Even before the guys at iFixit disassembled the brand new iPhone 12, they already took a look inside the MagSafe charger. This is what the new Apple accessory looks like on the inside.
The repair experts at iFixit have completed a teardown of the MagSafe charger made and quickly discovered that the case is not that easy to open. This is what their report says:
MagSafe: Mainboard houses a chip
The only seam to be found is where the rubber meets the metal, making this the obvious entry point. Optimistically, we'll blast it with some heat to soften the glue that's presumably holding this thing together. Then we'll attach two perfectly fitting suction cups, one on each side, and start the tug of war.
Interestingly, this approach did not lead to the hoped-for success. In the end, a knife was needed to open the casing of the MagSafe adapter.
Surprise – it contained a charging coil as well as a motherboard that houses a chip that enables Apple’s highly praised 15W charging.
On the small circuit board is a chip called STWPSPA1. This is likely a close relative of STMicroelectronics' STWBC-EP, their 15W wireless charger IC.
All in all, nothing was discovered that wasn't already expected. Nevertheless, it was worth taking a look inside. While iFixit disassembled the product, various YouTubers have already tested the MagSafe charger for its charging speed.
MagSafe is said to charge older iPhone models significantly slower
The results are said to have been more than sobering. According to Apple, iPhone 12 devices can charge up to 15W with the MagSafe, while other devices can receive up to 7.5W. But the YouTube channel Max Tech comes to a frankly shocking result. If a Qi-compatible iPhone is placed on a normal wireless charger, it should charge at least as quickly as with other Qi chargers. But they're wrong - it's slower, much slower. When the YouTuber placed the iPhone SE on the MagSafe, his measurement was only 2W. The results for other iPhone models were just as shocking. Whether this is really intended remains unclear for the time being. Apple itself has not made any specific statements regarding older iPhone models. The only statement was that it is compatible with older generations. So if you want to replace your existing Qi charging station with the MagSafe, you should probably not do this. (Image: iFixit)
