Apple iPhone Air MagSafe Battery review: Thin, beautiful, frustrating

Apple's new iPhone Air is thin and elegant at the expense of camera versatility and battery life. Knowing that the battery bit could annoy some users, Apple launched a special battery pack aimed pretty much exclusively at the iPhone Air.

It's called the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery, and during the iPhone launch event in September, the company hyped it to the point where it seemed like a must-buy. But is it?

The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery is slim and luxurious

At least the camera "plateau" is somewhat protected when this thing is on. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

I don't like the idea of buying a super-thin, ultra-fancy iPhone Air and then lugging an external battery to cover for its somewhat lacking battery life.

On the other hand, this battery pack is beautiful in its simplicity: It sticks to the phone magnetically and, besides a USB-C charging port, has no other nooks or crevices. It's very slim itself, it only comes in a silky white finish, and it pairs with the iPhone Air beautifully. It's like a smooth, magical rock that charges your phone.

And, despite how simple it is, this thing is pretty smart. If you plug it in while it's on an iPhone Air, it will charge itself and the phone at the same time. You can also use it to charge your AirPods, or even other phones, both wirelessly or with a USB-C cable.

That all sounds great, but...

It's thin, but it only packs a 3,149mAh battery inside. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

So what's not to like? First of all, it's pricy; 99 bucks is a steep charge given that it only has a 3,149mAh battery, which is only good for charging your iPhone Air some 65 percent (Apple's number). It charges rather slowly; up to 12W. It doesn't give you any indication of the state of charge; the sole LED (beautifully hidden beneath the device's surface) will glow green when it's getting charged, and orange when its battery is getting depleted.

Then there are the design quirks. True to its name, the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery Pack only fits the iPhone Air; it literally does not fit any other iPhone. Frustratingly, while it's a MagSafe-compatible battery pack, it does not have MagSafe on its own back, meaning you can't place a wallet or any other accessories onto it. As someone who's completely switched to Apple Wallet which I carry on my phone at all times, this is a deal breaker.

The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery only fits the iPhone Air; it's too big even for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. But it can charge it...like this. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Now, if none of the issues above apply to you, and you don't mind dishing out another $99 on top of the $999 starting price for the iPhone Air, the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery Pack is probably the best battery pack you can get for the Air, simply because it's so pretty and fits the Air so nicely.