Apple MagSafe Duo charger review: useful, but underwhelming build quality and is expensive at $129, especially considering it does not come with a power adapter

In addition to the new iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, I was able to try out Apple's new MagSafe Duo Charger.

TechCrunch 2020-11-10 Matthew Panzarino

Discussion

@backlon Dieter Bohn on x
The MagSafe Duo charger does what it's designed to do very well, albeit for $129. I wish it was designed it to do different things, though. https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@reckless Nilay Patel on x
MagSafe off to a decidedly meh start https://www.theverge.com/...
@snazzyq Quinn Nelson on x
Why on EARTH does this thing support Lightning and not USB-C?! That's insane. https://twitter.com/...
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
starting to get the feeling that Apple fundamentally misunderstands why people like wireless charging and what it's good for https://twitter.com/...
@robaeprice Rob Price on x
$130 for a mediocre-looking phone + smartwatch charger that doesn't even come with a wall plug is insane https://techcrunch.com/...
@stevekovach Steve Kovach on x
Anker will make a better version of this and it'll cost like $40 https://twitter.com/...
@stevekovach Steve Kovach on x
A not-so-positive review from @panzer on Apple's $129 duo charger for iPhone/Apple Watch that doesn't even come with wall plug (extra $19) https://techcrunch.com/...
@panzer Matthew Panzarino on x
I also tested out the MagSafe Duo charger, but wasn't that impressed. It works fine, but at $129 without a power adapter, it's pricey for what it is. https://techcrunch.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@sdw Sebastiaan de With on x
Always so excited to read @austinmann's amazing iPhone camera reviews. This iPhone 12 Pro Max review is insanely thorough. The images are wild. https://austinmann.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@zammpaul @zammpaul on x
Apple not including the same camera system for both the 12 Pros makes me a bit upset and angry as I have sworn not to run with a giant ass phone anymore. Sigh. Maybe next year. Pro Max looks great this time round. https://twitter.com/...
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
lots of great reviews and debate over the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera today! my advice? get a dedicated camera, it will provide orders of magnitude better images (especially in low light and of fast moving kids!)
@stevekovach Steve Kovach on x
I turned off 5G on my iPhone because it's consistently slower (by a lot!) than 4G where I live. https://twitter.com/...
@reckless Nilay Patel on x
The state of 5G in the United States is summed up by the ferocious pixel-level discussion of photos in our iPhone reviews, and near-silence about this paragraph where I say 5G is bad and worth ignoring https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@bencsin Ben on x
I'm getting mine tomorrow & while I generally don't mind big phones (example: the LG Wing or Note 20 Ultra is not too big for me), I do think this one will be too damn wide to use full time in HK, where I have to one hand a phone often and there are always 376 people around me ht…
@caseynewton Casey Newton on x
iPhone 4 reviews: “good news, the camera works now” iPhone 12 reviews: “wait until blackest night and enable NightPicture(TM). a photo of the inside of your closet with the lights turned off will now display 9 more grams of MicroFidelity(TM)”
@firstadopter Tae Kim on x
“5G in the US continues to be a deeply mixed bag that is barely worth discussing ... 5G is not only hard to find, it's slower ... Anyway, I cannot stress this enough: 5G in the United States is more hype than reality” - @reckless https://www.theverge.com/...
@panzer Matthew Panzarino on x
I also reviewed the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It's great, but will be an ergonomic shock to anyone who hasn't ‘gone Max’ before. The camera has plenty of draw though, which could push people on the edge over that cliff. https://techcrunch.com/...
@snazzyq Quinn Nelson on x
This iPhone 12 Pro Max review makes me even more excited for my iPhone 12 mini. Photos look basically identical. Only big compromise is battery and even that seems okay. Can we all just give Apple some praise for FINALLY making a small phone that's truly flagship-quality? https:/…
@samsheffer Sam Sheffer on x
Serious love at first touch happening with the iPhone 12 mini - this thing is as dope as I'd hoped. It might be my favorite iPhone ever but haven't had it long enough to determine that. The size is everything for me. Feels much more usable compared to the last few iPhones.
@backlon Dieter Bohn on x
@vjeranpavic A great point from the YouTube comments (yes it happens!) - a lot of the people who've been holding out for a small phone have a very old iPhone with a very degraded battery, so even the mini's meh battery life could be an upgrade https://www.youtube.com/...
@joannastern Joanna Stern on x
I haven't loved an iPhone size this much since the iPhone 5. It's just too bad about that battery life. My review of the iPhone Mini: https://www.wsj.com/...

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Apple MagSafe Duo charger review: useful, but underwhelming build quality and is expensive at $129, especially considering it does not come with a power adapter

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