Mophie’s MagSafe-appropriate Snap+ Wireless Vent Mount is a to some degree odd merchandise, offering an reasonably priced magnetic puck that mimics Apple’s own MagSafe charger, but only at 50 percent the charging pace of the formal accessory.
Mophie’s Snap+ Wireless Vent Mount is exceptional, as it ships with its very own custom-designed detachable magnetic charging puck that operates effectively the exact same as MagSafe, just not as quick as Apple’s have cable.
Applying the puck and Snap+ magnetic adapter with an Android mobile phone, buyers will get up to 15-watt wireless charging — the exact same as MagSafe. But Iphone consumers are not as fortunate, as common Qi wireless charging on the Apple iphone is capped at 7.5 watts.
When MagSafe is not MagSafe
Why is this? Due to the fact like other Mophie Snap+ equipment, including the Juice Pack Mini, the Wi-fi Vent Mount is like MagSafe, but not actually MagSafe.
Mophie has employed a blend of magnets to match the MagSafe magnet placement in the Apple iphone 12 lineup, as nicely as conventional Qi wi-fi charging, which has been readily available on the Apple iphone for many years. The outcome is a mishmash that technically will work with MagSafe, but avoids Apple’s MagSafe licensing expenses.
As a stand-in for Apple’s MagSafe cable, the puck that ships with Mophie’s car or truck mount sad to say doesn’t do enough to differentiate alone. It’s effectively the actual exact same size and form as Apple’s MagSafe cable, appropriate down to the 1-meter cable length with USB-C connector on the stop.
In actuality, the vent mount portion of the solution matches Apple’s MagSafe cable just good, this means buyers could swap out and get faster charging with an formal cable if they needed.
An reasonably priced substitute, with caveats
So, what is the issue of this solution? Cost.
The Mophie Snap+ Wireless Vent Mount is priced at $49.95, and that involves the magnetic puck, the ball and socket joint that connects to your air conditioner vent, and a USB-C ability adapter for your car’s cigarette adapter (just a single USB-C port).
Everything you will need is in the box (besides for a for a longer time cable).
In comparison, if you desired to acquire an option accessory that merely retains Apple’s official MagSafe charger, you’d need to have to plunk down $39 for the MagSafe cable from Apple, additionally a different $15+ for a USB-C car or truck charger — and that does not incorporate the $15 to $35 you will spend on the accent to keep your MagSafe charger.
That mentioned, there are a handful of items we desire Mophie had accomplished to improve the Snap+ Wi-fi Vent Mount. Shipping it with a mounted cable that ought to be entirely replaced if it frays or breaks is the initially that arrives to brain.
A puck with a woman USB-C port, permitting for the cable to be swapped or changed, would be a potential advancement above formal MagSafe, perhaps encouraging to offset the slower charging velocity.
The other concern is cable length. At 3 meters, it was not a superior length for us to established up a discreet install from inside of our heart console to the entrance sprint. If Mophie experienced presented a for a longer period cable, it would be yet another prospective way to differentiate from and boost on Apple’s cable.
Mophie’s wireless magnetic charging puck is fastened to a 1-meter USB-C cable.
As it stands, beyond cost, the only genuine advantage the Mophie magnetic puck has around Apple’s official MagSafe charger is that the puck and cable are black, even though Apple’s cable only will come in white.
Usage
In terms of magnetic power, the puck functions fine. We drove with our Apple iphone 12 Professional mounted both of those in a silicone situation and out of it, in excess of brick roads in New York Town in a 2008 Prius, and the Iphone did not tumble from the magnet at the time.
Likewise, the ball-and-socket vent mount didn’t drop its positioning, nevertheless this may well also rely on the strength of your AC vent. Notably, the Mophie mount is tiny and does not include any reduced stems to support brace or retain positioning, so some motor vehicle entrepreneurs may be dissatisfied.
The magnetic puck can be eradicated from the mount for flexibility of use inside of the car. The puck itself does not connect to the mount magnetically, having said that — it’s easiest to eliminate the puck by initially eradicating your Iphone, then pulling the puck out from the plastic holder.
The item also ships with Mophie’s Snap+ adapter, which not only will allow more mature iPhones to link to Snap+ and MagSafe equipment, but also delivers Qi-appropriate Android gadgets into the fray.
As for charging velocity, formal MagSafe presently felt extremely slow compared to what you can get with a 30-watt charger, so what you get here is even slower, but suited. If you are streaming audio over Bluetooth and using GPS and going on a long road excursion with the display on the complete time, you’ll be ready to hold your telephone topped off, but really do not count on this to prevail over major use or present a fast recharge with its 7.5-watt output.
The mount was strong adequate to maintain an Apple iphone 12 Pro, in our screening.
Summary
The Mophie Snap+ Wi-fi Vent Mount is much from excellent, but for its price, it cannot be dismissed outright.
At $50, it’s only $10 much more than Apple’s own MagSafe charger, and it involves a serviceable, but gradual, substitute cable with robust enough magnets to maintain an Apple iphone 12 Professional on a bouncy trip.
If you required full 15-watt charging, we suppose you could swap Mophie’s knock-off MagSafe for the serious detail, as Apple’s charger fits just wonderful in the vent mount. But then you’ve turned a $50 invest in into a $90 1, which negates the principal providing level of this solution.
It’s also value looking at that Apple’s very own newly launched MagSafe Battery Pack for Apple iphone 12 only prices at 5 watts, owing to warmth things to consider. So whilst the Mophie cable is operating at 50 % of the potential capacity of MagSafe, it is nonetheless a more quickly option than Apple’s $99 battery accessory when you are in your car. Plus you get the included advantage of a convenient magnetic mount.
If you’re looking for a basic, cost-effective way to demand and magnetically mount your Iphone in your motor vehicle, you’d be hard pressed to obtain a far better option on the current market at the minute than the Mophie Snap+ Wireless Vent Mount. It’s bought every little thing you will need in the box, even if there is loads of space for improvement.
- Priced affordably at $50, specially when in comparison to Apple’s $40 MagSafe charger.
- Every little thing you will need is in the box, such as a USB-C automobile electric power adapter.
- The magnet and mount maintain an Apple iphone 12 Pro in place, even on a bumpy road.
- Snap+ adapter delivers MagSafe-like compatibility to older iPhones and Android gadgets with Qi charging.
- The charging puck isn’t MagSafe, so it doesn’t give comprehensive 15-watt charging.
- Fastened 3-foot cable may perhaps not be ideal for all car installs, and can’t be changed if the cable is weakened.
- AC mount doesn’t have bracing arms, meaning it could not work effectively with all AC vents.
