16th Jan 2021 Universal Charging

Mark Gurman writing for Bloomberg:

A major change to the new computers will be how they charge. Over the past five years, Apple has relied on USB-C ports for both power and data transfer on its laptops, making them compatible with other manufacturers’ chargers. But the company is now bringing back MagSafe, the magnetic power adapter that means any accidental yanking of the power cable would simply detach it from the laptop rather than pull down the entire computer. It was a favorite feature of the company’s portable PC lineup that was first introduced in 2006 and most recently revived for its latest lineup of iPhones.

The return of MagSafe with the next MacBook Pros will also allow those laptops to charge at a faster rate, the person said. The connector will be similar to the elongated pill-shape design of the older MagSafe port.

I would be happy to see the return of MagSafe, but not as a replacement for the universal charging USB Type-C provides.

Universal charging means I am less likely to take my laptop charger with me on the go, when I know I can share the same USB Type-C charger/portable batteries as my PC laptop carrying counterparts. That I can choose my own charger from companies like Anker. And when I am at my desk the same dosk or USB Type-C monitor that extends the capabilities of my MacBook can also charge it as well. If a proprietary MacSafe cable is the only way to charge my MacBook in the future, count me out.