Apple has significantly improved wireless charging for our phones with the help of MagSafe. A pair of strategically positioned magnets that precisely aligns your phone with the charger. Super simple, super convenient. Strange, then, that Apple's latest iPhone doesn't support it. What's going on?
The strange thing is that the Apple iPhone 16e can be charged wirelessly, but without the presence of magnets to automatically align the charger. You can use a regular Qi charger for this purpose. Qi has a lower power rating than MagSafe; 7.5 watts.
Why MagSafe is missing is anyone's guess. The starting price of the iPhone 16e is $719, and that doesn't justify omitting a few mags to save costs. It might have been a decision by the marketing team to steer potential buyers more toward the (even) more expensive iPhone 16 that does come with MagSafe.
No UWB either
Incidentally, the lack of MagSafe is not the only thing the iPhone 16e lacks compared to other iPhones. It also lacks Ultra Wide Band, better known as UWB. This technology allows super-precise tracking of, for example, AirTags.
.Apple uses UWB and MagSafe to enable an entire ecosystem of accessories. From cases to external batteries to trackers. By now releasing some models with UWB and MagSafe and some not, it makes it harder for consumers to pick out matching accessories. And in doing so, Apple is hurting its own carefully constructed ecosystem.
