The first time I charged my iPhone using a magnet charger was completely by accident. I was in a casino and after setting my phone down on the slot machine I was playing, my phone lit up and the charging light came on. I had no idea my phone could be charged magnetically, and thought I was witnessing some sort of secret technology limited to wizards and casinos.
These days I actually prefer charging my phone magnetically rather than using a traditional charging cable. I own two iPhones, my personal iPhone 15 Pro Max (which uses a USB-C cable) and my work iPhone 13 (which uses the older Lightning charging cable), which means I’m always juggling, moving, and losing cables. With magnetic chargers, I only need one. It also seems like my magnetic chargers get “borrowed” a lot less (I haven’t had one disappear yet). When on travel I use a pair of wired earbuds while sleeping to drown out the random bangs and slams of hotel life, and I can’t connect both them and a charging cable at the same time. Using a magnetic charger allows me to listen to music all night long and wake up to a fully charged phone.
Acenergy’s 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger is a foldable travel-sized magnetic charger designed for people with multiple Apple products. With a single USB cable, the charging mat can charge three items at once: iPhones (11 and newer), iWatches (Series 1 and newer), and AirPods (AirPods 2 and newer). Everyone traveling in a van (or in general) knows USB ports are limited, so being able to charge three things at a time through a single USB cable is a big plus. Also included with the charger is a wall adapter with both USB-A and USB-C ports.
One of the things I like the most about these magnetic chargers is that they don’t have any moving parts. Plug in the charger and it’s ready to go. I can’t tell you how many old charging cables I’ve had to replace after plugging and unplugging them hundreds of times. (I live with a family of monsters who remove chargers by yanking on the cables.)
As someone who worked in IT Security for many years, I want to warn you about something called “juice jacking.” Hackers are modifying public USB ports in high profile locations like airports and hotels to slurp data and even inject malware into unsuspecting victim’s phones. Both the FCC and FBI have issued warnings regarding this type of attack — think of it as gas pump credit card skimmers, but for USB ports. They have even found tiny chips implanted into USB charging cables, left lying around in hopes that someone will pick them up and use them, unknowingly sending their data to a third party in the process. You can avoid these types of attacks by using either an AC wall charger, or a magnetic phone charger. For that reason alone, I take this charger with me everywhere I go. The odds of a USB port in a random hotel room being infected is pretty low, but I feel better connecting my charger to that port and charging my phone magnetically, eliminating the issue altogether.
Using Acenergy’s 3-in-1 Wireless Charger could not be simpler. Simply unfold the charging mat, connect it to either the included wall adapter or any USB port, and you’re ready to go. The iWatch and AirPod charging pads are both rated at 2.5W, and the phone charger automatically adjusts between 5W/7.5W/10W/15W, depending on the situation. When not in use the mat folds into a small cube, roughly 3″x3″x1″. The whole thing weighs 110g (less than 4oz) and easily slides into a front pocket.
Although this charger originally retailed for $100, it is currently marked down to $62. That still makes it one of the more expensive 3-in-1 chargers I’ve tested, but part of that is due to the build quality of the device. The faux-leather wrap on the outside/bottom of the charger gives it a classy, high-end look and feel, and overall the unit has a higher build quality than other similar chargers I’ve tested. This charger is available in black or white, and I tested a white model. I’ve always associated the color white with Apple products, and the color helps me easily find it down in the bottom of my laptop when mixed with a sea of black chargers, wires and random gadgets.
Acenergy has provided me with a discount code (R10CODE) which will knock another $10 off the total price. If you have multiple Apple products, a 3-in-1 charger is a must own item.
Link: Acenergy 3-in-1 Wireless Charger
Discount Code: R10CODE