Does iPhone 16e support MagSafe chargers? What you need to know
Apple's newest iPhone falls in the same family as the iPhone 16, but is it compatible with the same magnetic accessories?
🍎 Apple has added a fifth member to the iPhone 16 family: the iPhone 16e
📱 It’s a replacement for the iPhone SE line and comes with a refreshed design
⚡️ It shares a lot of specs with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16, including wireless charging
🧲 But can you attach MagSafe chargers to it? Let’s discuss
Apple introduced MagSafe charging on the iPhone back in 2020 when the iPhone 12 came out. It’s an easy way to wirelessly charge your iPhone and add accessories like wallets and grips without a case or adhesive. Now that the iPhone 16e is here, many folks are wondering whether it, too, carries the necessary magnets for MagSafe.
After all, the iPhone 16e takes after the iPhone 16 in many ways. It comes with a 6.1-inch OLED screen and A18 chip, plus it’s reasonably priced at $599. It also replaces a lot of downsides associated with the aging iPhone SE 3 with Face ID (in a notch like the iPhone 14), USB-C, an Action button, and an improved 48MP rear camera.
The phone seems to check a lot of boxes for average iPhone users, but there’s one thing on a lot of people’s minds now that we’ve officially seen the cheaper alternative to the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus: does it come with MagSafe wireless charging?
iPhone 16e does not include MagSafe support
Unfortunate, I know.
The iPhone 16e comes with Qi wireless charging, for the record. You can place it down on a wireless charging puck of any kind and it’ll begin juicing up, just like every iPhone since the iPhone 8 in 2017. However, you can’t attach MagSafe chargers to it; while the charging portion will work, the magnets will have nowhere to stick to and it’ll fall off.
This also means MagSafe accessories won’t work. Whether it’s a snazzy new wallet or a charging stand like this one from Belkin, you can’t attach anything with MagSafe to the back of the iPhone 16e. The best you can do is buy a case with MagSafe magnets built into it to connect accessories like that. Otherwise, you’re out of luck.
Why doesn’t the iPhone 16e have MagSafe?
Apple hasn’t specified a reason why the iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe, but it’s likely to cut costs. Lower-priced Apple products always make weird sacrifices to get the price down, and MagSafe must’ve been one of those things that Apple was willing to let go.
Another reason is to upsell you on better iPhones. Apple is the king of releasing products at various price points and leaving out key features along the way to convince you to buy the slight better one for more money. The iPad lineup has been doing that for years at this point, as has the MacBook line lately.
You can get an iPhone with MagSafe for $100 more
If you want an iPhone that supports MagSafe, Apple is still selling the iPhone 15 for $699. At $100 more, you get a second rear camera, the Dynamic Island, and MagSafe support. However, it technically comes with a slower A17 chip, but if you want to spend minimal money on your next iPhone and still get MagSafe, it’s likely your best bet.
Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, Newsweek, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.