Why I even added Magsafe to my Android

I love gadgets with magnets. Take my Nothing Ear (a) headphones, for example. They automatically snap into the correct position in their charging case. Or my Oral-B toothbrush, which I place on its dock after brushing my teeth. It stands proudly, almost as if by magic.

Headphones

EUR80,14

Nothing Ear (a)

ANC, 9.50 h, Wireless

107

Electric toothbrush

EUR199,–

Oral-B iO 9 + Sensitive spazzolino elettrico nero

Oscillating toothbrush

98

When Apple also installed Magsafe in iPhones four years ago, I was thrilled. These are magnets built directly into the device combined with wireless charging, which open the door for many new possibilities around accessories and extensions. In 2023, the US manufacturer took another major step forward. Thanks to standby mode, the iPhone no longer just lies around while charging, but can be put to good use. For example, it displays the time, date, calendar or weather data.

As a Google Pixel user, I’ve always missed integrated magnets in the Android world. Suddenly, hope grew at the end of 2023. For once, Apple, Samsung, Google and co. are working shoulder to shoulder on the new wireless charging standard Qi2. The standard will apparently apply to everyone – and Apple has brought MagSafe along. In other words, thanks to Qi2, Android manufacturers can also install standardised magnets in their devices.

But alas, my joy was premature. To date, no Android manufacturer has integrated the novel charging standard into new smartphones – with or without magnets. Rumour has it that this could be the case with the Google Pixel 9. But it won’t be on the market until the fall.

I’ve had enough.

So, I decided to retrofit my Pixel 8 with magnets myself – it’s easy with the right case. You can quickly find them for your Android phone too: simply select MagSafe in the smartphone case category on our website under Range of features.

You can then search for your phone under Compatible model. Of course, you’ll primarily find cases for the iPhone, but there are plenty other smartphones too. Sometimes the selection will be small, but with popular Android models there are sometimes 20 or 30 different options available.

I found this case from Dux Ducis for my phone. It’s pretty massive, but also protects the phone well. Thanks to its transparent back, the actual colour of the phone, which is otherwise often covered by a case, is also shown. Neat!

But why all the effort? Because MagSafe makes my life much easier across various situations.

My phone becomes a sat nav

If you don’t have a good sat nav in your car, or none at all, you’ll be familiar with this problem. Although Google Maps, for example, is an excellent and free alternative for finding your way from A to B, you have to attach your smartphone to the dashboard. Many mounts with wireless charging technology are big and bulky, and small ones have to be plugged in with an extra cable every time. After all, I need plenty power when using the navigation system, GPS and phone simultaneously.

With MagSafe, all you need is a compact button-shaped holder that holds your phone in place magnetically and can charge it wirelessly. I can even use it upright or horizontally. I used the Aukey Maglink Phone Dash Mount, which supports Qi2, for this test. It has long gripper arms and can be attached to most air vents on the dashboard as a result.

Wireless chargers

EUR27,90

Aukey Maglink Phone Dash Mount

15 W

5

Wireless chargers

EUR27,90

Aukey Maglink Phone Dash Mount

15 W

5

Guaranteed charging at night

I’d struggle to count all those times I placed my smartphone on a wireless charging station in the dark – only to discover in the morning that the device hadn’t charged up a bit. That no longer happens to me thanks to the magnets.

Now, for example, I use the classic MagSafe Charger from Apple on my bedside table. The round charging puck automatically docks onto the Pixel – always in the right place, so that my phone is guaranteed to be charged. An iPhone would be supplied with a maximum of 15 watts wirelessly, with the Pixel it’s only half that. But that doesn’t matter, as the Google phone only charges very slowly at night anyway to protect the battery. Just in time for the alarm clock to ring, the display will then be at 100 per cent.

Wireless chargers

EUR37,78

Apple MagSafe Charger

15 W

1444

Wireless chargers

EUR37,78

Apple MagSafe Charger

15 W

1444

Charger for every situation

Thanks to MagSafe, I now have access to a huge selection of charging accessories. I can find over 250 wireless chargers with magnetic docking options in our range alone. I like to use stands where I have the smartphone directly in view. This way it’s not just lying around on my office desk, I have it immediately in view and can quickly and easily access a Spotify playlist, for example. A bit like a table alarm clock.

However, there are charging stations to suit almost every need, some of which are also combined with other charging surfaces, for example for headphones. And thanks to the magnets, even crazy concepts are possible. For example, a water bottle that can also hold a smartphone in portrait or landscape format. Who the heck needs that!? But I’m getting off track. Point is, it exists. I’ve got it. And that alone is cool.

Do you already use MagSafe? Where do you see the most sensible use for the magnets? Let me know in the comments.