I added MagSafe to my Pixel Fold. It worked better than I expected
Add some positive attraction to your phone.
Every once in a while, Apple debuts something on its phones that makes us Android folks wonder why someone on this side didn't already think of that. MagSafe was one of those things, as it added magnets to the back of iPhones, ensuring that wireless charging always lined up perfectly, and it even birthed a whole range of new magnetic accessories.
Thankfully, Spigen makes MagSafe rings that work perfectly for any Android phone. While it can't add wireless charging to phones that don't already support it, this Spigen Magnetic Ring Plate — or MagFit, as it might be better known — does make the best MagSafe accessories work with your existing phone.
So I figured, why not give it a shot and apply one to my Google Pixel Fold? I've got several MagSafe accessories here that I thought might work perfectly — spoiler alert: they do — and it's just nice to add this kind of feature to an already great phone, anyway. I even installed the Ring over top of my DBrand leather skin, which both looks and feels top-notch.
Put a ring on it
I liked it, so I put a ring on it. Don't worry; I won't be making any more Beyoncé jokes, but adding a MagSafe ring to your phone really is as easy as putting a ring on a finger.
The ring comes in the box pre-attached to the plastic plate you see above, and all you have to do to apply it is remove the blue factory protective plastic, line up the numbers to ensure the MagSafe ring is centered, and press it against the back of your phone.
That's it: no cutting, no mess, no waiting. The newer versions of this ring even come in black or carbon fiber and have cutouts on the plastic installation adapter better suited for Pixel phones, but the old one didn't cause me any issues.
Plus, the ring is just $15, making it an incredibly cheap adapter that'll add tons of great functionality to your favorite phone.
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What else can you do with it?
Spigen sells the OneTap Pro (pictured above) magnetic stand that doubles as a wireless charger. This is a really nice wireless charger for a bunch of reasons, but its ability to both charge and display your gorgeous Pixel Fold makes it an easy recommendation.
It fits perfectly with the Pixel Fold closed but, unfortunately, isn't something that works well with the phone unfolded. It ends up tilting to the side a bit and looks pretty awkward. It also doesn't work when rotated, so you can't unfold the phone and rotate it 90 degrees; it just slides off after a second since the unique MagSafe shape doesn't line up properly.
Wireless chargers all work perfectly with the MagFit, particularly ones that have MagSafe support since they'll automatically align via the magnets and ensure a perfect charge every time. Other wireless chargers still require you to play the "hunt for the charging spot" game.
And Spigen also makes a MagSafe wallet/kickstand combo product called the Spigen Smart Fold that works really well with this MagFit ring. It sits on the back and stays in place via the MagFit magnetic ring, fits two cards inside so you can have your ID and some kind of another backup card, and even doubles as a nifty kickstand that works when the Pixel Fold is folded and unfolded.
The magnet is strong enough to keep the wallet in place, and neither piece shifts nor moves at all when it's in kickstand mode. This one's a super duper handy way to carry around a thinner wallet and have something even more useful (the kickstand); plus, it's easy to drop in your pocket or slap on the back of the phone any time you need to use it.
Now I need to browse Amazon for a bit and see what other nifty MagSafe accessories make sense for this phone.
Despite all the positive vibes here, I'm still not sure I trust MagSafe car mounts. I've used too many of them and seen phones take nasty dives straight into the center console when I go over a big bump.
I'll be testing some of these car mounts in the future — particularly with this super heavy Pixel Fold — but a more traditional car phone holder will suffice for now.
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Tired of putting your phone on a wireless charger only to find you didn't align it right and now it's dead? Grab this MagSafe ring and a compatible MagSafe wireless charger and never worry about that again.
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fuzzylumpkin I love MagSafe, but the stick on rings are a bit fugly. I prefer a good case with MagSafe built in.Reply
Also, are you sure no one on the Android side thought of doing this? I invite you to take a closer look at the old Moto Mods before you give apple too much credit. -
Darknight1 Palm Pre had this fifteen years ago (RIP Palm). I've wondered why nobody else had it for years. Copyright maybe?Reply -
tony bag o donuts You had me until the very last paragraph regarding car mounts. Overall I think this is a plus that Android can take advantage of this.Reply -
fuzzylumpkin
I think it will depend on your stuff and where you're driving. Obviously a magnetic mount probably wouldn't put up with serious off roading, but, some companies have rock solid magnet arrays. Peak Design are one, mophie/zagg are also prettty strong. I've also heard ESR are one of the strongest, but I've never used any of their stuff.Darknight1 said:Palm Pre had this fifteen years ago (RIP Palm). I've wondered why nobody else had it for years. Copyright maybe?
All this with the Caveat that I don't drive lol. -
wilder_jw Darknight1 said:Palm Pre had this fifteen years ago (RIP Palm). I've wondered why nobody else had it for years. Copyright maybe?
I came here to point this out. Pre was ahead in so many things. (The card system for open apps is another one that Pre had.) I doubt that a magnet mount patent, in general, stopped anything. Probably just took accessories this long to catch up to the Touchstone charger. I *still* don't have a charger that's as good in terms of security and viewability. -
Marty1781 "Every once in a while, Apple debuts something on its phones that makes us Android folks wonder why someone on this side didn't already think of that."Reply
Actually, Android did think of it before Apple. The Google Nexus 5 (2013) had embedded magnets in its back plate that could be used to connect/align to its companion wireless charger.