Tag: iPhone

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MagSafe Battery Pack (2021)

The MagSafe Battery Pack was introduced in July 2021. The battery pack can be attached to the back of any iPhone with MagSafe charging, including all iPhone 12 and 13 models. The product is designed “to quickly and safely wirelessly charge iPhone models with MagSafe, giving you more time to use your device.”

Apple describes the product:

“Attaching the MagSafe Battery Pack is a snap. Its compact, intuitive design makes on-the-go charging easy. The perfectly aligned magnets keep it attached to your iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro — providing safe and reliable wireless charging. And it automatically charges, so there’s no need to turn it on or off. There’s no interference with your credit cards or key fobs either.”

Like other Apple charging products of the time, they do not function out of the box and require a charging brick that is sold separately. Since so many charging bricks are available, the topic of charging the charger can be confusing and requires a full tech support document that states, “your MagSafe Battery Pack can charge your iPhone with up to 5W of power. If connected to a 20W or higher power source, it can charge with up to 15W of power.”

The MagSafe Battery Pack provides additional charge capacity to an iPhone based on the model and many other factors, including settings, usage, and environmental conditions. Apple specifies that the battery pack provides:

  • Up to 70% additional charge with iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 13 mini and MagSafe Battery Pack
  • Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 and MagSafe Battery Pack
  • Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro and MagSafe Battery Pack
  • Up to 40% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro Max and MagSafe Battery Pack

The MagSafe Battery Pack is the exact width of the iPhone 12/13 mini (with matching curved corners) so it fits all models of the iPhone 12/ 13, iPhone Pro 12/13 and iPhone Pro Max 12/13.

Although the product is referred to on the Apple website and on the bottom of the package as the “MagSafe Battery Pack,” the front of the package identifies it as an “iPhone Battery Pack MageSafe” and the “iPhone Battery Pack” on the back.

Sources: Apple, Apple Support, MacRumors

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MagSafe Duo Charger (2020)

Apple’s MagSafe Duo Charger is a compact, square-shaped charger for the iPhone (or other Qi-certified devices) and the Apple Watch. According to Apple: “The MagSafe Duo Charger conveniently charges your compatible iPhone, Apple Watch, Wireless Charging Case for AirPods, and other Qi-certified devices. Just place your devices on the charger and a steady, efficient charge begins on contact. The charger folds together neatly so you can easily take it with you wherever you go.”

The charger ships with the MagSafe Duo Charger and a 1 m USB-C to Lightning Cable, but no charging brick. Therefore, the MagSafe Duo Charger does not charge out of the box without pairing it with an existing plug.

An Apple Support article specifies that “Your MagSafe Duo Charger is designed to work with all iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, all Apple Watch models, Apple MagSafe accessories, and Qi-certified devices and accessories.” The article goes on to state that you should “Use the included USB-C to Lightning cable to plug in your MagSafe Duo Charger to a recommended 20 watt (W) or greater Apple USB-C power adapter,” but the “Apple 29W USB-C Power Adapter isn’t compatible with the MagSafe Duo Charger.”

The Apple Watch charging side “…can charge your Apple Watch in a flat position with its band open, or on its side, by lifting the inductive charging connector. When docked on its side, your Apple Watch automatically goes into nightstand mode, so you can also use it as your alarm clock.”

Source: Apple, Apple Support

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iPhone 4 (white, 2010)

The iPhone 4 represented a major design leap from the previous iPhone models. The iPhone 4 used an all stainless steel body, a 3.5-inch Retina display at 960×640 (326 ppi), a chemically hardened “aluminosilcate” over the front display, and a chemically hardened glass back.

A white option of the iPhone 4 was announced, but it did not ship for over a year after the announcement. Engadget (and other news sites) reported that manufacturing problems were the cause of the white iPhone 4 delays. Specifically, the factory in China took more time than expected to work out “the perfect combination of paint thickness and opacity.”

The iPhone 4 was the first iPhone with dual front and back cameras: a 5 megapixel HD video/still camera (720p at 30 FPS), a 5X digital zoom, and an LED flash on the rear; and a VGA-quality video/still camera on the front designed for video conferencing over Wi-Fi using FaceTime. Both cameras used noise-cancelling microphones.

The iPhone 4 was powered by an A4 processor and added additional mobile network support. It included a digital compass, GPS, an accelerometer, and a new 3-axis gyroscope.

This iPhone 4 example is white.

Source: EveryMac, Engadget

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iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe (California Poppy, 2020)

The iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe was designed for the iPhone 12 line and used Apple’s MagSafe connector to attach to the back of any iPhone 12 model (iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max). Apple described the Leather Wallet:

“Designed with both style and function in mind, the iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe is the perfect way to keep your ID and credit cards close at hand. Crafted from specially tanned and finished European leather, the wallet features strong built-in magnets that allow it to effortlessly snap into place on the back of your iPhone. You can even stack it on top of a clear, silicone, or leather case with MagSafe to create a look that’s unique to you. The leather wallet supports up to three cards and is shielded so it’s safe for credit cards.”

The photos include shots of the Leather Wallet working with the iPhone 12 Pro Max Clear Case with MagSafe. When Apple iPhone 12 Cases with MagSafe are attached, the iPhone shows an animation to verify the MagSafe connection has been made (and the animation matches the color of the case). The Leather Wallet does not cause an iPhone response when attached, but the iPhone makes a sound when it is detached.

Source: Apple

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iPhone Lightning Dock (silver, 2015)

The iPhone Lightning Dock was a minimalist charging dock with a heavy base, protruding angled Lightning connector, and two ports on the back—a Lightning port and an audio jack to allow music to be played on a speaker or headphones.

The iPhone Lightning Dock was available in several colors during its lifetime, including white, black, silver, space gray, rose gold, gold, and “new” gold (to match an updated gold iPhone color). This example is silver.

Apple described the Dock: “You can use it to charge and sync any iPhone that has a Lightning connector. Your iPhone sits upright in the dock as it syncs or charges, so it’s ideal for a desk or countertop. Even when your iPhone is in an Apple-designed case, it’s easy to dock. And you can unlock iPhone or use Touch ID without having to remove it from the dock.”

Source: Apple

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iPhone Lightning Dock (Space Gray, 2015)

The iPhone Lightning Dock was a minimalist charging dock with a heavy base, protruding angled Lightning connector, and two ports on the back, including a Lightning port for charging and an audio jack to allow music to be played on a speaker or headphones while the iPhone charged.

The iPhone Lightning Dock was available in several colors, including white, black, silver, space gray, rose gold, gold, and “new” gold (to match an updated gold iPhone color). This example is space gray.

Apple described the Dock:

“You can use it to charge and sync any iPhone that has a Lightning connector. Your iPhone sits upright in the dock as it syncs or charges, so it’s ideal for a desk or countertop. Even when your iPhone is in an Apple-designed case, it’s easy to dock. And you can unlock iPhone or use Touch ID without having to remove it from the dock.”

Although this Dock will also charge an iPad, its size and weight make it too unstable for everyday use. However, I sometimes use this Dock to photograph iPad devices in my collection since its minimal design and slight angle works well as a temporary display base.

Source: Apple

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iPhone 5s (space gray, 2013)

The iPhone 5s was released in 2013 as a successor to the iPhone 5. While previous “s” updates delivered only slight enhancements, the 5s had major upgrades internally and externally. The iPhone 5s included an A7 chip (Apple’s first 64-bit “system-on-a-chip”), Apple’s first fingerprint Touch ID, and greatly enhanced cameras with a flash system that used different color temperatures.

The iPhone 5s was offered in three metallic colors: silver (white glass front with a metallic sliver back), gold (white glass front with a metallic gold back), and space gray (black glass front with metallic gunmetal gray back). Its touch screen was a Retina display (1136 x 640). The back camera was an 8-megapixel iSight camera (1080p), and the front camera was a 1.2 megapixel FaceTime camera (720p).

The A7 chip that powered the iPhone 5s ran at 1.3 GHz and storage was offered at 16, 32, or 64 GB. Wireless connections included 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and 4G/LTE. Wired connections included the Lightning connector and a standard headphone jack.

This was the first iPhone to ship with iOS 7, the first iOS version designed under Jony Ive that removed the previous “skeuomorphic” design aesthetic that used true-life design elements such as faux textures, drop shadows, glossy surfaces, beveled edges, and other real-world visual cues (e.g., the Notes app icon resembled a legal pad with torn-off pages, the Newsstand app icon that resembled a book case). Instead, iOS 7 icons and interfaces were flat and featured a defined colorful palette.

Sources: Everymac, Wikipedia

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iPhone 5c (white, 2013)

The iPhone 5c was released along with the iPhone 5s as a lower-cost addition to the iPhone 5 family. Instead of using a an aluminum back, it used a polycarbonate shell in one of five colors: white, blue, green, yellow, and pink. All colors used a black glass front. This example is white.

The iPhone 5c used the same screen and cameras as the iPhone 5s released at the same time. Its touch screen was a Retina display (1136 x 640). The back camera was an 8-megapixel iSight camera (1080p), and the front camera was a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera (720p).

Internally, the iPhone 5c used an A6 processor at 1.3 GHz. Its internal storage included 8, 16, or 32 GB. Also like the iPhone 5s, wireless connections included 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and 4G/LTE. Wired connections included the Lightning connector and a standard headphone jack.

The iPhone 5c was released with a unique Apple-designed case with 35 circular holes (and an oblong hole cutout for the camera and flash). The case came in six colors including black, white, pink, yellow, blue, and green, that allowed 30 possible color combinations when paired with the phones.

The similarities in features between the iPhone 5c and other iPhone 5 models—along with the iPhone 5c’s color choices and relatively lower price—made this iPhone popular.

Sources: Everymac, Wikipedia

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iPhone 8 (space gray, 2017)

The iPhone 8 was announced September 12, 2017, at the same time as the iPhone X (iPhone ten). Except for a glass back (replacing a metal back), the iPhone 8 (and the iPhone 8 Plus) were similar in design to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models that preceded them. The iPhone 8 was arguably eclipsed by the iPhone X with Apple’s first edge-to-edge screen with no Home button and a design that hinted at future designs of iPhone and iPad devices.

The iPhone 8 had a 4.7-inch Retina HD touchscreen (1334×750 at 326 ppi). Its solid-state Home button used Apple’s Taptic engine and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Its front camera was a 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, and its back camera was a 12-megapixel 4K camera with a six-element lens system with augmented reality (AR) support.

The iPhone 8 was first offered in gold (white front with gold glass back), silver (white front with silver glass back), and space gray (black front with dark gray glass back), and Apple later added a (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition model (black front with a red glass back).

Internally, the iPhone 8 used an A11 Bionic processor with six cores, 2 GB RAM, and was offered in storage options of 64, 128, and 256 GB. Wireless connections included 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE (4G), and NFC (Apple Pay). Its only wired connection was the Lightning port (the headphone jack had been removed from the previous iPhone 7 models).

Qi wireless charging was also introduced with the iPhone 8—and also the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, introduced at the same time.

Sources: Everymac, Wikipedia