Apple quietly discontinued its MagSafe battery packs and MagSafeDuo chargers last week after releasing four new iPhone 15 models with USB-C ports. Both accessories are equipped with Lightning connectors.
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Apple has not commented on the reason for discontinuing the MagSafe accessory, but the move is not surprising given the company's transition away from Lightning. The big question is, will they reappear with USB-C ports?
As Daring Fireball's John Gruber points out, Apple often releases power bank products months after the release of new iPhones. Apple released smart battery packs for iPhone 6s, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 two to four months after the launch of these devices, while the MagSafe battery pack was released nine months after the launch of iPhone 12.
"So, maybe Apple won't sell the MagSafe power bank at all," Gruber said. "But even if they are working on a new USB-C version, I'm not surprised it didn't launch last week. Let's wait until November."
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in today's "PowerOn" newsletter that he still expects USB-C versions of the MagSafe battery pack and MagSafeDuo charger to return "eventually."
In May 2022, before the MagSafe battery pack was discontinued, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a USB-C version of the accessory would be released "in the foreseeable future," but it's unclear whether he still expected that to happen.
Released in July 2021, the $99 MagSafe battery pack magnetically attaches to the back of iPhone 12 and newer models, providing hours of extra battery life. The battery pack can be charged with a Lightning cable.
Released in December 2020, the MagSafeDuo is a $129 foldable charging mat that comes with a MagSafe charger for iPhone and an Apple Watch charging stand.