Features like being able to check the charge level directly in iOS and charging that starts automatically when the battery is connected to an iPhone, Apple MagSafe Battery Pack our best choice last yearbut we regretted it more slowly charging speeds when the plug is removed: a limitation that Apple has improved with a latest firmware update.
Competing MagSafe batteries such as Mophie Snap + Juice Pack Mini and Zens Magnetic Dual Powerbank both manage to pattern 7.5W charging speeds. Wis connected to a power source (greater than 20W), The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack can actually charge an iPhone at 15W through its magnetic connection, however it cancels the portability offered when you cut the cord, which then reduces the charging speed of the Apple battery to only 5W.
But according to a recent update to “How to use your MagSafe battery pack” the support page on the Apple websitea recent firmware update to version 2.7 now boosts Apple MagSafe Battery Pack’s portable speed to 7.5W, which puts it on a par with the competition.
Heat is an unwanted byproduct of wireless charging not just waste power, men can also reduce the battery life and capacity of a battery, which is one of the reasons why Apple initially limited the charging speed to 5W. Apple does not go into detail about what has changed in the v2.7 firmware update to remove this limitbut it has either stopped worrying about the heat generated by faster charging, or it has introduced some new ways to mitigate it through the update.
With the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack attached to your MagSafe-compatible iPhone, you can check its firmware version by opening iOS ‘Settings and going to General> About> MagSafe Battery Pack, to be displayed under “Carrier Lock” information. According to Appleits MagSafe Battery Pack should automatically update itself when connected to an iPhone with an internet connection, but it may take about a week before this happens as the update rolls out. For the less patient, Apple Support Page claims that users can also “connect one end of a Lightning-to-USB cable to the Lightning connector on your battery pack and the other end to your Mac or iPad”, which should download and install the firmware update in about five minutes, but so far we have not been successful in taking that path.