Today saw the news that Apple has a new patent relating to some sort of MagSafe connector for an iPhone. Proper MagSafe, that is. The one Apple's portables should still be using and not that poor imitation the iPhone 12 lineup has. And I'm absolutely here for it.
See, Apple has been rumored to have plans for a new portless iPhone for months now. And while I still don't see why, it's presumably something that's going to happen at some point. This new patent might answer how.
The new patent is titled 'Magnetic surface contacts' and covers a range of applications relating to magnetic smart connectors, akin to its MagSafe charger for the MacBooks of old and the smart connector from the iPad's Smart Keyboard.
Apple's obsession with removing ports from an iPhone has a couple of problems. Slow charging speeds associated with wireless charging is one of the problems, as is the lack of a data connection for things like restoring and whatnot. Apple seems to be working on fixing the second issue, but what about the first?
This new patent shows a MagSafe-like connector attaching to the bottom of an iPhone. We know that traditional MagSafe can push enough power for 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks, so an iPhone should be more than fine. And it would mean that tripping over an iPhone charging cable might no longer see said iPhone flung across the room.
Oh how I miss MagSafe on Apple's portables.
Apple is rumored to be looking at potentially ditching Lightning as soon as this year's iPhones. That seems unlikely, but when it does finally happen I'd rather USB-C replace it than anything else. If Apple has its heart set on removing as many holes as possible though, I suppose I can cope with MagSafe instead!
