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MagSafe Is One Of The Best Ideas Apple Ever Had

And now it’s back!

By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on October 20, 2021 11:18AM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Computers Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming MagSafe is a breakaway magnetic power connecter for MacBooksApple abandoned MagSafe in 2016, but now it’s back on the new MacBook Pros.MagSafe can deliver more power than Thunderbolt ports. Apple MagSafe is back on the new M1 MacBook Pro, but why did it ever go away? One of the new MacBook Pro’s best features is the breakaway, magnet-powered MagSafe charging port. It’s convenient, it’s safe (of course), and it lets you know if your Mac is charged with a glance from across the room, thanks to its built-in LED indicator. Over the years, countless Macs have been saved by the breakaway connector snapping free, instead of dragging the poor Mac to its doom. But if it’s so good, why did Apple ditch it in the first place? “Apple pushed the Lightning port hard, and then USB-C for the simplification of ports and cost reduction,” speculated web designer and teacher Caleb Sylvest in an email. “By only having USB-C ports on recent MacBooks, the computers were cheaper to manufacture and less complicated on the inside.”

Too Much Minimalism

Apple Throughout the late 2010s, Apple was on a minimalism kick. Now, clean design is great, but minimalism has no place on a general purpose tool like a Mac. Let’s take Steve Jobs trucks vs cars analogy, which explained why the iPad could be pared back to its very essentials because the Mac was still around to do the heavy lifting. The problem was, Apple started to remove the tow-bar, the pickup bed, the gnarly tires, and so on from the Mac. We went from the full complement of ports on the 2015 MacBook Pro—MagSafe, Thunderbolt, SD card reader, HDMI, and two full-sized USB-A ports—to a handful of USB-C or Thunderbolt ports on the 2016 model. Now, the 2021 model has brought everything back (except those old USB-A ports), and the Mac is again a proper truck, but just a sporty SUV whose owner keeps a can of spray-on-mud in the glove compartment so they can look like they’ve been off-road. The 16-inch model, however, needs to use the MagSafe port to reach full speed.

Return of the Mag

We can think of several reasons that Apple removed MagSafe. One is that it was obsessed with minimalism, as mentioned above. A MagSafe charger does nothing but charge. A USB-C or Thunderbolt port, however, can charge, connect to peripherals, and even drive monitors or docks with a bunch more stuff connected. Another reason might be that MagSafe was problematic. There were three plug designs throughout MagSafe’s previous life. Two were t-shaped, and suffered from fraying cables. The other connector was L-shaped, and was absurdly easy to knock out of the slot. Apple is now much more experienced with magnets—they’re in almost everything it makes—so surely the new MagSafe 3 design will be better. But there might be another reason that Apple returned to MagSafe. It had to. ipopba / getty. Images “Basically the biggest power brick can’t deliver max output unless it uses MagSafe, I believe this is a limitation of the current USB-PD spec,” veteran Apple journalist Jason Snell said on Twitter. The new 14-inch MacBook Pro can be charged at full speed via its USB-C/Thunderbolt ports. The 16-inch model, however, needs to use the MagSafe port to reach full speed. That’s because Thunderbolt charging tops out at 100 Watts (although regular USB-C can reach up to 240 Watts on some devices), whereas the 16-inch MacBook Pro uses a 140W power adapter. But whatever Apple’s reasons for resurrecting MagSafe, we’re happy about it. To finish, here’s a story from Sylvest that we can all relate to: “During my first year of college, a fellow architecture student set his Apple MacBook up on his desk to play music for the class. Of course, the power cable was connected and strung across several desks hanging about 3 feet in the air. “Like a total goof, I attempted to step-hop over the cable and got tangled. In the 2.5 seconds of time my legs tangled in the cable and jerked the computer my mind raced and calculated the dollars of damage I was about to inflict upon this guy's computer. With a light 'tick' the MagSafe cable popped off the computer with no further incident or damage beyond my fear and embarrassment.” And that’s why we love it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire New MacBook Air: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1, 2021) Review: Apple's Best Laptop USB4: Everything You Need to Know The 4 Best Charging Stations of 2022 How to Set Up Dual Monitors on a Mac MacBook Pro 2021: News, Price, Release Date & Specs Which Microsoft Surface Is Best for You? The 8 Best Thunderbolt 3 and 2 Docks of 2022 How to Fix It When Mac Is Not Detecting an External Display How to Connect Your USB-C Mac to Older Peripherals What’s the Newest MacBook? How to Charge an iPhone 12 The 8 Best Monitors for MacBook Pros of 2022 USB-C vs. Thunderbolt: What's the Difference? MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro: What's the Difference? Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) Review: A New CPU Changes the Game Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies