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Did Apple build MagSafe so that cases can “stick” to the new iPhones?
- azinman2 6y agoApparently cases didn’t exist back when the same design was on the iPhone 4/5?!
- yoz-y 6y agoFrom the Tweet (and also having had those phones): The cases on iPhones 4 and 5 had a lip over the screen, this was not an issue because bezels were large and there were few swipe gestures. However the iPhone 12 cases do not go beyond the screen.
- nicolascom 6y agoYep. First time we have BOTH flat sides AND "bezel-less" screens.
- FractalParadigm 6y agoThere was significantly more screen bezel back then, giving cases enough space to curve around and latch onto the front of the device. It would seem the bezels on the iPhone 12 are too small to allow cases to wrap around and grip effectively in the same way as before.
- nicolascom 6y agoExactly.
- ohazi 6y agoI don't think this argument is very convincing. There's still more than enough space between the edge of the phone and the edge of the screen to allow a case to have a slightly overlapping lip. Cases that work this way are better because they give you a new bezel made of rubber above the screen to cushion a fall. Now, maybe Apple wants to convince people that a case that doesn't actually protect the screen is a good case. It decidedly is not, but I wouldn't put it past them.
- hombre_fatal 6y agoThough in a tech trajectory where bezels get smaller and smaller, it makes sense to migrate to a Plan B at some point if not now. And perhaps it's better sooner than later to let the magnetic accessory market grow and become the new status quo. The magnet seems nice for other applications beyond bezel though, like snapping to the center of a wireless charger, snapping to your car's holster, helping you realize just how much magnetic dust seems to layer everything, etc.
- whimsicalism 6y agoScreens are much more durable now than when I started getting cases though.
- lathiat 6y agoAKA exactly how the iPhone 5 cases worked?
- lttlrck 6y agoBut they have a clear case with no trace of metal or magnetic material to help it "stick". The theory isn't very sound...
- hocuspocus 6y agoEdit: hum, I think that clear case does have magnets in the circular strip? But the bezels don't look particularly narrow to me... Why would it be harder to make a case for the new iPhones that slightly wraps around the edges, compared to a 2017 Essential phone for instance?
- george_perez 6y agoIt does. That's what the circular strip is for, like you said.
- jagger27 6y agoThe new clear cases have a very prominent ring of either metal or magnets present. Not sure what you mean. https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MHLM3/iphone-12-12-pro-clear-case-with-magsafe https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MHLM3/iphone-12-12-pro-cl...
- bobsil1 6y agoThe swipe from bottom gesture meant the least annoying iPhone X / 11 cases had the bottom mostly cut out, e.g. the Apple silicon case. Another reason for not covering the edges.
- srtjstjsj 6y agoOr a reason to make better gestures that don't require swiping from the very edge. iOS is cryptic enit with all of its arcane gestures that only work within invisible boundaries.
- jankiehodgpodge 6y agoAs someone who doesn't use iOS often I have to agree. Changing the brightness on an iPad took me a minute because I had to work out which corner to swipe from. Such poor design.
- orev 6y agoMy case has a lip all around the phone, including the bottom, and the swipe gestures work just fine.
- stefan_ 6y agoThe more pertinent question, if you step back for a moment, is why the hell are we sacrificing everything for thinner phones and edge-to-edge displays only to then ship them with a more or less mandatory case to stick in.
- Nursie 6y agoYeah it always struck me as bizarre - here is a technological marvel, beautifully crafted, polished and shiny, slim and elegant. But you have to put it in an ugly protective case or it'll be borked inside a year.
- montagg 6y agoI had an iPhone 6 or 6S Plus for a couple years a while back, and since then I haven’t ever needed to use a case. I just got so used to using my phone with both hands, and two phones later I’ve never needed a repair. Of course, as soon as I post this, I’m probably going to break it. But the caseless life does exist!
- randallsquared 6y agoYou really don't. I haven't used a case on for more than a total of a month in the last ten years. Even with dropping my phone fairly frequently, and sometimes onto concrete from head height, I've only had one phone receive more than minor cosmetic scratches.
- sundvor 6y agoTyping this on my encased S20 Ultra, which makes the iPhones look heavily bezeled: I don't think so.
- technofiend 6y agoJust because the magnetic properties came up in this thread: I doubt Apple designed it this way, but an ipad pro with their keyboard folio will stick to the metal walls found in your average restroom.
- garmaine 6y agoEww.
- technofiend 6y agoI'm not proud of that discovery, but it was that or leave my ipad on the table at my local chinese restaurant.
- oldsj 6y agoSame with the Smart Cover! I recently just found this out too, I can stick my iPad on the side of the fridge and plug it in and have a nice smart screen for family calendars, Siri / whatever
- sys_64738 6y agoI hate cases and think they make the phone totally bulky. The strap for the 5th pen iPod touch is what should be on every iPhone. Apple often comes up with good ideas but fails to execute on them properly.
- garmaine 6y agoI hate breaking my phone. Cases may not be pretty, but they’re pragmatic. Also FYI: literally no one cares how your phone looks.
- chongli 6y agoBulk isn’t just about looks, it’s about function. The bulkier the phone (including any case, if using one), the harder it is to hold and use in one hand. Apple’s announcement of the iPhone mini is a pretty clear indication that they believe there is still a market for smaller phones.
- willcipriano 6y agoFor me rather than use a phone with a case I'd prefer the manufacturer just make the phone larger so it can be handle day to day life without a protective sleeve.
- kalleboo 6y agoThe best materials for protection are soft ones like silicone, plastic or leather. Soft materials wear down, so you wouldn't want them to be built-in to your $1000 phone. Better to have a $2 case you can swap out when it wears down (and it let's people customize their phone to suit their style)
- toast0 6y agoWhen I had a cute phone[1], I would get random complements, so some people do care. [1] I got lots of compliments with a blue-green Nextbit Robin, and some, and fewer but still many with a blue Nokia windows phone(well it was black, but in a blue cover), an orange Blu windows phone, and a blue-green Google(LG) Nexus 5x.
- srtjstjsj 6y agoPopSockets undermine this thesis. They stick onto a device without magnets. More likely the case magnets are there to help magsafe work, not vice versa.
- hombre_fatal 6y agoPopSockets are functionally permanent though (by design, and for good reason). I think cases that depend on an adhesive to stick to the phone are rather unpalatable. I wonder how hard it is for the iPhone to pop out of the magnetic case if you were to drop it just right.
- addicted 6y agoHow did cases for the Galaxy S curved phones manage? The bezels there extended beyond the front onto the sides.
- searchableguy 6y agoOff topic but I am amazed at the PR generated by apple fanboys in media. I am seeing so many tweets praising apple for removing chargers and other accessories from the box for environment. Chinese companies have been doing that for years and they actually pass the savings to the consumer.
- Betelgeuse90 6y agoWhat makes you so sure these savings weren't passed on to the consumer? I wouldn't be surprised if the addition of 5G alone ate into those savings, and they kept the prices largely the same in spite of it. At least it seems that way to me, given the fact that many Android phone manufacturers have a considerably more expensive 5G version of their phones.
- searchableguy 6y agoBecause they already increased the price for iphone 12 base model compared to 11.
- Betelgeuse90 6y agoBut not for the Pro or the Pro Max. Also, the iPhone 12 has an OLED screen now, a decidedly much more expensive screen. To be clear I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't share your certainty here.
- ksec 6y agoExactly. An all but confined Qualcomm X55 Modem, 5G patents, Same iPhone 11 Pro Max OLED ( although likely reduced normal brightness due to yield ), mmWave Antenna included in US version ( That was really a surprise ). Every single one of them cost more than reduction of Charger and Headphone cost. Apart from the Camera ( Arguably the two sense are even better ) Your $799 iPhone 12 is better than last years's iPhone 11 Pro costing $999.
- monadic2 6y agoI would take such a shittier screen if it meant I could abandon the case. I hate cases so much.
- stunt 6y agoMany Android phones have smaller bezels than iPhone 12 and they don't use magnets. Probably there is enough surface to have enough grip.