iPhone 12 MagSafe battery pack could have reverse charging, says Prosser

News
By Stephen Warwick
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Magsafe Charger Hero
Magsafe Charger Hero (Image credit: Joe Wituschek / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple is rumored to be working on a MagSafe battery pack for iPhone.
  • A new leak claims it could feature reverse charging for accessories like AirPods.

A new leak claims Apple's rumored MagSafe battery pack for iPhone 12 may include reverse charging.

Serial Apple leaker Jon Prosser made the revelation on his 'Genius Bar' podcast. From Tom's Guide:

Regular Apple tipster John Prosser told the Genius Bar podcast that two versions of the new battery pack, which would magnetically clamp onto the iPhone 12 like a MagSafe charger, are in development. One of these supposedly supports "reverse charging," which could potentially let you top up the AirPods or AirPods Pro by sitting the charging case on top of the battery pack — while it simultaneously charges your phone.

The news follows multiple reports Apple is working on its own wireless battery pack for MagSafe, following successful iterations from third-party accessory makers. In February, it was noted that code in the latest iOS 14 beta points to an unreleased 'battery pack' for charging the iPhone. The news was later reported again by Bloomberg, stating Apple may still drop the project. From that report:

Anew report says that Apple could scrap a rumored MagSafe wireless battery pack for iPhone 12 because of development issues.Earlier reports this week of a reference to a mobile battery pack in iOS 14 have been backed up by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman:Apple Inc. is working on a magnetically attached battery pack for the newest iPhones, an accessory that would wirelessly charge the handset and provide the company with another potentially lucrative add-on product. Apple has been developing the attachment for at least a year and it has been scheduled to launch in the months following the release of the iPhone 12 line, according to people with knowledge of the product. The iPhone 12 models were introduced in October.

Whilst the iPhone's MagSafe array can hold the pack in place, there are development issues including iOS erroneously indicating the pack is overheating. If Prosser's latest report is true, a MagSafe battery pack of the future could not only charge your iPhone but draw power from it too, possibly to aid charging your AirPods.

Stephen Warwick
Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9