The topic MagSafe Monday: Is a suction cup the best way to secure your MagSafe desk charger? is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
I have tested dozens of MagSafe iPhone desk chargers, and a lot of them suffer from the same super-annoying flaw. Unless they are made of solid steel and weigh five pounds, they slide all over your desk when you try to grab your iPhone or tap the screen to check a notification. You’ll often have to hold the base down with one hand while pulling the iPhone off with the other. Scosche decided to tackle this problem in a completely different way with its new Qi2 home and office mount. Instead of relying on heavy metal bases, it uses a heavy-duty suction cup to securely attach to your desk or counter.
MagSafe Monday: Every Monday, Bradley Chambers looks at the latest and greatest in the MagSafe and wireless charging industry to help you get the most out of your Apple devices that support wireless charging.
As I mentioned earlier, the base is the really interesting part of this charger. It uses a heavy-duty suction cup to attach directly to your desk or nightstand. Once you lock it down, it won’t go anywhere unless you unlatch it. It is reusable, though. The magnets holding the phone are rare-earth neodymium magnets, so they have a really strong grip. You get a secure hold on the iPhone, but a base that won’t come up with you.
This Scosche mount supports the latest Qi2 wireless charging technologies, delivering full 15-watt speeds to your iPhone (as long as it’s supported). Qi2 is noticeably faster than the older 7.5-watt chargers that were once the default.
One of my biggest pet peeves with MagSafe gear is opening the box only to realize I need to hunt down my own power adapter. Scosche actually includes a 20-watt USB-C power adapter right in the box, along with a cable management clip to keep your desk organized.
Again, plenty of good products don’t include them, but I still love it when one is included in the box.
The mount features a smooth swivel base and an adjustable head that rotates 360 degrees. It is incredibly easy to swap your iPhone from portrait mode for a quick FaceTime call to landscape mode to watch a TV episode while you eat lunch at your desk. It also works great with StandBy mode if you decide to use this on your nightstand beside your bed.
Overall, it’s a nice charger. It’s one of the first ones I’ve tried that uses suction over just a weight-based one. The suction cup design is a simple but really useful way to keep your MagSafe dock exactly where you want it. When you add in the fast 15-watt Qi2 speeds and the included power adapter, it is a really great value for your home office or nightstand. I think there is some interesting design elements where even in a weighted one, a slight suction might be incredibly useful.
You can grab the Scosche Qi2 home and office mount directly from Scosche or from Amazon.