Alongside multiple fresh betas on Tuesday, Apple quietly rolled out a firmware update for one of its accessories. The MagSafe Battery Pack can now charge your device faster than before, after applying the update.
Boosting Charging on the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
Initially, we didn’t know what the firmware update would offer. Since Tuesday, however, Apple has published a support document that provides more details. With your MagSafe Battery Pack updated to Firmware Version 2.7, you should be able to see 7.5W charging from the accessory to your iPhone. Previously, the on-the-go charging capability was capped at 5W.
The support document also notes that if you have the MagSafe Battery Pack connected to a 20W or higher power source, it will charge your iPhone with up to 15W of power, the maximum possible with MagSafe charging.
While the Cupertino-based company doesn’t provide the exact capacity of the power bank, close examination of the accessory reveals a capacity of 1,460mAh. Apple does claim the device offers up to 40% additional charge for an iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro Max. Other handsets can achieve more of a boost.
- Up to 60% additional charge for iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 Pro
- Up to 70% additional charge with iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini
Making Sure Your Firmware Is Up-to-Date
Your battery pack may have already received the update. You can check this on your iPhone, in Settings > General > About > MagSafe Battery Pack. The firmware version should be at least 2.7. The build enabling 7.5W charging is 2.7.b.0.
If yours hasn’t updated, you can attach the MagSafe Battery Pack to the back of your iPhone and wait, but that could take up to a week. Fortunately, Apple has provided a faster way to get the update.
Using a Mac or iPad, plug one end of a Lightning to USB cable into the Lightning connector on your battery pack. Plug the other end into your Mac or iPad. The firmware update should take about 5 minutes.