Apple’s latest MacBook updates were undoubtedly sleek-looking machines, especially the ones with the fancy new Touch Bar strip above the keyboard.
But as is the fashion these days, the company decided to do away with a load of ports and connections in the pursuit of an ever slimmer chasis.
And one of the casualties in this latest round of porticide, much to the dismay of users around the world, was the beloved MagSafe connector.
The power port design used magnets to ensure if someone tripped over the charging cable, it would simply disconnect rather than bring the laptop tumbling off the desk.
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But Apple opted to add a load of USB Type-C, or Lightning, ports to its latest round of MacBooks – though, it now seems the erstwhile MagSafe connector could make a return in the future.
That is, if Cupertino follows through with this latest patent (via) which details what it refers to as a “magnetic adapter”.
The device in the patent is a MagSafe connector design with a Universal Serial Bus Type-C connector insert, which basically means you would be able to add the MagSafe port to a MacBook by just plugging in this small adapter.
Interestingly, the charging cable shown in the patent diagrams is an older design. What that means remains unclear – is this an adapter that can only be used with older charging cables? If so, why on earth would Apple want to limit it like that?
Of course, there’s no guarantee this device will ever make it to the production phase, as Apple files for patents all the time that never come to anything.
But we’d expect such a device to do quite well were it ever released, so we’re hopeful that we’ll see the MagSafe adapter arrive in the future.
Let us know if you’d like to see the MagSafe connector return in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
