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This is potentially fantastic news, if only to have a universal magnetic mounting standard across mobile devices. The past few years have seen an explosion of c

This is potentially fantastic news, if only to have a universal magnetic mounting standard across mobile devices. The past few years have seen an explosion of cool applications of magsafe: - Corridor Digital made a multi-phone mounting rig for recording multi-focal-length slow-mo. Lots of interesting maker possibilities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8X16Gw3Qa4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8X16Gw3Qa4 - Peak Design has a line of mounts which combine magsafe and a physical locking mechanism for sports https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/mobile https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/mobile - Continuity Camera mounts (for using your phone as a webcam) is a hacky but brilliant example of where a temporary magnetic mount is extremely useful As an Android user, this ecosystem was opened up by a Peak Design case (which is compatible), but I hope to someday have a phone with built-in magnets, too. But it's not useful unless the magnets are compatible everywhere! Science fiction writers have envisioned this for decades. I look forward to the future of finally being able to stick my phone to more things!

bergie 4y ago
Earlier Google devices had magnets for Qi charging alignment. I think in the Nexus 4/Nexus 7 era. I had a Google Qi charger with strong enough magnets to hang the device on the wall. And then in typical Google fashion, the concept was dropped in a year or two. Happy that Apple (and now the Qi consortium) picked it up.
- moogly 4y ago
  Yes, Nexus 4 + the official charger had that.
  - 29083011397778 4y ago
    So did the Nexus 5 - the magnets even aligned with Magsafe QI chargers!
Eric_WVGG 4y ago
The one thing that’s been bugging me, and this updated standard fails to address, is that many devices that would benefit from wireless charging are too small for Qi and MagSafe (ex. bicycle lights, toothbrushes and grooming products, etc.) A mini-Qi based on the Apple Watch charger, or a smaller ring of magnets inside with a compatible charging coil, would have been really outstanding… I feel like this standard is just another thing that will have to be revised in 3-5 years.
- droopyEyelids 4y ago
  Sonicare toothbrushes will -almost- work with a qi charger. They’ll turn on and flash the charging symbol for a second

bergie 4y ago

Earlier Google devices had magnets for Qi charging alignment. I think in the Nexus 4/Nexus 7 era. I had a Google Qi charger with strong enough magnets to hang the device on the wall. And then in typical Google fashion, the concept was dropped in a year or two. Happy that Apple (and now the Qi consortium) picked it up.

moogly 4y ago
Yes, Nexus 4 + the official charger had that.
- 29083011397778 4y ago
  So did the Nexus 5 - the magnets even aligned with Magsafe QI chargers!

Eric_WVGG 4y ago

The one thing that’s been bugging me, and this updated standard fails to address, is that many devices that would benefit from wireless charging are too small for Qi and MagSafe (ex. bicycle lights, toothbrushes and grooming products, etc.) A mini-Qi based on the Apple Watch charger, or a smaller ring of magnets inside with a compatible charging coil, would have been really outstanding… I feel like this standard is just another thing that will have to be revised in 3-5 years.

droopyEyelids 4y ago
Sonicare toothbrushes will -almost- work with a qi charger. They’ll turn on and flash the charging symbol for a second