Apple's MagSafe Duo Charger may arrive soon to charge your iPhone 12 and Apple Watch 6

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It's passed compliance in Korea, could a release date be next?

MagSafe Duo Charger
(Image credit: Apple)

One of the biggest upgrades in the iPhone 12 line is MagSafe, which lets you clip cases, accessories, and wireless chargers securely to the back of the phone. Apple even revealed that it has a charger on the way that will let you juice up an iPhone 12 and Apple Watch at the same time – and now that it’s allegedly passed compliance in Korea, the MagSafe Duo Charger could be released soon.

If true, it’ll likely be released in Korea before other regions, given we’ve only heard about the Duo Charger passing compliance by that country’s NRRA regulatory agency – a certification first noticed by MacRumors. 

But after compliance, Apple doesn’t usually wait long to set a product release date, as PhoneArena points out. 

For those who can’t wait that long, Apple is selling its own standalone MagSafe charger, and third-party chargers using the magnetic system are sure to follow. But a cottage industry of MagSafe-connecting accessories has already sprung up, like these 'mounts' that turn your iPhone 12 into a mounted camera, so don't think it's just for charging. 

MagSafe: new phone gimmick or great advance?

MagSafe was a bit of a surprise when Apple showed it off during the iPhone 12 reveal event. While the phone family has had wireless charging since the iPhone 8, we expected the latest Apple handsets to pack a more mainstream feature – reverse wireless charging – instead of a magnetic system that helps attach accessories. 

At launch, Apple did not reveal that the iPhone 12 had such reverse wireless charging, but it may be dormant in the new phones – and linked to MagSafe. VentureBeat reporter Jeremy Horwitz tweeted that an FCC filing showed that the new iPhones do in fact have reverse wireless charging, but for whatever reason, it wasn’t an officially confirmed feature in the new phones. Heck, we’d have expected Apple to trumpet its benefits on stage when they unveiled the new handsets.

One theory holds that Apple is cannily waiting for the next AirPods refresh to show off the feature. It would make sense to wait for a new official product that works with MagSafe – given how annoying it is to find just the right spot (over the wireless charging coils) to juice up separate devices on Android phones with reverse wireless charging, Apple would rake in the applause if its AirPods case just clipped on to the back of an iPhone 12, no fuss or fiddling required.

If so, Apple could pull off this reveal at its One More Thing event on November 10, a last-minute tease that could be (must be?) the tech giant’s last product announcement of the year. We’ll have to wait and see if Apple’s saved some of the best for last.

David Lumb
David Lumb

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He's most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.