“When Apple launched the MacBook, it decided to embrace the future by ditching all legacy ports — even the beloved MagSafe charging connector — in favor of adopting the lone USB-C port,” Chuong Nguyen writes for Digital Trends. “As it turns out, Apple didn’t need to abandon the MagSafe port when it went all-in with USB-C.”
“A patent filing with the United States Patent Office from early 2016 reveals that Apple had been working on an adapter that would allow the company to still fully embrace the USB-C port while still delivering the benefits of a magnetic MagSafe connector,” Nguyen writes. “The MacBook — and by proxy, the MacBook Pro — would still ship with the standard USB-C port, but Apple’s patent filing with the shows that a magnetic adapter could be plugged into the USB-C port to deliver the functionality of a MagSafe connector.”
Nguyen writes, “Given that Apple’s invention is for an adapter for the USB-C port, rather than a native solution that’s built into the company’s notebook, perhaps someday Apple would release this accessory as yet another dongle.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yes, it’s a brilliant idea. Absolutely, positively, brilliant!
Now, we would love to see a tiny MagSafe adapter cap (or very short corded adapter) that sticks into the USB-C port for MagSafe power cords. That way we don’t have to regress in the name of progress. — MacDailyNews Take, March 11, 2015, two days after the new MacBook sans MagSafe was unveiled
BTW: We’ve also heard positive things about the Stouchi MacSafe Magnetic USB C to USB C Charging Cable (US$26.90 via Amazon).
SEE ALSO:
Bolt-S USB-C cable brings MagSafe back to the Mac – August 17, 2017
Griffin BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable returns MagSafe to your MacBook – November 25, 2016
It was a common sense solution, and commercial products which place the magnetic separation point within an extended USB-C connector. You can find the “Griffin BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Breakaway Power Cable for MacBooks and Chromebook Pixel” at Amazon, for example.
So, as discussed in the past, it is not a problem for Apple to standardize on USB-C ports and ditch the dedicated, legacy ports for power, video, networking, etc. In the long run, it is a good thing, just as designing the 1998 iMac with USB-A was a good thing.
I used the Griffin version for a year but then it started falling apart. I’ll try this one.
The odd thing is that I have been using the regular USC-C connector for a while and it hasn’t really been an issue. The main reason is that the battery is so good I often don’t have it plugged in for days.
Contact Griffin. Have them replace it for free. Quoting their sell page (linked in my further post below):
Warranty: Guaranteed for Life
As I said at the time, this was not an issue with Apple being able to creat a USB-c MagSafe. the issue is because Apple has a patent on the MagSafe and because it was already included with previous MacBook Computers they could not make any more money off of it. But now that Apple is not providing it they can license the tech to third parties and make a few $$ from ever one sold, it was just another way to extract money from our wallets.
Nope
Just say no to dongles.
Hey! This is insanely perfect for me! I love dongles, especially my own! I draw really big ones… and own one too – here’s an example of why my dongle looks like – it’s USB-C and lightning compatible, too!
8==================================O
Griffin Technology: Been there, done that before Apple.
BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable
$40. 6 foot cable. Lifetime guarantee. Just saying.