 13 mini user who consciously settled for the smallest battery in a flagship phone, Apple’s Magnetically Attached Battery Pack has been what some call a “lifesaver”! In my case, this is especially applicable when I’m on the road. Funny enough, I only bought the MagSafe battery pack about a month ago (specifically for a long trip) and I already know it won’t be leaving my travel pack anytime soon!
I remind you that The Rock also carries fanny packs, so… take it easy on me!
iPhone-like MagSafe wireless charging could come to Pixel 8, Galaxy S24, (ironically) giving people a big reason to choose Android over iPhone 15
Another great reason to get a Galaxy or a Pixel over the iPhone?
Regardless of the pros and cons, MagSafe is now almost certain to come to Android phones (potentially) in the second half of 2023!
That means that technically (keyword: technically), upcoming Android phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, OnePlus 11T (if that’s a thing), and many more in may actually offer wireless charging like the iPhone 15, enabled and supported by magnets. Exciting!
There are hundreds of third-party accessories that already make it possible to use MagSafe on Android! Now, Android’s relationship with Apple’s (for now) proprietary charger is about to become official!
That said, my educated guess is that Chinese phone makers (read: Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo) might jump on the MagSafe bandwagon a little faster than the likes of Samsung and Google. Of course, this is partly thanks to their general attitude of being first, but also – Samsung’s foldable phones (set to launch in August) are devices that work with very limited space, which can are best used for larger batteries. .
Google, on the other hand, just happens to be a lot less … adventurous when it comes to timely hardware upgrades (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Of course, Pixel phones are much less expensive than Samsung and Apple flagships, so Sundar Pichai & Co would have another good excuse to skip MagSafe for the Pixel 8 series!
Android finally borrowed a really useful feature from Apple, but there are more iPhone gadgets worth stealing
Sooooo, since we started…
I hope you understand what I’m going to propose with my cheeky “text tone”, but yes – I’m suggesting that Android borrows some other features of the iPhone (especially those related to hardware)! There is nothing here… The iPhone alarm slider (already present on OnePlus flagships) is truly something that every Android device can benefit from and something that every Android user deserves; mind you, I’m also a Pixel 7 Pro user and I admit it – the Android guy in me wants an alert slider more often than not
Face ID! I know I’ve probably just lost half of you with this, but as a huge Touch ID supporter myself, I can’t deny that going from the iPhone 8 and Pixel 6 Pro to an iPhone 13 with Face ID feels a bit… i converted; don’t get me wrong, the ideal solution would still be to have Face ID and Touch ID, but Apple’s face unlock technology is just as secure as Touch ID, it’s fast, and it’s significantly less weird than it was when it first came out. first launched with iPhone X; I still can’t unlock my iPhone by looking at it from any angle, but you get used to it…
The (long-term) future of wireless charging isn’t MagSafe, but it’s a better alternative to what Android has right now
About the very long-term future of true wireless charging.
MagSage and what will be the Wireless Power Consortium’s new wireless charging standard may indeed be an improved version of what we currently know and have as wireless charging on Android, but I say… let’s not mess around” improvement” with “innovation”!
Over-the-air (OTA) charging is something that companies have been experimenting with for years, and the reason is because that’s what the final version of wireless charging is expected to look like – sooner or later! Imagine walking around your house, in and out of rooms, and your phone is just… charging. No effort, no drama.
But that’s a lot easier said than done, and we know this because over the years many companies have failed to offer a consumer-ready version of OTA charging. Motherbox, Wi-Charge, Energous, Motorola and recently Xiaomi all showed prototypes of charging stations in the air, which in addition to not being ready for the market, were very inefficient (reaching 5W charging speed) and potentially harmful thanks to technology that required several antennas to communicate with another separate antenna found on your phone (which modern phones don’t even have).
So if it’s out the door, what’s left? MagSafe? For now, maybe! Although, my personal opinion is that forward-thinking, cash-strapped tech giants will indeed find a way to make sure we don’t run out of battery, but it might not necessarily be via antennas… What if be solar energy?
Tell me how excited you’d be to see MagSafe make it to phones like the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 and why! Or maybe you’re not? I’m all ears/eyes.
