An Apple Inc. iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Photographer: Brendon Thorne / Bloomberg
Photographer: Brendon Thorne / Bloomberg
Apple Inc. is working on a magnetically attached battery pack for the latest iPhones, an accessory that will charge the handset wirelessly and provide the company with another potentially lucrative add-on product.
According to people familiar with the product, Apple has been developing the app for at least a year and it will be launched in the months following the release of the iPhone 12 series. The iPhone 12 models were launched in October.
The battery pack is attached to the back of an iPhone 12 using the MagSafe system, which uses all the new phones to charge and pair other accessories such as suitcases and wallets. Some prototypes of the battery pack have a white rubber side, says one of the people who asked not to be identified because the product has not yet been revealed. The new accessory will differ from Apple battery add-ons for previous iPhones, as it only offers extra battery life and does not serve as a complete protective case.
In internal tests, the magnetic attachment system remained strong enough that the charging unit could stay in place, but the development of the accessories was delayed by software problems such as the iPhone incorrectly indicating that the package was overheated. Apple is also working to fix issues related to the customer’s switch between using the device on an iPhone, sometimes with and without a case.
Given the challenges of developing the new accessory, it could eventually be delayed or scrapped, people said. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
Apple’s hardware engineering division is wary of introducing charging accessories. In 2017, the company announced an AirPower mat that would simultaneously charge an Apple Watch, iPhone and AirPods earphones. It was eventually never released and was canceled until 2019 deep into its development due to issues related to overheating.
Accessories and portable devices have become a growing source of revenue for Apple, with cases, AirPods, Apple Watches, speakers and related products making nearly $ 13 billion, or 12% of total company sales, in the last quarter.
Evidence of a magnetic battery accessory has begun to appear. A beta version of Apple’s upcoming software update of iOS 14.5 contains a vague, later removed reference to a battery, according to a finding by developer Steve Moser.
The wireless charger could be a popular accessory for Apple’s new MagSafe ecosystem. Last year, Apple released cases with MagSafe compatibility, leather wallets and a few chargers.
The Apple accessory, when it finally launches, will compete with similar offerings with small manufacturers released in recent months. The company also discussed other MagSafe accessories internally, including the possibility of a car attachment, one of the people said, although the product did not come to formal development.
Apple has also internally discussed the goal of charging many of its mobile devices such as Apple Watches, AirPods and iPhones, but the functionality is unlikely in the near future. For the 2019 iPhones, Apple planned, but canceled, a feature that allowed users to charge AirPods on the back of the phone.
Apple’s MagSafe technology is expected to move to more products next year. The company plans to add it to the redesigned MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs coming this year, Bloomberg News reported. On the Mac, the feature means that if the power cord is accidentally snatched, it will simply disconnect from the laptop rather than unplugging the entire computer.