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Mophie’s Snap+ Wi-fi Vent Mount is exclusive, because it ships with its personal custom-designed detachable magnetic charging puck that works primarily the identical as MagSafe, simply not as quick as Apple’s personal cable.

Utilizing the puck and Snap+ magnetic adapter with an Android cellphone, customers will rise up to 15-watt wi-fi charging — the identical as MagSafe. However iPhone customers aren’t as fortunate, as normal Qi wi-fi charging on the iPhone is capped at 7.5 watts.

When MagSafe is not MagSafe

Why is that this? As a result of like different Mophie Snap+ equipment, together with the Juice Pack Mini, the Wi-fi Vent Mount is like MagSafe, however not really MagSafe.

Mophie has employed a mixture of magnets to match the MagSafe magnet placement within the iPhone 12 lineup, in addition to normal Qi wi-fi charging, which has been obtainable on the iPhone for years. The result’s a mishmash that technically works with MagSafe, however avoids Apple’s MagSafe licensing charges.

As a stand-in for Apple’s MagSafe cable, the puck that ships with Mophie’s automobile mount sadly would not do sufficient to distinguish itself. It is primarily the very same dimension and form as Apple’s MagSafe cable, proper all the way down to the 1-meter cable size with USB-C connector on the tip.

Actually, the vent mount portion of the product suits Apple’s MagSafe cable simply nice, that means customers may swap out and get sooner charging with an official cable in the event that they wished.

An reasonably priced various, with caveats

So, what is the level of this product? Worth.

The Mophie Snap+ Wi-fi Vent Mount is priced at $49.95, and that features the magnetic puck, the ball and socket joint that connects to your air conditioner vent, and a USB-C energy adapter to your automobile’s cigarette adapter (only one USB-C port).

Compared, when you wished to purchase an alternate accent that merely holds Apple’s official MagSafe charger, you’d have to plunk down $39 for the MagSafe cable from Apple, plus one other $15+ for a USB-C automobile charger — and that does not embody the $15 to $35 you’ll spend on the accent to carry your MagSafe charger.

That stated, there are some things we want Mophie had executed to enhance the Snap+ Wi-fi Vent Mount. Delivery it with a hard and fast cable that should be completely changed if it frays or breaks is the primary that involves thoughts.

A puck with a feminine USB-C port, permitting for the cable to be swapped or changed, can be a possible enchancment over official MagSafe, maybe serving to to offset the slower charging pace.

The opposite situation is cable size. At 3 ft, it wasn’t size for us to arrange a discreet set up from inside our middle console to the entrance sprint. If Mophie had supplied an extended cable, it might be one other potential option to differentiate from and enhance upon Apple’s cable.

Because it stands, past value, the one actual benefit the Mophie magnetic puck has over Apple’s official MagSafe charger is that the puck and cable are black, whereas Apple’s cable solely is available in white.

Utilization

When it comes to magnetic power, the puck works nice. We drove with our iPhone 12 Professional mounted each in a silicone case and out of it, over brick roads in New York Metropolis in a 2008 Prius, and the iPhone didn’t fall from the magnet as soon as.

Equally, the ball-and-socket vent mount did not lose its positioning, although this will likely additionally depend upon the power of your AC vent. Notably, the Mophie mount is small and doesn’t embody any decrease stems to assist brace or keep positioning, so some automobile homeowners could also be disillusioned.

The magnetic puck could be faraway from the mount for freedom of use inside the automobile. The puck itself doesn’t connect to the mount magnetically, nevertheless — it is best to take away the puck by first eradicating your iPhone, then pulling the puck out from the plastic holder.

The product additionally ships with Mophie’s Snap+ adapter, which not solely permits older iPhones to hook up with Snap+ and MagSafe equipment, but in addition brings Qi-compatible Android gadgets into the fray.

As for charging pace, official MagSafe already felt very gradual in comparison with what you may get with a 30-watt charger, so what you get right here is even slower, however appropriate. For those who’re streaming music over Bluetooth and utilizing GPS and happening an extended highway journey with the display on the whole time, you’ll preserve your cellphone topped off, however do not anticipate this to beat heavy utilization or present a fast recharge with its 7.5-watt output.

Conclusion

The Mophie Snap+ Wi-fi Vent Mount is way from excellent, however for its value, it can’t be dismissed outright.

At $50, it is solely $10 greater than Apple’s personal MagSafe charger, and it features a serviceable, however gradual, substitute cable with robust sufficient magnets to carry an iPhone 12 Professional on a bouncy journey.

For those who wished full 15-watt charging, we suppose you can swap Mophie’s knock-off MagSafe for the actual factor, as Apple’s charger suits simply nice within the vent mount. However you then’ve turned a $50 buy right into a $90 one, which negates the primary promoting level of this product.

It is also value contemplating that Apple’s personal newly launched MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12 solely expenses at 5 watts, as a consequence of warmth concerns. So though the Mophie cable is working at half of the potential capability of MagSafe, it is nonetheless a sooner choice than Apple’s $99 battery accent whenever you’re in your automobile. Plus you get the additional advantage of a handy magnetic mount.

For those who’re searching for a easy, reasonably priced option to cost and magnetically mount your iPhone in your automobile, you would be onerous pressed to discover a higher choice available on the market for the time being than the Mophie Snap+ Wi-fi Vent Mount. It is bought all the things you want within the field, even when there’s loads of room for enchancment.

Execs

• Priced affordably at $50, particularly when in comparison with Apple’s $40 MagSafe charger.
• Every thing you want is within the field, together with a USB-C automobile energy adapter.
• The magnet and mount maintain an iPhone 12 Professional in place, even on a bumpy highway.
• Snap+ adapter brings MagSafe-like compatibility to older iPhones and Android gadgets with Qi charging.

Cons

• The charging puck is not MagSafe, so it would not supply full 15-watt charging.
• Mounted three-foot cable is probably not preferrred for all automobile installs, and cannot be changed if the cable is broken.
• AC mount would not have bracing arms, that means it might not work properly with all AC vents.

Rating: 3 out of 5

The place to purchase

The Mophie Snap+ Wi-fi Vent Mount sells for $49.95 at mother or father firm Zagg, however YourNextApp readers can solely save 20% on the accent with promo code INSIDER20.