The “Magic Charger” that appears to have been abandoned by Apple appears in the new images

Apple’s first-party lineup of MagSafe charging accessories for the iPhone is somewhat limited: You have the standard MagSafe Disk, the MagSafe Duo, the disappointing MagSafe Battery Pack, and, well… that’s it. But the new images indicate that Apple at some point considered launching a metal stand with a built-in MagSafe charger.

Pictures and details are relevant Shared by Twitter user @TheBlueMister And then covers it Mac rumors. @TheBlueMister is among an avid group of collectors on Twitter sharing details about the prototype and previously released Apple devices and accessories. More than one person has acquired an “Apple Magic Charger” (that’s what it says when you plug it into your Mac), which helps lend some credence to its authenticity.

The product has a thick aluminum base with a circular cutout for the MagSafe disk, which can lie flat or stand upright, similar to the Apple Watch charger on the MagSafe Duo.

There is a rubber layer on the bottom to prevent the Magic Charger from moving around, and a permanently attached USB-C cable appears. The latter sounds terrible for the overall durability and travel with the thing, but I guess that’s what the MagSafe Duo is all about.

The biggest and most obvious drawback is that the Magic Charger can only really hold an iPhone in landscape orientation; MagSafe’s circular magnetic disc is set low to accommodate a vertical position. Nomad makes a metal MagSafe base It looks exactly the same and supports 15W charging — but without the stand-up orientation.

I suspect that Apple realized that the Magic Charger’s lone standing position in landscape was extremely impractical and inconvenient before this accessory was even close to release. I’m curious as to what, if any, “magic” is about its integration with the iPhone; Apple may have been thinking of unique software experiences like those offered by Google’s Pixel Stand. Or maybe it was just a fancy name for what was likely to be an expensive charger.

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