Anker's MagSafe battery pack is now available for $39

Anker Magnetic Powercore (Image credit: Anker)

What you need to know

Anker's PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank connects to the back of an iPhone 12 using magnets.
The power bank is available for order now for $39.99.

Accessory maker Anker has beaten Apple to the punch by releasing its own magnetic power bank that's designed to wirelessly charge iPhone 12 models once attached. While it doesn't carry the MagSafe branding, this magnetic power bank works exactly as you might expect and can be bought right now

Featuring a 5,000mAh battery, this thing can charge an iPhone 12 mini from dead to 100% or an iPhone 12 to 95%. Those with an iPhone 12 Pro Max will only reach 75%, however.

Snap and Go: Simple and convenient wireless charging; just attach PowerCore magnetically to the back of your phone and watch the charging power flow.
Made for iPhone 12: Works flawlessly with iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Charges through compatible magnetic cases.

Other features include LED indicators to show how much juice is left as well as a USB-C port for charging purposes. You can of course also use this to charge other devices, including Apple's AirPods and AirPods Pro. But it's that magnetic element that makes this power bank so compelling.

You can order your own PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank from Amazon right now priced at $39.99.

Apple has reportedly been working on something similar for itself, although design and manufacturing have reported hit a few snags here and there. Whether Apple ultimately ditches its own first-party option or not, we now at least have something from Anker to fill the void.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.