According to the disassembly video, Apple’s new MagSafe magnetic battery for the iPhone Air has almost exactly the same battery capacity and design as the battery of the iPhone Air itself. Although Apple claims that the iPhone Air can achieve "all-day battery life," the company also released the MagSafe magnetic battery accessory designed specifically for this model. This accessory can provide up to 40 hours of video playback time for iPhone Air, but this feature is limited to iPhone Air models because the new magnetic battery is not suitable for other iPhone models.
iFixit's latest teardown provides some clues as to why this battery is so slim that it's barely compatible with most iPhones. In order to achieve a slim body and reduce development costs, Apple uses the same type of battery for the iPhone Air and the matching magnetic battery. The disassembly video shows that the battery shapes of the iPhone Air and magnetic accessories are almost identical. The magnetic battery is only 2.7 mm thick and can be easily integrated into the 5.6 mm thick iPhone Air body.
When loaded into the iPhone Air, the MagSafe magnetic battery can provide an additional 65% of power for the phone instead of 100%. This is because wireless charging is less efficient than wired charging, resulting in more energy loss.
The magnetic battery has a rated capacity of 3149 milliamp hours (mAh) and an energy of 12.26 watt hours (Wh). On the energy efficiency label of the iPhone Air model sold in Germany, the battery capacity data is also 3149 mAh, which is consistent with the Chinese regulatory filing information.
As for why the magnetic battery is thicker than the iPhone Air body, this may be related to the case material. The iPhone Air uses a titanium alloy body, while the magnetic battery uses a thicker plastic shell to improve durability and control costs.
Of course, there are many third-party MagSafe battery products on the market that perform better.
In addition, Apple has added performance optimization chips to the iPhone Air that can improve battery life, including a new version of the C1X baseband chip, which is faster than the model used in the iPhone 16 Pro and consumes 30% less energy. Apple claims that the iPhone Air is “the most energy-efficient iPhone to date.”
However, Apple ultimately prioritized aesthetics over practicality in the design of the iPhone Air. For some users, these power-saving measures still cannot fully meet actual needs.