What is the circle on phone cases?

You may have noticed that many smartphone cases have a large circle on the back, and often with a vertical line as well. These are magnets that improve compatibility with Apple's MagSafe technology. 🌀📱

MagSafe was first introduced in 2020, alongside the iPhone 12 series—not to be confused with the charging port on Apple laptops which has the same name. This technology allows accessories to attach to the phone using magnets, and the phone can even be charged via MagSafe using a modified version of Qi wireless charging. More recently, MagSafe was rebranded as the Qi 2 charging standard and could appear on more types of phones in the future. ⚡📲

MagSafe uses a large array of circular magnets to secure the connection, with an additional magnet beneath the main ring to help align accessories. Many iPhone cases have a similar ring to make it easier to operate MagSafe through the case. Without those magnets in the case, accessories like wallets and MagSafe chargers would slide off the back of the phone. The iPhone's own magnets aren't strong enough to achieve a secure connection if there's a case in the way. 🔒📦

Apple

However, MagSafe cases aren't limited to just iPhones. Brands like Moment, Spigen, and others also sell cases for phones Android that have the same magnetic rings, allowing more devices to use Apple's magnetic accessory ecosystem. Because of this, you may see some cases with a ring that aren't even made for iPhones. 🔄📲

Apple mentioned in its 2020 announcement: “MagSafe offers a unique experience for iPhone, with a set of magnets around the wireless charging coil, optimized for perfect alignment and efficiency, that connect to iPhone every time. MagSafe chargers efficiently deliver up to 15W of power, while still being compatible with devices Qi-enabled.” 🔋🔌

It's true that magnetic rings can make some cases look a little less attractive, but the alternative would be to break MagSafe, which isn't great either. There are still plenty of third-party cases without magnets, if you don't really care about MagSafe compatibility. 👍💼