Rumor: Apple is working on a magnetic external battery for iPhone 12

Apple is rumored to be working on an external battery for iPhones that can be attached to the back with magnets. The battery can charge a paired iPhone 12 via wireless charging. The accessory should be released in the coming months.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on the accessory for at least a year and it is the intention of Apple to release the battery in the months after the release of the iPhone 12 series. Those iPhones came out in October last year. Gurman is known for his good resources within Apple.

The accessory would use the MagSafe system, which is already used in the iPhone 12 series for linking accessories such as cases. Prototypes of the battery with a white rubber housing are in circulation, anonymous sources tell Bloomberg. In a beta version of iOS 14.5, vague references to an external battery have also been found.

Apple’s internal tests have shown that the magnetic connection is strong enough to hold the battery in place during use. Development of the accessory is said to have been delayed due to software issues. For example, iPhones would incorrectly indicate that the battery is overheating.

Because of such issues, Apple may also delay or not release the product at all, Bloomberg suggests. So did the AirPower, a wireless charger that was announced in 2017. In 2019, Apple canceled that accessory. Apple has not responded to the new rumors.

Apple is also said to have internally discussed the goal of allowing devices such as the Apple Watch, AirPods and iPhones to charge each other wirelessly. The arrival of such a position in the short term is unlikely, according to Bloomberg.