iOS 17 beta code mentions two new MagSafe products
iOS 17 is stuffed with new features, but it also seems to contain details of currently unknown MagSafe accessories that could arrive with the iPhone 15.
Code found by Twitter user aaronp613 (via iMore) in the first beta mentions both a new MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Battery Pack. They are identifiable as different from the current versions of both of these products by their model numbers.
You can buy both a MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Battery Pack from Apple right now, but these versions haven't been updated since their respective 2020 and 2021 launches. If these models found in the iOS 17 beta are new versions, it's possible they'll offer some sort of upgrades that the iPhone 15 series will be able to take advantage of.
New accessories for a new standard?
One possible reason for Apple updating these MagSafe accessories is that the new versions will support the upcoming Qi2 standard for wireless charging. This was announced earlier this year as based on both MagSafe and the current Qi standard, and is rumored to be supported on the iPhone 15 too. It's been further rumored that even non-Apple-approved MagSafe products would be able to charge at the maximum 15W that MagSafe currently supports through Qi2.
Apple makes its own MagSafe accessories, and those from approved partners, appealing compared to regular third-party ones by offering faster charging speeds and tighter integration with iOS. Perhaps we'll see some new benefits to using Apple-branded MagSafe gear with these apparent new charger and battery pack combo, such as even quicker charging than 15W, or new abilities like Find My support.
We likely won't see these new accessories until the iPhone 15 launches this fall, but there's still plenty from WWDC 2023 earlier this week to check out in the meantime. That includes other new software like iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma, and new devices like the Vision Pro AR headset and the 15-inch MacBook Air.
