Every iPhone and MacBook user has dreamed about a MagSafe Lightning cable for their phone that’s just as easy to use as the charger for Apple’s laptops. Luckily, this could become a reality… soon. According to a newly granted patent, Apple looks to be working on a MagSafe Lightning cable for the iPhone and/or iPad alongside what appears to be stackable plugs for the Smart Connector found on both the 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch iPad Pros.
The use for a MagSafe Lightning connector is clear: an easier and safer way to charge your Lightning-compatible device without having to worry about tripping over the cord and yanking your phone or tablet off the tablet. But to me, the use for stackable Smart Connector plugs is a little unclear, but I assume that you’ll be able to simply connect a Smart Keyboard, a battery pack, expandable storage, and possibly a dock to your device all at once using a single port. This makes me question if the 12-inch Retina MacBook will ever have a Smart Connector, as that would come in handy for a lot of people and would save them almost $100 since they wouldn’t have to buy any dongles for the current USB-C port found on the laptop. If the connector can carry power and data all at once while managing how much power each accessory gets, I don’t see why Apple wouldn’t include something like this in the future. But anyway…
A stackable connector interface with magnetic retention for electronic devices and accessories can allow power and data to be transferred between one or more stacked connectors. Each interconnected stackable connector may include one or more magnetic elements, which magnetic elements may have poles arranged to facilitate mating with other stackable connectors. The magnetic elements may also provide a magnetic retention force that holds mated connectors in contact with each other.
A possible stackable plug for the Smart Connector could look a lot like the Apple Watch’s charging puck:
You need to remember that Apple patents are filed, granted, and sometimes never brought to life, however I don’t see why these patents would result in being obsolete. I mean, stackable Smart Connector plugs? A MagSafe Lightning cable? From Apple? Who wouldn’t buy this stuff? Seriously, who?
Will these patents become something in the future or will they just fade away and never make it on store shelves? Battle it out in the comments!
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