(Credit: Apple/YouTube)
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Apple unveiled its latest set of iPhones this week with promising new features, but the iPhone Air stands out with its super-slim design.
To achieve the 5.6-millimeter thickness, though, Apple had to skimp on the battery. It's reportedly only 3,149 mAh, the lowest capacity in an iPhone since the iPhone 13 mini and Pro. While Apple promises "all-day battery life" for the iPhone Air, it probably didn't want to take any chances, so it has reintroduced and re-branded the MagSafe Battery Pack.
The accessory, now called the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery, will be sold separately for $99. When attached to the back of the iPhone Air, it extends video streaming hours, for example, from 22 hours to 35 hours when both are fully charged.
The accessory is not designed for iPhone 17 or the iPhone 17 Pro models. Apple's product page says, "The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery was created exclusively for iPhone Air." Previously, the MagSafe Battery Pack was compatible with all devices in the iPhone 12, 13, and 14 series before being discontinued in 2023.
(Credit: Eric Zeman/PCMag)As for why it's compatible with only one iPhone, 9to5Mac says it could be because of the design. With larger, horizontally end-to-end camera bumps on the iPhone 17 Pro models and the vertical bump on the iPhone 17, it might be physically impossible to attach the accessory.
That said, the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery technically works with the iPhone 17. It doesn’t really fit; you have to turn it sideways. But it can give you some juice if you’re in a bind.
You can also attach a USB-C cable to the accessory to "charge smaller accessories," though it's unclear which devices are supported. We reached out to Apple for further clarification.
However you use it, the new MagSafe Battery adds 65% more charge to the phone, "extending battery life further than that of any other iPhone," Apple says.