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Hands-On: How Apple'S New Iphone 12 Magsafe Battery Pack Compares To Anker'S For On-The-Go Charging
Hands-On: How Apple'S New Iphone 12 Magsafe Battery Pack Compares To Anker'S For On-The-Go Charging
As I’ve mentioned in my iPhone 12 mini diary, the battery in my iPhone doesn’t last nearly
as long as it did when I was on the “Max” lineup, but that’s the trade-off you make to have
an iPhone you can fit in your pocket.
While I haven’t traveled as much as I usually would since the iPhone 12 mini was released,
I’ve done enough to feel how it functions when not at my desk. The truth is that if you
travel with the iPhone 12 mini, you’ll need external batteries to make it through the day
with normal to heavy usage. So it’s not a matter of if you’ll need an external battery,
but which one.
One of the benefits of MagSafe is that you won’t need to use a cable to charge your
iPhone. If you want the absolute biggest external battery you can find, you’ll want to go
with an actual external battery that you’ll plug your iPhone into. I own a handful of models
similar to these, and for extended trips, I always keep one in my bag.
For shorter trips, I am going to rely on MagSafe batteries from now on. Now that I have
three options, which one will be my go-to model for trips and days when I’ll be away from
home most of the day?
Price
One of the biggest considerations when choosing a MagSafe battery pack is the price. Both
the Anker and the Charge Fast models are less than $50. Apple’s MagSafe battery is $99, so
right away, that’s a reason to look elsewhere.
iOS integration
The second thing to consider is integration with the iPhone. On the Apple MagSafe
battery, there is a widget showing the current charge of the battery. For obvious reasons,
none of the third-party options can deliver that. Is that feature worth spending an extra $50
on? It’s hard to justify, in my opinion.
Capacity
Capacity is where the problems crop up for Apple’s MagSafe battery. Apple’s MagSafe
battery is 11.13Wh, where the Anker model is 18.5Wh. So for double the price, you’re
getting a much lower capacity battery.
Size
Both battery packs are compatible with each other in physical size. Both will fit the iPhone
12 mini as well as the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The underside of Apple’s battery case is slight
softer than Anker’s, but if you’re using a case, you won’t likely notice a difference.
So what’s the final verdict on the Apple MagSafe Battery vs Anker Magnetic Battery Pack?
Unless you want to charge with a lightning cable and like the iPhone battery widget
integration, I can’t recommend it over the Anker model. So if you have a budget of $100 to
spend, grab two of them. If this product had come out simultaneously with the iPhone 12
without competitors, it might be a different story, but charging power is charging power.
Sadly, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is the first Apple product I’ve ever returned. There’s
nothing major wrong with it other than it gives about half the charge of third-party brands
at double the cost.