Apple has gone all-in on magnets. Its original MacBook Air had a magnetically attached power adapter in 2009. Although they eliminated the connector with a later version of the laptop, they brought it back by popular demand. The magnetic connection is just too helpful if you’re using a laptop at a restaurant or coffee shop.
While they moved away from magnetic accessories for laptops for a while, they introduced them with phones starting with the iPhone 12. Magnets inside the phone allow accessories to be attached to the back easily. Compatible phone cases allow that magnetism to pass through. It’s a pretty slick idea.
But, wait. We’ve been told for years that magnets and computers don’t mix. Magnets erase storage devices, that’s what they said. Not only that, we’ve been told to stay away from magnets with our wallets, lest we erase the strips on our credit cards. So what gives? Have we been lied to all this time? Is this another case like when they told us that turning on our phones while on a plane would cause it to crash?
They weren’t lying to you
OK, let’s get this cleared up. No one was lying to you. This is one of those cases where there isn’t a massive global conspiracy out to confuse and control you. Now, depending on who you are, you might believe there are other conspiracies, but I promise you this isn’t one of them. Yes, magnets erase hard drives and some storage media. That’s as true as it always was. But iPhones don’t use hard drives. They don’t use floppy disks. They use solid state storage. That sort of storage isn’t, and never has been, affected by normal magnets. I’m sure that if you put some sort of massive electromagnet on the thing, like what they use in junkyards, you’d have a problem. But regular old magnets are fine. You’re safe there.
On the other hand, credit cards are in danger of being erased if hit by magnets. Even weak magnets will do it. So that’s why Apple’s own accessories have extra shielding inside them. I can’t say that every MagSafe wallet has that stuff, but the brand name ones do anyway. So, your credit cards and other magnetic strips remain safe.
Slick trick to be sure
The addition of magnets makes wireless charging easier. It also makes it more convenient. You can use other methods like suction cups or straps, but let’s be honest, wireless charging with a magnetized charger is pretty cool.
Now, Solid Signal doesn’t sell Apple branded accessories. To be honest I wish we did. But, really there are very few companies that do sell Apple branded stuff and we can’t compete. But, we are AT&T dealers so we can get you the phones. We also have a great selection of cellular accessories including cell phone signal boosters that work really well. A cell phone signal booster works with all sorts of phones and it’s an awesome investment. Shop at Solid Signal for everything you need! If you have questions, give us a call at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill in the form below and we’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
