Did Apple Put an iPhone Air Battery in Its MagSafe Pack? [Video]

A new teardown of the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery from iFixit suggests Apple may be reusing a key component in its new accessory. The battery pack, introduced alongside the iPhone Air, appears to contain the very same battery that is inside the ultra-thin phone itself.

Getting inside the battery pack required some heat and a heavy-duty suction cup, allowing the team to separate the two halves of the plastic shell. Unfolding the device revealed a shiny, steel-encased battery with a unique shape. Rather than a simple rectangle, the battery features an odd protrusion at the bottom and subtle curves along its sides, a design that suggests it was made to fit around the internal components of another device—the iPhone Air.


The teardown also uncovered a welcome repairability feature: electrically releasing adhesive. By applying 12 volts of power to two contact points on the battery, iFixit was able to trigger a chemical reaction that broke down the adhesive underneath, allowing the battery to be removed cleanly. This is a departure from the stretch-release adhesive strips often found in Apple products.

The battery itself is rated at 12.26 Wh, which is very close to the previously leaked 3,149mAh capacity for the iPhone Air. The fact that it only provides about a 65% charge to the phone can be attributed to the energy loss inherent in wireless charging. The additional thickness of the battery pack comes from the plastic enclosure, the MagSafe charging coil, and the associated electronics.

The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery is available for $99. You can purchase one at the link below.

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