[번역요약]

 2020년 말 새로운 MagSafe 무선 충전 시스템이 발표되었으며, 이 시스템은 자석을 사용하여 휴대폰 뒷면의 무선 충전 코일을 충전기에 장착할 수 있습니다. MagSafe는 의심할 여지 없이 혁신적인 기술이지만, Qi 무선 충전의 진정한 대체품으로 간주하기 전에 해결해야할 몇 가지 단점이 있다고 생각합니다.

 

양손조작

Qi 표준을 사용하는 무선 충전 시스템의 주요 이점은 한 손으로 동작이 가능하다는 것입니다. 무선 충전 패드에 휴대폰을 내려놓고 충전한 다음 충전이 완료되면 다시 집어들어 사용이 가능합니다. 케이블을 더듬거나 두 손으로 연결, 분리 할 필요가 없는 것입니다.

Apple의 기본 MagSafe는 휴대폰에 자동으로 부착하도록 충전 단자 위에 장치를 올려놓을 수 있지만, 충전이 완료된 후 연결을 해제할 때 충전기가 그대로 휴대폰에 붙어있기 때문에 다른 손으로 잡아당겨 해제해야 합니다. 이것은 케이블을 뽑아내는 기존 유선 충전 방식과 비슷합니다.

 

비싼 가격

Apple의 MagSafe 충전기는 통합 전원 케이블이 있는 충전 디스크로 구성되어 있는데, 현재 apple.com 공식 홈에 39달러로 기재되어 있으며, 여기에는 전원 어댑터가 포함되어 있지 않아 19달러짜리 전원 어댑터를 추가로 구매해야 합니다. 애플워치 충전기가 내장된 MagSafe 듀오 충전기는 129달러에 판매되며, 이것 또한 어댑터가 포함되어 있지 않습니다.

 

승인 필요

MagSafe는 강한 자석을 활용해서 충전 디스크를 휴대폰 뒷면에 붙이기 때문에 케이스에 활용되는 자석은 애플 기기와 잘 맞아야 하며 공식적으로 MagSafe와 호환되기 위해선 애플의 인증을 받아야 합니다. 만약 타사에서 애플의 인증을 받으려면 따로 추가 비용이 발생하며 그것은 그대로 소비자에게 전가 될 것입니다.

 

Apple 공식 어댑터를 사용하지 않으면 충전이 느려짐

MagSafe는 모호한 9V/2.22A USB 전원 공급 프로파일을 사용하기 때문에, 대부분의 플래그십 휴대폰(아이폰 11 Pro, Pro MAX 포함)에 제공되는 18W 어댑터에서 지원되지 않습니다.  타사의 전원 어댑터를 사용할수도 있지만 성능을 보장하는 유일한 방법은 Apple의 공식 어댑터를 사용하는 것이 유일합니다.

 

제한된 상호 운용성

이 기술은 애플이 자체 개발한 것이기 때문에, 기본적으로 Apple 전용이며 타사 기기에서 사용한다면 성능이 제한됩니다. MagSafe 충전기는 Qi 무선 충전 표준을 지원하지만, 현재 Qi EPP 충전기가 제공할 수 있는 전력에는 크게 미치지 못하는 7.5W까지만 지원합니다.

 

[칼럼원문] 작성자: TRENT 출처: https://www.moshi.com/en/blog/some-caveats-of-using-the-magsafe-wireless-charging-system/

Some caveats of using the MagSafe wireless charging system

The launch of the iPhone 12 in late 2020 brought with it the announcement of Apple's new MagSafe wireless charging system, which uses magnets to align the wireless charging coil on the back of the phone to a charger or mount (or both). Apple claimed that MagSafe would not only simplify charging but also open up a whole new range of charging and mounting possibilities for iPhone users. While MagSafe is no doubt an innovative technology, we believe there are still some shortcomings which need to be addressed before it can be considered a true replacement for the de facto industry standard Qi wireless charging. 

Two handed operation

The key benefit of traditional wireless charging systems which use the Qi standard is that they only requires one hand for operation, making it easy to simply plop your phone down on a wireless charging pad to charge, then pick it up again when you're done. There's no need to fumble around with cables or use two hands to connect and disconnect them.

While MagSafe eliminates the physical plugging in of cables, the magnetic alignment feature makes it almost impossible to use single-handedly. If you're using Apple's basic MagSafe charger, you may be able to hover the phone over the charging disc so that it attaches of its own accord, but when it comes time to disconnect, the lightweight charging disc will stay attracted to the back of the phone as you lift it up, meaning you'll need to use a second hand to tug at the cable to release it—practically the same effort as if you were disconnecting a traditional cable.

Removing the MagSafe charger from the back of your iPhone is usually a two-handed affair. 

 

It's expensive

The cost of entry is possibly the biggest concern for most iPhone users contemplating making the jump to MagSafe. Apple's most basic MagSafe charger consists of a charging disc with integrated power cable and is currently listed on apple.com for $39, and that doesn't include a power adapter (that you'll need to buy from Apple in order to get the fastest charging speeds), which will cost you an extra $19. Feeling fancy? The MagSafe Duo charger with integrated Apple Watch charger sells for $129, and that also does not include an adapter. Apple suggests you use at least a 27 W charger for best performance—which Apple conveniently does not make—so you'll be up-sold to their 30 W model at $49. Don't expect third party solutions to be any cheaper, as MagSafe accessories require licensing from Apple, adding extra costs for the manufacturer. 

Cases need to be approved

Because MagSafe relies on relatively strong magnets to align the charging disc to the back of the phone, cases need to incorporate their own magnets into the design and need to be certified by Apple in order to be officially MagSafe compatible. Similar to the chargers themselves, any third-party manufacturers will incur additional costs for components and testing in order to pass Apple's certification process; a cost which will be passed on to the end consumer. There have been reports of MagSafe being able to charge iPhones through non-certified cases, however the charging disc may not stick as firmly to the back of the case, as the attraction of the magnetic array is significantly reduced. 

 

"cases need to incorporate their own magnets into the design and need to be certified by Apple in order to be officially MagSafe compatible."

 

Slow charging with a non-Apple power adapter

As we mentioned above, neither the Apple MagSafe or MagSafe Duo chargers come with a power adapter in the box, meaning you'll need to purchase one separately. The iPhone 12 doesn't come with an adapter either, so even if you do have an old power adapter laying around, it's not going to be one of Apple's newer 20 W models, which is required in order to achieve the maximum charging output of 15 W. This is because MagSafe uses the more obscure 9 V/2.22 A USB Power Delivery (PD) profile, which is not supported by the 18 W adapters that come with most flagship phones (including the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max). You may be able to find some third-party adapters which use the required power profile, but the only way to guarantee performance is to use Apple's own brick.

"MagSafe uses the rarer obscure 9 V/2.22 A USB Power Delivery (PD) profile, which is not supported by the 18 W adapters that come with most flagship phones."

Limited interoperability

Because the technology was developed in-house by Apple itself, the MagSafe ecosystem is essentially 'Apple-only', closed to outside participants unless they use Apple-certified components or have their products certified by Apple, and that includes the components which could be used to implement MagSafe on non-iPhone devices. Apple's MagSafe chargers do support the Qi wireless charging standard, but only up to 7.5 W, which is far short of what current Qi EPP chargers are capable of providing. Add to this that it will be difficult to keep a basic MagSafe disc aligned to the coil of an Android smartphone without the magnetic assistance. Therefore, if you live in a multi-device household, MagSafe chargers will only be useful for iPhone devices, requiring two sets of charging gear. In contrast, a house equipped with Qi-certified chargers like Moshi's Q Collection would be able to charge both iPhone and Android devices wirelessly. 

If you're a hardcore iPhone user who is able to justify the additional expense and overlook the shortcomings of the current MagSafe system, there are certainly benefits to be reaped, especially if you can achieve that illusive 15 W charging output. Otherwise, it's difficult to argue against the convenience and reliability of the Qi standard, which is still able to charge all iPhone models at 7.5 W without needing Apple's 20 W adapter. All Moshi Q Collection wireless chargers are Qi-certified and can provide up to 15 W of charging output to compatible devices (although iPhones will only accept a maximum of 7.5 W).