New Magsafe battery: Apple recycles iPhone Air battery
Apple promises iPhone Air users up to 65 percent more power with an additional battery costing €115. As it now turns out, its inner workings are already known.
Removal of cells from Apple's new MagSafe battery.
(Image: iFixIt)
Right from the launch of the iPhone Air, Apple is supplying its own additional battery for the thinnest smartphone the manufacturer has ever produced: with the MagSafe battery for €115, the cell phone is supposed to get 65 percent more juice—and thus get through the day better. As a first teardown of the battery pack by the repair service provider iFixIt shows, Apple apparently uses the same battery model as in the iPhone Air itself—or at least an almost identical one. This can be seen both in the shape of the battery and its specifications: the latter is 3149 mAh with the same voltage as the phone.
MagSafe kills efficiency
The reason the MagSafe battery does not double the battery performance of the iPhone Air is due to the charging technology, the fact that there are electrical converters in between, and Apple's caution: apparently, they would rather not provide the full 3149 mAh via the inductive connection, which explains the 35 percent reduction. Initial tests will show whether it really is only 65 percent or whether a little more is possible. Freshly unpacked devices are likely to be in a calibration phase at first, which is why you should wait at least one to two weeks for stable tests.
Videos by heise
iFixIt also reported that the battery is rated at 12.26 Wh and measures 2.72 mm at its thickest point. This is, of course, thin enough for the 5.64 mm of the iPhone Air. The battery is also enclosed in a metal casing to protect it. Other components of the MagSafe battery include a small board and, above all, a lot of plastic and the necessary magnetic technology. As a result, the battery pack is thicker overall than the iPhone Air itself. There is no titanium in it.
Only fits the iPhone Air
Apple designed the MagSafe battery specifically for the iPhone Air. Due to its length and the arrangement of the MagSafe ring, it does not fit the iPhone 17 models (except at an angle, which is undesirable), as this would cover or interfere with the camera plateau (17 Pro, 17 Pro Max) or the regular camera unit (17).
For several years, the company had its battery packs for the iPhone with MagSafe (as “MagSafe Battery Pack”) in its range, but then removed them from its online store. Now, only Anker & Co. supply their versions.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
