MagSafe takes us closer to portless phones, but is this the future we want - Android

Opinion post by

Dhruv Bhutani

Apple’s 2020 line-up brings a new yet familiar design language, even faster processors, better cameras, and last but not least — MagSafe.

The feature adds magnets to the iPhone. They automatically align Apple’s new charging puck as well as accessories to the back of the phone. The return of MagSafe — a feature Apple used for MacBook chargers for years — also paints a very clear picture of what Apple intends for future iPhones. In fact, leaks suggest that the transition might begin as early as next year when the company is expected to introduce at least one completely portless smartphone.

At first glance, MagSafe is just another wireless charger. So, why does it portend a future where ports are an optional feature rather than a necessity? One way to look at it is as yet another charging accessory, however, timing is key.

Between Apple getting rid of the charging brick, removing some of the friction associated with wireless charging, and making MagSafe — and its associated accessory ecosystem — as standard across the 2020 lineup of devices, the company is positioning it as the next big innovation. It might be obvious that portless phones are where we are headed, but is Apple’s vision of a portless future the one that we want?

The argument for portless phones

I’ll play the devil’s advocate here and say that Apple is once again looking to the future. Portless phones are inevitable.

When Apple dropped the headphone jack with the iPhone 7, it set the tech media ablaze with commentaries on how it was an anti-consumer move. Soon after, Android manufacturers followed suit, and today, a headphone jack is a bonus feature, not an essential one.

An inevitable side-effect of that move was the commoditization of wireless audio products. Today, you can buy excellent true-wireless earphones for less than $50, though Apple would prefer you splurge on the AirPods or AirPods Pro.

I can see the same happening with MagSafe charging as well. Wireless charging has long been the mainstay of premium hardware, even though the cost of building it in isn’t significant. Spurring the industry forward to make wireless charging more common is bound to have a trickle-down effect. It’s telling that Apple’s own budget phone — the iPhone SE — has wireless charging support despite being priced under $400. And once fast wireless charging becomes common enough, so does the accessory ecosystem.

MagSafe, in particular, is an incredibly smart play by Apple. It’s not just a charger, but a system that allows for fun experiments like wallets, or accessories like clip-on LED lights, phone stands, charms, and more. By making it more than yet another wireless charging system, Apple is positioning the standard for wider consumer acceptance.

Additionally, the fact that the charging puck attaches to the phone magnetically takes away one major pain point. Wireless charging necessitates you to put down your phone, and often enough, aligning the phone’s built-in charging coils with the charging mat can be more of a hassle than it should be. Heck, Xiaomi went and ahead and engineered a charging mat with physically moving coils.

It's yet another port transition in a long line of transitions.

In typical Apple fashion, MagSafe offers an elegant, low-tech solution to get around that limitation.

Nobody wants to be forced into buying a wireless charger. It’s great to have options, and unless bundled-in, a portless phone is going to compel users to spend an additional amount on a charger they wouldn’t otherwise need.  All valid points, except — we’ve been here before.

Port transitions aren’t new. We’ve seen the shift from 30-pin to Lightning, micro-USB to USB-C, and while the first few years are rough, it doesn’t take too long for the new standard to be established. The switch to MagSafe is just another such transition.

The fact that MagSafe is backward compatible with Qi is an added incentive. This is because users of older iPhones can also benefit from the nifty charging puck and seamlessly move to the new system when they upgrade to a newer phone.

Read more: The best phones with wireless charging capabilities

Then there’s the whole matter of why you even need a physical port anymore. Sure, charging is just one aspect. However, with deeper cloud services integration and media streaming services, things like backing up images to a computer or transferring music to a phone aren’t nearly as big a use case as they once were.

The one time inconvenience of transitioning to a wireless future opens up hardware possibilities too. For example, there’s a limit to how large of a battery can be stuffed in a phone. Removing the charging port opens up space for a larger battery that simply wouldn’t have to be charged as much. Or how about larger camera lenses as another use case?

The argument against a MagSafe future