Discussions surrounding the iPhone 16e have largely centered on its lack of MagSafe charging capability, a feature absent from Apple’s most affordable iPhone model this week. Initially, there were theories suggesting that MagSafe’s omission might be due to interference with Apple’s C1 chip, which marks the company’s first cellular modem for the iPhone.
However, Apple clarified yesterday that the C1 chip is not the reason for the exclusion of MagSafe in the iPhone 16e. Recent testing performed by an iPhone accessory manufacturer and reported by DMN sheds more light on this matter.
Testing Results for iPhone 16e MagSafe and C1
The accessory manufacturer executed two sets of tests. The first concentrated on the speeds of wireless charging. Although the iPhone 16e lacks native MagSafe support, it can still utilize a third-party case featuring built-in magnets to offer similar functionality. Their findings indicate that utilizing such a case results in significantly improved wireless charging speeds.
The manufacturer discovered that wireless charging rates for the iPhone 16e exhibited substantial variability when not using a MagSafe-enabled case with magnetic alignment. This inconsistency largely stems from the challenge in accurately positioning the phone on the wireless charger without magnetic assistance.
Charging speeds for the iPhone 16e without a case and with manual alignment:
- Cycle 1: 4.2W
- Cycle 2: 5.0W
- Cycle 3: 4.7W
- Cycle 4: 5.9W
- Cycle 5: 6.5W
In contrast, when charging with a case that provides MagSafe and magnetic alignment, the iPhone 16e consistently charged at 7.5W across all five cycles, matching the charging speed stated by Apple in its specifications.
The accessory manufacturer also tested whether using a MagSafe-enabled case and charging puck affected cellular data speeds. Although Apple has previously dismissed this idea, the results from these speed tests support Apple’s claim.
The tests were performed using a Rogers cellular connection and the Google Internet Speed Test tool in Safari, with results measured in Mbps.
No Case
- Cycle 1: 194.2
- Cycle 2: 194.0
- Cycle 3: 192.1
- Cycle 4: 200.5
- Cycle 5: 202.0
MagSafe-enabled Case
- Cycle 1: 193.6
- Cycle 2: 198.8
- Cycle 3: 194.6
- Cycle 4: 201.1
- Cycle 5: 197.8
MagSafe-enabled Case + MagSafe Puck
- Cycle 1: 196.1
- Cycle 2: 190.2
- Cycle 3: 195.7
- Cycle 4: 196.8
- Cycle 5: 199.1
The data illustrates that there is no interference between the C1 modem within the iPhone 16e and MagSafe magnets. This leads to the conclusion that the absence of MagSafe on the iPhone 16e was likely a budgetary decision made by Apple. Additional insights may emerge as the first teardowns of the iPhone 16e take place in the coming weeks.
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