Apple’s new MagSafe Battery Pack for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro is now available for in-store pickup, and the first online orders have arrived at buyers’ doorsteps.
You can buy one online and have it shipped to you in the coming days or weeks (depending on where you live) or go to your local Apple Store to purchase one. Availability will depend on location.
Apple’s website offers multiple ways to determine if your nearest retail location has the battery pack in stock. For example, if you’re in the US, the online store page for the product attempts to automatically detect your ZIP code, or you can enter your ZIP code manually. The product page will then say whether the battery pack is available at the closest location.
The MagSafe Battery Pack was first announced and put up for online order a week ago. The battery pack works with the iPhone 12, iPhone mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max—in other words, any MagSafe-equipped iPhone.
MagSafe was introduced with the iPhone 12 lineup late last year, though the name has a longer history in Apple’s products. The iPhones that support it have magnets in the back, near the phones’ wireless charging coils. These magnets ensure that chargers and battery packs using the tech stay optimally aligned for the best charging speeds. MagSafe can also be used for other accessories, like a magnetic wallet or a car mount.
The MagSafe Battery Pack can charge an iPhone at 5 W when it’s not plugged in or at 15 W when it is plugged in. The battery pack itself has a Lightning connector, but it does not come with a Lightning cable or a power adapter; you’ll have to either use whatever Lightning cable and adapter you use with your iPhone already or buy a new one. The pack is also supported directly by iOS in that you can view its charging status on your home screen and a few other places.
The product’s focus is on user experience and seamless integration, but the battery pack costs $99, making it much more expensive than many similarly sized battery packs for the iPhone.
