MagSafe
Wireless Power · 7 specs
Direct Answer
Apple MagSafe is a proprietary wireless charging and magnetic accessory attachment standard introduced on iPhone 12. Combining an array of 16 rare-earth neodymium magnets, an alignment magnet, a 15W inductive charging coil, a single-turn NFC antenna, and a magnetometer, it delivers precision self-aligning power and accessory identification.
Source: Apple Inc. / Accessory Design Guidelines for Apple Devices · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Proprietary Standard | Apple Inc. MagSafe Wireless Architecture |
| Power Delivery (Wattage) | 15 W (up to 25W on iPhone 16 series with 30W adapter) |
| Magnetic Ring Array | 18-magnet circular array (16 orientation magnets + 1 alignment magnet + 1 shielding ring) |
| Coil Physics | Multi-strand Litz wire planar inductive coil |
| Accessory Identification Radio | 13.56 MHz Single-Turn NFC Loop (ISO 14443-A based) |
| Alignment Detection | Internal solid-state Magnetometer / Hall effect sensor |
| Standard Qi Fallback | Charges non-MagSafe Qi devices at standard 7.5W BPP |
Magnetic Ring and Sensor Array
The MagSafe module inside the iPhone consists of a copper-graphite thermal shield, a Litz wire planar inductive coil, an internal ferrite polymer core, and a custom neodymium magnet ring with alternating magnetic poles (N-S-N-S). A directional alignment magnet prevents rotational twisting when attaching wallets, stands, or battery packs.
NFC Handshake and Authentication
When a MagSafe accessory or charger snaps onto the back of the device, an embedded single-turn 13.56 MHz NFC loop interrogates a micro-transponder inside the accessory. This triggers iOS to read the accessory's cryptographic identity, render matching on-screen visual animations (e.g. matching the color of a snapped silicon case), and authorize full 15W/25W fast-charging handshake protocols.