While working on my iPhone 16e review (stay tuned to Macworld for that!) I came across something strange. Let me explain.
I posted a grumpy article Monday citing the lack of MagSafe support as the single most annoying thing about Apple’s new iPhone 16e. Having lived through and reviewed large segments of four consecutive iPhone generations with MagSafe support, I’m not relishing the prospect of going back to wireless charging dependent on absolute accuracy in placement.
But then I took my iPhone 16e out of its case to get some photos with my old MagSafe charging puck for illustrative purposes (showing that it can charge from such accessories, but won’t have that handy magnetic attachment) and I made a surprising discovery: the magnets inside the charger do attach to the iPhone 16e. It’s a weak connection, but it’s there.
To get it to work, you have to make sure first of all that your iPhone 16e isn’t wearing a case (unless it’s a MagSafe one). I tried it with one of Apple’s silicone cases and the effect vanished. Then you need to place the phone on or around the charging sweet spot and you should hear a little snap (you can hear it in the video below). Raise the phone (gently!) and you should find that the puck stays attached.
But I don’t recommend doing much else, because the connection is shaky and it frequently detaches if you move the 16e too quickly or twist it too much. You don’t want to test out the iPhone’s drop resistance, particularly when uncased, so be careful. I certainly wouldn’t recommend using the iPhone 16e with a magnetic car mount or nightstand, because it will surely fall off at a critical moment. (And to be fair, nowhere does Apple claim that the 16e is compatible with such accessories.) But at the very least, it will be a confirmation that the charging cable is in the right spot resting on a desk or table.
I’ve contacted Apple to ask if this is expected behavior or just a strange bonus feature, and will post their response if and when I get one.
Of course, there are limits to the usefulness of this discovery. Even if it appears to have a weak magnetic attraction to MagSafe accessories, the 16e still doesn’t support the MagSafe charging standard, so you’re not going to qualify for the higher maximum speeds. And the fact that you’ll need to go caseless to get it to work is a real downer if, like me, you’re a believer in protecting expensive devices.
Nevertheless, if you are one of those reckless no-casers, it might be a small comfort when you first notice the 16e pulling itself gently into the correct charging spot.
