Apple released version 2.0 of their MagSafe wallet. Nothing changed except the 2021 version includes the Find My feature using an NFC chip which registers the wallet as a new device
(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
We’ve reviewed the original Apple MagSafe, I’m going to call it 1.0, wallet and like a good Apple, they released another version, which I’m going to call 2.0. Even though you can’t really tell much of a difference let’s get into it.
I have the Sequoia green color but it comes in several other colors, including golden brown, dark cherry, wisteria, and midnight. On the feature review, we have a card slot in the front, with a top down, vertical insertion approach. It can hold up to three, nothing more, it does not stretch, its molded to the number of cards it can take. If we turn it over, we have a quick excess thumb push which is where you can push the cards up and out for access. It requires you to take the wallet off of your phone. One the back we also have the MagSafe N45 magnet array which keeps the wallet attached to the phone. It works on the Apple leather as well as the Silicon and clear cases in addition to directly on the phone itself. It only works with the Apple iPhone 12 or better.
What’s new for the 2.0 version? It has an integration with the Find My application, meaning this can be registered as a device like your AirPods, AirPod Pro, laptops, so you can find it. But there is a catch. The way this is done is via a secure NFC chip embedded in the wallet. NFC stands for near-field communication and allows communication between devices. This chip is secured and can only be written to by the iPhone upon which it recognizes it as a device for tracking in the Find My app.
It measures 3.7 by 2.5 by 0.2”, and it weighs 33 grams. A minimalist card option would be one card, reasonable is three, which is the maximum. What makes this interesting isn’t that it is part of a new wallet offering from Apple, it’s the same wallet. It’s designed in the United States and made in China.
The review I did on the 1.0 version gives you an inside look and shows how the cards function when operating by creating friction and grasping the cards so they don’t fall out, because there’s not a lot of give in this particular wallet. Apple indicates it is shielded, which I can attest to because you can’t tap pay, it won’t work. It has RFID in it, but how it works in conjunction with Apple Pay makes this an acceptable solution. When you’re tapping with your phone, it prevents interference with your card when tapping.
From a usability perspective, it communicates with an iPhone via the NFC chip communicating with the phone. When it attaches to your phone, it does the registration, but it also writes back to that NFC chip the name of your wallet and the phone number. So what happens if you happen to lose this and leave it somewhere? If you have it detached for more than 1 minute it will send you a notification, with the last known location. That location is based on where your phone was last when it was attached. It doesn’t provide a built in tracking mechanism like all other devices do. If someone with an iPhone 12 or better finds the wallet. They can attach it to their phone and it will show your name and phone number so they can contact you. If they’re not an iPhone user, then you’re stuck.
I look forward to seeing what the engineers have in mind for the possible 3.0 version of the Apple MagSafe wallet. Now onto the final score.
For quality a 3. Price a 2, still kind of expensive in my mind. Features a 2, really it’s not cash capable, more than three cards would be nice as another option. If you had a multi-card option of this wallet, not just one. Usability is a 4, it works better than expected, and I thought the Find My is a nice improvement, but it still falls short. And perception a 4, Apple still makes pretty good products. That gives us a final score of 3.1 out of 5.
Apples default MagSafe wallet for use with the iPhone 12 or newer phones.
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