There are now five generations of Apple AirPods, four if you take into consideration the fact that Apple no longer produces the first generation. AirPods are Apple’s flagship audio listening devices, even if you include Beats, which Apple now owns.
Apple AirPods are fiercely competitive with several other top-rated brands out there. A lot of those brands allow for standard charging and MagSafe charging, but what about AirPods Pro, do they charge on MagSafe?
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Will AirPods Pro Charge On MagSafe?
MagSafe will charge any model of AirPods Pro that comes with a wireless charging case. But if you want a case with magnets built-in so it will perfectly align and not slip off the charger, you’ll have to purchase the latest model of AirPods Pro. Apple even provides the MagSafe charging case.
Following Apple’s October 18th, 2021 event, the new Apple MagSafe AirPods Pro became available to buy. Practically everything on these new AirPods is identical to the last model they replaced. The only new feature you get is the addition of MagSafe to the AirPods Pro case.
It’s a pretty nice feature if you’re looking for AirPods that will charge on MagSafe. The case will magnetically stick to the MagSafe charger so even if it gets bumped or nudged, you won’t find yourself checking back hours later to find that your AirPods have hardly charged at all.
Once the case is placed with the status light facing up and in the middle of a MagSafe charger, the status light will turn on for a few seconds and then turn off while it is charging.
If you have the 2nd generation AirPods Pro, you can also charge with an Apple Watch wireless charger.
Apple currently manufactures and sells four generations of AirPods but not all of them come with MagSafe chargers.
2nd Gen AirPods | 3rd Gen AirPods | AirPods Pro 2nd Gen | AirPods Max | |
Price | $129 | $169 | $249 | $549 |
ANC | No | No | Yes | Yes |
MagSafe | No | Yes but not provided | Yes | No |
Playtime | 5 hours | 6 hours | 6 hours | 20 hours |
Only the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation comes with and can charge on a MagSafe charger. Apple’s 3rd generation AirPods can charge on a MagSafe but Apple doesn’t include one in the package. Instead, you get the typical lightning cable along with the charging case that houses the AirPods.
Related Article: Can I Leave My Wireless Charger Plugged In? (Explained)
Will the Original Apple AirPods Pro Charge on a MagSafe?
Apple doesn’t produce the original Airpods Pro, 1st Generation any longer and you won’t find it in the Apple online store. However, if you already own a 1st generation pair of AirPods Pro, you can charge them with a MagSafe charger.
Even back when Apple was manufacturing and selling them, however, they didn’t come with a MagSafe charger in the box. Apple only started slipping MagSafe chargers in Apple AirPod Pro 2nd Gen boxes recently.
Is Charging AirPods Pro On MagSafe Faster?
MagSafe is Apple’s own version of magnet charging. There are all kinds of ways to charge Apple products these days, especially since Apple is beginning to loosen its grip on lightning cable-only charging methods. With USB-C now taking over, rapid charging is becoming the new thing.
MagSafe chargers are really quick. In fact, they’re much faster than the 7.5W Qi wireless chargers and several times faster than Apple’s traditional, 5W chargers. The only thing that beats out the MagSafe is the USB-C 20W chargers, which tend to level out, closer to the MagSafe at peak charging levels.
According to tests on the MagSafe charger, it only takes about 15 minutes longer to charge your devices to 100% versus the 20W USB-C option. Also, Apple claims that the MagSafe chargers are capable of delivering 15W of charging power and the results tend to back up the statement.
Bottom Line
Apple AirPod Pros can use MagSafe chargers to charge, even the older, first-generation version. Apple even ships the newest AirPod Pros with a MagSafe charger in the box so you can take advantage of convenient charging.
Even better, MagSafe chargers are capable of delivering up to 15W of charging power, which will bring an AirPods case to 100% faster than just about any other charging method available.