It’s common to see companies rolling out updates to tweak the performance and other aspects of smartphones. We can see some of these updates also reaching devices in the Internet of Things spectrum, but it’s not very usual to see an update reaching a Power Bank. Well, that’s exactly what happened with Apple and its MagSafe Powerbank. The company shipped its MagSafe Powerbank but apparently is not happy with the initial charging speed provided by the accessory. Therefore, the company rolled out a firmware update that adds a couple of Watts to the MagSafe Battery Pack. Now, owners of iPhones that support MagSafe wireless charging will enjoy faster speeds.
Apple is increasing the speed of the power bank with the new version 2.7 firmware update. This firmware update pushes the wireless speed from 5W to 7.5W. That’s not a massive increment, but is still significant and apparently is what Apple judged safe. According to the company, the update will begin automatically after users attach their battery packs to their iPhones. We assume that the devices will be updated in the shadows while the device is connected to an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. The update will take a few days to reach all users. However, it’s possible to check the current firmware version through the settings. You just need to navigate to Settings >> General >> About >> MagSafe Battery Pack.
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MagSafe Battery Pack was a target of criticism due to the slow 5 W charging
To recall, Apple launched its MagSafe Battery Pack way back in July 2021. This was the company’s second bigger accessory using the MagSafe tech after the MagSafe Wallet. The device was well received by some Apple fans, however, there is also a number of disappointed fans. After all, many were disappointed with the small 5 W speed. The accessory got popular among iPhone 12 Mini users since the smallest iPhone brings a tepid battery life. Now, some owners of the MagSafe Battery Pack will enjoy faster 7.5 W charging rates. Worth noting, however, that Apple’s official charging bank, will still be behind the competition in terms of speed. Anker, Belkin, Otterbox, and others already have compatible devices with more speed.
While the smartphone segment takes an alternative route with high charging speed, Apple is playing a safe game with its iPhone lineup. The company also invested in alternative magnetic charging instead of going to conventional wireless charging or faster-wired charging. As per the rumors, Apple intends to create a portless iPhone in a near future. That device will certainly have just MagSafe as its charging method.
The upcoming iPhone 14 series will still get MagSafe, and wired charging will still happen through the Lightning port. Apple will sell a new iPhone 14 Max in place of the mini variant. The device will have the same hardware as the iPhone 14 but with a larger display and battery. As per recent reports, the iPhone 13 is selling well, but the iPhone SE 3 is close to becoming a flop.
