The iPhone 12 (and iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max) has a new magnetic charger system called MagSafe (and the first-gen MagSafe accessories are officially available for purchase.) It's a familiar name because MagSafe used to be on all the MacBooks, once upon a time. It auto-attached and easily popped off so that tripping over a wire wouldn't knock your laptop off a table... and was generally appreciated. 

I didn't love the idea of MagSafe when Apple first announced it for the iPhone 12, because all I wanted was USB-C. I wanted a normal nonproprietary charger. Instead, Apple doubled down on its proprietary charge options. It seemed interesting but unnecessary.

I got to try out an iPhone 12 Pro and MagSafe charger, and after only a day or two, it had already won me over. The charger costs an extra $39, and doesn't come with a charge adapter, so you also need one of those (any USB-C one will work, but here are some good charger adapter suggestions). But it feels very much like a giant Apple Watch charger for the iPhone. And that should have been my first hint that I'd appreciate the idea.

The Apple Watch has a snap-on proprietary magnetic charger too, and it works similarly. It pops on easily, the watch makes a little chime and I see the charge status. Same thing for the iPhone. It makes charging the iPhone a no-brainer, as long as I have the charge cable nearby. It seems to drift to rooms I'm not in, and other rooms don't have the charger because, well, those other rooms have Lightning, or USB-C, or Qi chargers.

How many MagSafe variants will there be, and will they ever do data transfer?

My first thought is that Apple needs to put MagSafe on all its devices. But then I wondered, how will that happen? Will that large disc-based charger snap onto future iPads, or MacBooks? Will magnet-covered zones exist, ready for MagSafe? Or will different-size adapters emerge, made for particular devices? Much like the Apple Watch, as compared with the iPhone 12?

I also wonder whether MagSafe could combine with some sort of data, to allow accessories or also act as a dock. Suddenly I feel like I'm in Moto Mod territory. Apple expanding upon its smart-connected accessories feels like an idea long hinted at and somewhat overdue. Smart Connector keyboards have been around for years, but not much else.

The long-term questions about MagSafe are many, but right now I like it a lot more than I thought I would. But that doesn't mean I don't still want USB-C. I still hope Apple doesn't skip USB-C on the next iPhone. I'd prefer MagSafe be a doorway to an additional landscape of accessories, and hope that Apple stays far away from replacing that one port left on the iPhone.