iPhone 12 Buyers Should Be Aware Of Apple's MagSafe Charging Warnings

Apple fans are very excited about the coming iPhone 12 models, and one of the cool parts is that the smartphone features MagSafe charging like the Apple Watch 6 offers. However, there are some potential drawbacks to MagSafe charging that Apple is warning potential buyers about. Apple quietly updated its support document for the iPhone 12 to warn buyers about these potential issues.

One of the potential issues involves heat buildup that can restrict charging. If the iPhone battery gets too warm, charging will be limited to 80 percent capacity. For anyone charging their device overnight, that's probably not such a big deal. If you're topping up quickly before you head out for work or an event, that could pose a challenge.

Perhaps an even bigger issue comes for those with credit cards featuring magnetic strips or RFID chips (every credit card), security badges, passports, and key fobs. If any of those somehow get between the iPhone and the MagSafe charger, they could be demagnetized and ruined. That could mean you end up standing at a cash register unable to pay for your purchases or unable to unlock the front door next time you go to work. That's a significant potential issue for many people, and interestingly Apple has a MagSafe wallet. Still, the odds of getting a credit card between the charger or wallet and the phone seem slim.

Another issue for those who prefer leather cases is that the charger can leave circular imprints on the case. The charger has also reportedly caused similar damage to silicon cases after only a few days. That sort of damage begs the question of what will happen to the glass back of the iPhone for those who go without a case over time as the charger is used.

Any potential damage to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro's glass back should raise the hairs on any owner's neck. Apple has already warned replacing the rear glass is extremely expensive at $449 for the iPhone 12 and $549 for the iPhone 12 Pro.