Tag Archives: MagSafe

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These Apple-like Target Tech Accessories Are 50% Off Right Now

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Photo: JJava Designs (Shutterstock)

Target’s first exclusive electronic’s brand, Heyday, is having a 50% sale on many of their products right now—and you may notice that a lot of these products have a striking similarity to Apple products. So if you’re in the market for an Apple-like product and don’t mind not having the real deal, this might be the time to give Heyday a shot. These deals are online-only.

What is Heyday?

Heyday was first launched in 2018 by Target as a way to target millennials and Gen Z shoppers. The line includes headphones, earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, Lightning cords, Apple Watch bands, phone cases, and other accessories. Their main aim is to have affordable, quality tech accessories that Gen Z and millennials would want. Here are some of the best deals you can get right now from Target’s Heyday sale—and how they compare in price to their more expensive Apple counterparts.

This Heyday silicone case for AirPods with a clip is half off, and it’s comparable to Apple’s equivalent, which goes for $30 on their website. Honestly, nobody will know the difference.

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Up to 40% off

Samsung Smart TVs

Vivid colors and deep blacks
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This Bluetooth keyboard is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Chrome (that’s two more than Apple’s keyboard). You can connect up to three different devices and switches between them with a tap, and it uses two AAA batteries. Or if you’d rather pay $100 for Apple’s equivalent, it’s your money.

Sure, Heyday’s iPhone stand will not hold your fancy Apple Watch along with your iPhone, but it will hold your phone just as well and charge it with the same MagSafe wireless charging. And it’s less than a fifth of the price to Apple’s (really Otterbox’s) equivalent at $130.

This charger, or wall adapter, gives you the ability to charge up to two devices at the same time. It’s compatible with Android, Apple, and personal computers. It also has surge and short circuit protection. Apple’s equivalent will run you $59.

Heyday’s charging pad has the same MagSafe technology to charge your phone wirelessly. It has a display charge indicator light to let you know the device is charging. Just place your phone on top and watch it magically juice up. Apple’s equivalent costs $39.

This one isn’t Heyday’s, but it’s still over 50% off on Target. The iPhone 13 Pro case has MagSafe technology just like Apple’s and will run you less than half the price as Apple’s equivalent.

OK, Heyday’s power bank is not nearly as good as Apple’s MagSafe battery pack, but look at those pretty colors. Also, it’ll run you a tenth of the price for the minor inconvenience of being a wired charger.

Straightforward win here: Unless Apple is getting their plastic for their Apple Watches’ band from a different planet, you’ll very likely to get a similar product for five times cheaper.

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Samsung, Google forced to adopt iPhone MagSafe charging! Best thing to happen to Android in 2023?

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As someone who was using an iPhone with a home button well into 2022, switching to iPhone 13 mini has shown me a new perspective on some neat hardware features that newer Apple flagship phones offer…

In fact, I find these features so useful that I believe Android devices might 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 (4cm). Developed by the Wireless Power Consortium, the system uses a charging pad and a compatible device (smartphone, smartwatch, wireless earbuds), which is placed on top of the pad to charge… wirelessly. It is believed that there are over 500 manufacturers working with the standard including Apple, Samsung, Google, Asus, Motorola, OnePlus, Sony, Huawei, Xiaomi and more.

Sure enough, the next-gen 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 it will be based on the ‌MagSafe‌ charging technology supplied by Apple! I repeat… Fine, I won’t.Now, I know (and I agree) that foldable Android phones, variable apertures and 1-inch camera sensors are indeed some of the most technically impressive hardware innovations we’ve seen in the past 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 multiple times a day – whether it’s via cable or an external battery pack…

That’s why I believe it’s important to talk about how important MagSafe could turn out to be for the smartphone industry and users; why every Android person should celebrate Apple’s innovative push, and also which other features Samsung, Google, and other Android phone-makers should probably copy from the iPhone, instead of some much less useful ones… I’m throwing the last bit in as a “bonus” because I was already planning on a similar story.

Apple’s innovative MagSafe charging tech is coming to Android by the end of 2023; why Galaxy, Pixel users must be excited

As I eluded, after switching from my ancient iPhone 8 back in the spring of 2022, it was exactly 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 enough to pay it much attention.Of course, the main idea behind the MagSafe charger is to help make your wireless charging experience more efficient by aligning the back of your phone to the charger, which is great! That being said, I won’t be true to myself if I didn’t admit I don’t find the MagSafe charger very useful.

That’s because, at its core, the MagSafe charger doesn’t seem to do anything different than what my Lightning cable already does! Whether it’s Lighting or the MagSafe “wireless charger”, whilecharging my iPhone is still very much attached to a cable, which in the case of MagSafe actually charges my phone at a noticeably slower rate!

What makes MagSafe great and what Android users should really be excited for isn’t the MagSafe charger but MagSafe accessories

However, like many Apple products and hardware innovations, the secret is 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’s special about magnets on phones, and for me that’s my beloved… 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, that’s particularly applicable when I’m on the road. Funny enough, I only purchased the MagSafe battery pack about a month ago (specifically for a long trip) and I already know it’s not leaving my travel fanny pack anytime soon!

I remind you that The Rock also wears fanny packs, so… take it easy on me!

iPhone-like MagSafe wireless charging might be coming to Pixel 8, Galaxy S24, (ironically) giving people a great reason to choose Android over iPhone 15

Regardless of any pros and cons, MagSafe is now almost certain to come to Android phones (potentially) as soon as the second half of 2023!

This 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 this one is a thing), and many more could actually offer iPhone 15-like wireless charging, enabled and supported by magnets. Exciting!

There are hundreds of third-party accessories that already make using MagSafe on Android possible! Now, Android’s relationship with Apple’s (for now) proprietary charger is about to get official!

That being said, my educatedguess is that Chinese phone-makers (read: Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo) could jump on the MagSafe train wagon quite a bit sooner than the likes of Samsung and Google. Sure, that’s in part 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 could be better utilized if used for larger batteries…

Google, on the other hand, simply happens to be far less… adventurous when it comes to timely hardware upgrades (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Of course, Pixel phones are far less expensive than Samsung and Apple flagships, so Sundar Pichai & Co would have another good excuse to skip on MagSafe for the Pixel 8 series!

Android finally borrowing a truly useful feature from Apple, but there’s more iPhone hardware worth “stealing”

Noooow, since we’ve started…

I hope you picked up on what I’m about to propose by my cheeky “text tone”, but yes – I’m suggesting that Android should borrow a few more iPhone features (specifically hardware-related ones)! Here goes nothing…

  • The iPhone’s alert slider (already present on OnePlus flagship phones) is truly something every Android device can benefit from, and something that every Android user deserves; remember, I’m also a Pixel 7 Pro user, and I admit – the Android guy in me wishes for an alert slider more often than not

  • Face ID! I know I probably just lost half of you with this one, but as a big Touch ID supporter myself, I can’t deny that switching from iPhone 8 and Pixel 6 Pro to an iPhone 13 with Face ID, I feel a little bit… converted; don’t get me wrong, the ideal solution would still be having both Face ID and Touch ID, but Apple’s face unlocking tech is every bit as secure as Touch ID, it’s fast, and it’s noticeably less wonky than it was when it first launched with iPhone X; I still can’t unlock my iPhone by looking at it from any angle, but you get used to that…

The (long-term) future of wireless charging isn’t MagSafe but it’s a better alternative to what Android has right now

MagSage and what’s going to be the Wireless Power Consortium’s new wireless charging standard might indeed be an improved version of what we currently know and have as wireless charging on Android, but I say… let’s not confuse “upgrade” with “innovation”!

Over-the-air (OTA) charging is something that companies have been experimenting with for years, and the reason is because this is exactly what the ultimate version of wireless charging is expected to look like – sooner or later! Imagine you walk around your house, in and out of rooms and your phone is just… charging. No effort, no drama.

But that’s much easier said than done, and we know that because over the years many companies have failed to deliver a consumer-ready version of OTA charging. Motherbox , Wi-Charge, Energous, Motorola, and most recently Xiaomi, all showed off prototypes of over-the-air charging stations, which apart from not being ready for market, were very inefficient (reaching 5W charging speeds) and potentially harmful thanks to the tech that required several antennas to communicate with another, special antenna, found on your phone (which modern phones don’t even have).

So, if that’s out the door, what’s left? MagSafe? For now, maybe! Although, my personal take is that forward-thinking and money-possessing tech giants will indeed figure out a way to make sure we never run out of battery, but that might not necessarily be via antennas… What if it’s solar power?

Let me know how excited you’d be to see MagSafe make its way onto phones like the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 and why! Or maybe you aren’t? I’m all ears/eyes.

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Technology

Belkin makes MagSafe iPhone mount for desktop owners who want a better webcam

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Enlarge / An iPhone 13 Pro stuck to Belkin’s MagSafe camera mount for laptops. The desktop version works similarly, just with a different design for thicker screens.

Andrew Cunningham

The Continuity Camera feature was one of the headliners in the macOS Ventura update: Any Mac can now use any compatible iPhone as a webcam via a Lightning cable or a wireless connection. And any iPhone camera is a significant upgrade over the 720p and 1080p webcams that ship with iMacs and most of the 1080p desktop webcams from the likes of Logitech, Microsoft, and Razer (for Mac mini and Pro owners with no built-in webcam).

The problem is finding a place to put your iPhone while you try to use it as a camera. Belkin made a MagSafe mount that could quickly clip an iPhone to the top edge of a MacBook, but the retention clip is too narrow to use with most desktop monitors. A new version of the mount, announced today, has been created with a wider base and a sort of kickstand to help it fit on top of most desktop monitors.

Enlarge / Belkin’s MagSafe iPhone mount for desktops has a thicker base that sits on top of monitors, plus a kickstand that braces it against the back of your screen.

Belkin

As of this writing, the Belkin iPhone Mount (Magsafe Compatible) for Mac Desktops is listed on Apple’s site for $29.95, though a Belkin representative informed us that the correct price is $39.95. The product photos show it sitting astride a Studio Display, which includes a front-facing camera similar to the one Apple includes in iPads, but image quality has been a mixed bag.

As a MagSafe accessory, the Belkin mount will only work with a subset of the iPhones that support the Continuity Camera feature. MagSafe is included in all iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 models (Pro, mini, Max, and otherwise), while Continuity Camera works with phones as old as 2018’s iPhone XR. To support Continuity Camera, your Mac needs to be running macOS Ventura, and your phone needs to be running iOS 16.0 or newer.

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Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple TV 4K, AirPods, iPad, MagSafe, More

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Although we’re still two weeks out from Black Friday on November 25, we’ve begun seeing many solid deals arrive on Apple products, like the early Black Friday discounts we shared on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this post, we’re focusing less on a specific device and more on Apple in general, with early holiday discounts hitting Apple TV 4K, iPad, AirPods Pro, MagSafe accessories, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Shoppers should note that although many of the deals shared below are current record low prices, there is no guarantee we won’t see steeper discounts later in the month or in December. Apple product sales fluctuate often during the holidays, so the best you can do is strike while the iron is hot during these best-ever price events.

Apple TV 4K (2021)

The 2021 Apple TV 4K has seen steep discounts since the summer, and prices have only been dropping even more following the announcement of the new 2022 Apple TV 4K models. Right now on Amazon you can get the 32GB 2021 Apple TV 4K for $99.99, which is an $79 discount and an all-time low price.

Apple TV 4K (2022)

If you want the latest Apple TV 4K model, you won’t be able to save as much money, but Amazon does still have a small deal. You can get the 64GB 2022 Apple TV 4K for $124.99, down from $129.00. The 128GB 2022 Apple TV 4K model is also available at a slight discount.

MagSafe Battery Pack

Amazon has a new record low price on the MagSafe Battery Pack, available for $71.00, down from $99.00. This accessory rarely sees discounts, so now is a great time to snag the battery pack at its best-ever price.

MagSafe Duo Charger

Another MagSafe accessory, the MagSafe Duo Charger, is down to $103.00 right now on Amazon, from its original price of $129.00. This is the first time we’ve tracked a deal on the MagSafe Duo Charger in more than a month.

AirPods Pro 2

Apple just launched the second-generation AirPods Pro, and Amazon has had the headphones at a $15 discount for a few weeks now. This is a second-best price, but still a solid markdown on the brand-new accessory.

10.9-Inch iPad (2022)

B&H Photo has the first major discount on the just-released 10.9-inch iPad, available for $399.00 (64GB Wi-Fi), down from $449.00. As of writing, only B&H Photo has this deal, and only in the Blue color.

11-Inch iPad Pro (2022)

Amazon has the first notable discount on the brand new iPad Pro lineup, with $50 savings on the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro. As of today, this remains the only new iPad Pro with a deal, and B&H Photo is matching Amazon’s price.

iPad Mini 6

You can get Apple’s 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 for its all-time low price of $399.99 right now on Amazon, which is a $99 discount on the 2021 tablet. This remains the best deal we’ve ever seen on the iPad mini 6, and only Amazon has the sale right now.

Studio Display

For Apple’s display products, we’re tracking best-ever prices on the Studio Display with standard glass at Amazon and B&H Photo. It’s on sale for $1,499.00, which is $100 off its original price. The nano-texture glass option is also $100 off on B&H Photo.

Pro Display XDR

Apple’s high-end Pro Display XDR with nano-texture glass has dropped to $5,499.00 on Amazon and B&H Photo, down from $5,999.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on this display.

We’re keeping track of all of the season’s best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you’ll find for Black Friday 2022.

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Technology

Belkin launches first Apple-approved 15W MagSafe car charger

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Belkin’s new MagSafe car charger

More than two years after the launch of MagSafe, the first Apple-Authorized car charger is here. Belkin’s new Boost Charger Pro Wireless Car Charger with MagSafe is available from Apple starting today.

To date, all wireless car chargers that magnetically connect to iPhone 12, iPhone 13, or iPhone 14 have been Qi chargers with a ring of magnets. This means they could only deliver 7.5W of power to iPhones.

Belkin, who also introduced the first official MagSafe car mount in 2020, is now releasing an MFi-certified MagSafe car charger. It will safely charge an iPhone with up to 15W of power, and is the first — and so far only — official MagSafe charger for cars.

The Belkin BoostCharge Pro Wireless Car Charger with MagSafe has a silver, oval-shaped body that is able to connect to your vehicle’s vents. It has an articulating clip to allow you to adjust to the best possible angle.

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Belkin’s MagSafe Continuity Camera mount is an easy webcam upgrade

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Belkin’s iPhone Mount with MagSafe for Mac Notebooks has a bad name but is a very good accessory. It lets you clip your iPhone onto your laptop so you can make use of macOS Ventura and iOS 16’s Continuity Camera feature, which turns your phone into a webcam that absolutely crushes pretty much anything that’s built into MacBooks these days. And if that was all it did, I’d still be happy with it — but its design and features are what truly make it worth considering, even though there’s already a flood of other accessories meant to do the same job.

Using the mount to turn your phone into a webcam is easy: you magnetically snap it on, flip out a little foot with Belkin’s logo on it, and rest it on top of your computer. Then you just choose your iPhone as the camera in whatever video chat app you’re using. It’s a pretty simple mechanism that works well, and because the mount is circular, you can attach your phone in either portrait or landscape mode.

a:hover]:text-black [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black text-gray-63″>Photo by Mitchell Clark / The Verge

Its versatile shape does, however, mean that there’s not that extra stabilizing magnet at the bottom like some other MagSafe accessories have. That probably won’t cause a strength problem; my iPhone 12 Mini never slid off Belkin’s mount or anything, even when I tested it without a case, and none of my colleagues who have used the mount with bigger phones noted any issues. But it does mean that you may have to spend a second twisting the mount a tiny bit to make sure your video doesn’t end up slightly crooked.

Where the mount really shines is its build quality and bonus kickstand / grip ring (unfortunately, the kickstand can’t really be used if you want to prop your phone’s camera up on a table instead of your computer; it’s just not in the right place). The whole thing feels very smooth and solid, like a rock that’s been polished by moving water. It’s also coated in a sort of grippy rubber, which feels great and is very unobtrusive. When I’m using it with my phone on, the low-profile dome fits pretty much perfectly into my palm, and I barely notice it’s there. If you actually want Continuity Camera to be useful, you have to make sure you’ve always got a mount with you. The Belkin is nice enough that I want to keep it on my phone, which means I won’t forget it when I leave the house.

1/2

a:hover]:text-black [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black text-gray-63″>Photo by Mitchell Clark / The Verge

With that said, I don’t think this mount and Continuity Camera are going to revolutionize my casual FaceTimes or Discord calls with friends and family for one simple reason: when my laptop is actually on my lap, putting a phone at the top of the lid makes it very tippy, even with my mini phone. When I was using it with my legs crossed, it my laptop would easily fall over and yeet my phone across the room if I didn’t catch it. Even if I’ve got my arm on the palm rest, it only takes the slightest bump for the weight of the phone to pull my 13-inch MacBook Pro’s screen back to its maximum open position, usually resulting in a very unflattering angle (and perhaps an uncomfortable amount of force on my display?).

a:hover]:text-black [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black text-gray-63″>Gif by Mitchell Clark / The Verge

To be clear, this probably won’t be a problem on a desk unless you’re using the diminutive 12-inch MacBook. One of my co-workers said that his MacBook Air was perfectly stable when sitting on a table with an iPhone 13 attached to it, and the same was true for another co-worker who used the mount with a Pro Max and 16-inch MacBook Pro. But it does mean that I’ll probably only use this accessory for more formal video calls where I’ll be at a desk or counter rather than the far more frequent ones that I do from the couch. That’s not Belkin’s fault; it’s just physics, and really, I don’t think my mom or sister are going to mind seeing me in fuzzy 720p (or, at least, I haven’t gotten any complaints in the past few years).

a:hover]:text-black [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black text-gray-63″>Gif by Mitchell Clark / The Verge

Even with this limitation, I still feel like the Belkin mount is worth its $29.95 price tag for anyone who cares what they look like on video, has an iPhone, and plans on upgrading to macOS Ventura when it comes out on Monday (and who doesn’t want the hassle of setting up a dedicated camera / tripod / light).

However, if you mostly work from a desk with a monitor, it may be worth waiting for the desktop version, which Belkin says will let you tilt your phone to reframe the shot. That version is “coming soon,” according to Belkin’s press release, though it doesn’t mention whether it’ll feature some sort of power delivery that’s more elegant than just plugging your phone in using a Lightning cable. That sort of feature wouldn’t make sense on the portable version, but it’d probably be a nice add for those who are in meetings all day long.

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New color options for MagSafe 3 charging cable now available

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Pre-orders of the new M2 MacBook Air began on Friday a month after the announcement at WWDC 2022. One of the key features of Apple’s new laptop is the return of the MagSafe port for charging – and for the first time, the cable matches the color of the MacBook. The new color options for the MagSafe 3 charging cable are now available from Apple.

Unlike the old MagSafe versions, the new one has a MagSafe to USB-C cable separate from the plug adapter, so that you can combine it with a more powerful charger. And since the new MacBook Air is available in four different colors, Apple has created four different versions of the MagSafe 3 cable in each of the MacBook colors.

The colors are Space Gray, Silver, Midnight, and Starlight. Even if you didn’t buy an M2 MacBook Air, you can still take advantage of the new cables if you own a 2021 MacBook Pro. That’s because both laptops use the same MagSafe 3 standard.

However, unlike the MacBook Air, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with a white MagSafe 3 cable no matter which model you have chosen. With these new color options, consumers can finally purchase a MagSafe 3 cable to match their Space Gray MacBook Pro. It’s worth noting that the cable is covered with a woven to increase its durability.

Here’s how Apple describes the accessory:

This 2-meter charge cable features a magnetic MagSafe 3 connector that helps guide the plug to the charging port of your Mac notebook. Pair it with a compatible USB-C power adapter to conveniently charge your notebook from a wall outlet and take advantage of fast-charging capabilities. The magnetic connection is strong enough to resist most unintended disconnects, but if someone trips on the cable, it releases so your Mac notebook stays put. An LED turns amber when the battery is charging and green when it’s fully charged. Made with a woven design for long-lasting durability.

Keep in mind that MagSafe 3 cables are not compatible with the old MagSafe port from the 2015 MacBook Pro and 2017 MacBook Air (or previous models).

Each USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable costs $49 in the United States, and you can buy them from the Apple Store. You can also find other accessories for your Mac on Amazon.

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Belkin’s $150 MagSafe charging stand can now fast charge the Apple Watch Series 7

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Belkin’s back at it again with its funky multi-device charging stand, but this one now supports fast charging for the Apple Watch Series 7. The new BoostCharge Pro three-in-one charger offers 15W fast charging for your iPhone 12 or 13 and 5W charging for your AirPods or AirPods Pro.

Just as Apple claims its special magnetic fast-charging cable can charge your Series 7 Watch from 0 to 80 percent in 45 minutes, Belkin says its device can do the same. While the charging stand is compatible with all older Watch models, too, fast charging is only available for the Series 7 (because it’s the only one that has the feature).

The charger looks kinda weird without any devices on it.
Image: Belkin

Design-wise, there isn’t much of a change between this model and its predecessor. It still has a tree-like appearance with MagSafe chargers on the chrome “limbs” of the device and a Qi pad for your AirPods’ wireless charging case at the base. When your iPhone’s mounted on the charger, you can rotate it to use your device in landscape mode to watch videos while it charges.

This isn’t the first of Belkin’s devices to support fast charging for the Series 7 — last year, it showed off a three-in-one charging pad with similar specs and pricing. Both devices are priced at a steep $149.99, but at least now you can choose between a surfboard or tree.

The new BoostCharge Pro stand is available for preorder on Belkin’s site and will start shipping in July.

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Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack can charge iPhones faster with a new firmware update

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My favorite kind of software update is the kind that unlocks secret hardware features, and the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is the latest surprise — you’ll be able to cordlessly charge an iPhone at a faster 7.5 watts instead of the original 5 watts, once you apply firmware update 2.7 (via 9to5Mac).

You can wait for an update over the air, or plug a Lightning to USB cable from the pack to a connected Mac or iPad to get the fix, and then you’re off to the races, as they say.

But if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t install the update quite yet — I might wait until we hear back from Apple (or reviewers) on whether it’ll affect how warm the battery gets.

You see, I bought a MagSafe Battery Pack myself last year for my iPhone mini, but I returned the pack pretty quick. As I’ve written, the Mini-MagSafe combo felt uncomfortably warm without a case — but with a case, the MagSafe Battery Pack felt a bit too loose and tended to slide around while I held it. (Yes, I was using Apple’s own Clear Case with MagSafe, not some third-party knockoff.)

The MagSafe Battery Pack on an iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Dieter Bohn / The Verge

And so you can understand why I’m having a hard time imagining that getting better now that the MagSafe Battery Pack puts out more juice. In our review of the MagSafe Battery Pack, Dieter pointed out that the 5W charging speed was meant to minimize heat and preserve the battery’s longevity.

Now, perhaps Apple has made other tweaks as well that will negate the heat issue — the company might have changed the frequency and duration of the charge. Perhaps if it charges at 7.5W for short periods, it’ll need to charge less often, and it might even be less annoying for those of us carrying it around all day.

If so, I might actually buy one again. I’ve reached out to Apple, and I’ll let you know what the company says.

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The Next MacBook Pro 13 Doesn’t Sound All That ‘Pro’

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Image: Joanna Nelius/Gizmodo

The first wave of 2022 Apple products is expected to arrive at an event “on or near” March 8 and will include a new iPhone SE, iPad Air, and possibly a more premium Mac mini. Since Apple’s laptop won’t debut until later in the year, those hungry for M2-powered MacBooks will need to snack on rumors for a bit longer—don’t worry though, there is plenty to go around.

Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who reported on the March 8 event, anticipates Apple is planning a new entry-level MacBook Pro to replace the 13-inch M1 model released alongside the MacBook Air in 2020. The updated version will take after its premium siblings by dropping the Touch Bar—a move that would finally bury the divisive feature in the same graveyard as the Butterfly keyboard.

It won’t, however, gain the more advanced features found on the new 14-inch and 16-inch models. The 13-inch laptop will still be the “entry-level” MacBook Pro and will therefore forgo various upgrades, including a 120Hz miniLED ProMotion display, faster processors, and larger storage options. Instead, it will flaunt the same LCD screen at 60Hz and rely on an M2 processor, the successor to the M1, Apple’s speedy entry-level CPU.

It sounds like the 13-inch MacBook Pro will be a straightforward refresh, gaining an obligatory processor upgrade while removing the Touch Bar, a feature that was widely derided. It’s not clear whether Apple will do anything to its aging design, like slim down the bezels and add a notch, and we can only cross our fingers for MagSafe charging, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot—a trio of features that were revived on last year’s models.

If it doesn’t receive these updates, the 13-inch MacBook Pro will continue to lag behind the other “Pro” models and continue to be closer in specs to the MacBook Air, assuming the slimmer models receives the same processor update. The MacBook Pro 13’s LCD screen is dimmer and less vivid than the miniLED panels on the more expensive models, and its base M processor can’t keep up with the more powerful M Pro and M Max chips. The 13-inch laptop should remain more affordable than the larger models, but the gap in performance and features begs the question of whether this entry-level version is really all that “Pro.”

In other MacBook news, Gurman says Face ID, Apple’s facial recognition feature, will likely arrive on an iMac before it finds its way to laptops. The MacBook Pro 14 and 16 have notches, but Gurman says the technology doesn’t exist to fit Face ID onto a laptop bezel.

We don’t know when the new MacBook models are expected to arrive, but the second half of 2022 is the closest rumors get to a consensus. An endless stream of leaks and predictions will certainly fill the time, and we’re anticipating various new Apple products, with the first batch scheduled for early March.

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