Apple’s new iPhone 12 has come out, and all of the 4 new models of the iconic phone have one brand new and exciting feature in common: they all have a built in magnet. And this new magnet will allow for functionality (though accessories) that has never been available to phones before.
Magnet Use In Electronics
While magnets have often been considered a worry for electronics in that they could potentially damage the internal workings, that is no longer the case, and it might surprise people to realize that slowly magnets have started to be used in computers, tablets and phone over the years.
Computers have been using magnets to attach the power cables for a while, no longer needing to be plugged in, instead you simply get the attachment close to the computer and it attaches itself. And when you look at stands and keyboards for tablets, they attach more easily and stay in place using magnets. Likewise when you look at phones, some cases use magnets to to clip the cover on or clip to a belt.
So slowly magnets have been introduced without much fanfare into the world of electronics, but with the introduction of Apple’s iPhone 12 the trumpets are blaring and the importance cannot be understated: magnets are a big part of mobile phones and they are bringing a massive potential with them.
iPhone 12 Magnet Potential
It is a bit cliché to say that something has limitless potential, but putting a magnet in a phone does open the door to virtually unlimited possibilities in the future. Right now the only available accessory is the Grip On The Go mobile device grip. But there are already a number of other products in development that will make use of the magnet.
The most anticipated is a MagSafe charging cable for cell phones (which is now available for preorder). Contact charging has been around for a bit, but using a magnet to attach the charger is the next step. Being able to just lay your phone in the area of the charger and having it magnetically attach will simplify charging and get rid of the issues where the phone wasn’t sitting just right on the charging pad. A magnetic charger will also spare the constant in and out of plugging the phone in every night which will extend the longevity of the phone.
Other accessories like easily attachable and detachable phone cases will be along in short order. Instead of having to wrestle your phone into and out of the case, you will be able to simply secure it easily with the magnet. And the same goes for adding a little wallet pouch to the back of your phone, simple to put it on and then take it off later.
Other accessories will surely come along that will blow our collective minds, maybe to attach a phone to your arm instead of putting it in your pocket, or new gaming that can use a magnetic phone attachment. The possibilities are truly limitless.
Non-Apple Phones and Magnets
Currently Apple is the first to build a magnet into their iPhone 12. But it can reasonably be expected that Samsung, Google, Huawei, Nokia, LG and all the rest will follow as soon as their next models come out. It is the nature of the industry to “borrow” ideas from competitors, and in this case it is not just adding a small feature, it is opening a new door for all of them.
And it is opening a new door for users, who will benefit from a great idea that Apple had which will soon be copied over to other phones as well. And of course once all the major phones available have magnets built in, it will spur the development of other new accessories and make the market explode.