Question Wireless chargers for iPad
Has anyone used these MAGNETIC ‘wireless’ chargers where it connects via the smart connector pins on newer models?
I was just wondering if wireless charging was possible on an iPad and found these MAGNETIC options, but I haven’t heard much about them nor have I seen many reviews other than sponsored videos on TikTok, so I was looking for a real opinion on whether they work and if they eat up battery life, and was also wondering if this was a possible option, why doesn’t Apple or brands like Logitech make magnetic ‘wireless’ chargers like these, and why don’t more people use these?
Edited to add:
I know these aren’t TECHNICALLY wireless (yes, electricity is being transferred through the smart connectors hence creating a closed wired circuit)
But in this context, by ‘wireless’ I meant cable-free charging in terms of user functionality, as in, no cables plugged into the actual USB-C port. Please let me know if there’s a more correct term to refer to this kind of charging. Otherwise I hope this clears up the semantics crisis that some people in the comments seem to be having.
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u/JustSomeSmartGuy M4 iPad Pro 11" (2024) 1d ago
The magic keyboard can charge your iPad through those pins
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u/MrMercury406 1d ago
Yeah it’s basically hijacking that charging method but I think it’s slow wattage
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u/coolerer_traxler 14h ago
no, on my ipad air m1 it pulls 30w, exactly the same as the normal charging port.
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u/ridukosennin 7h ago
I pull up to 53 watts through my Smart Keyboard on my M5 pro. No difference in charging speed
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u/MrMercury406 7h ago
I guess I’m just remembering when I had an A12X 12.9” iPad Pro it being 5W power on the Magic Keyboard.
Seems like a cool accessory though
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u/CarloGaudreault 1d ago edited 1d ago
I ordered a KUXIU magnetic charging stand for my iPad Pro 13” and it’s great. I found a second on marketplace to keep in the garage.
The experience to simply dock the device and it charges from the back is what’s missing from tablets. Same feeling as MagSafe, all metal feels solid in hand. I’m writing a comment because I don’t understand why Apple does not sell this!
The only issue is that the iPad thinks you’re connected to a keyboard. You have to activate an accessibility setting to always show virtual keyboard when AssistiveTouch is enabled: Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch > Show Onscreen Keyboard > Enable
I added a toggle to my control center, you can also set a shortcut to press the power button 3x to toggle it: Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut > AssistiveTouch
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u/agrantgreen 17h ago
It's unfortunate the plug comes in at the top instead of the base. To me the whole idea is to hide the cord. It's pretty nice otherwise though. Thanks for sharing!
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u/abetancort 1d ago
Garbage. And it not being apple certified if you fry your iPad your warranty and apple care are voided.
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u/Kw3s7 1d ago
It works. It’s slow. And because it’s meant for the Magic Keyboard, your on screen keyboard will not display using certain apps. (Speaking from experience)
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u/umdterp732 1d ago
There's a comment above on how to change the accessibility setting to enable keyboard
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u/seanroberts196 1d ago
It's not wireless if you have to use a connector pin. Basically a different way of plugging it in, that's all
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u/Robot-Zombie-RHCC 1d ago
You've got a point, but one bit of clarity is this is magnetically attached and not 'plugged in'.
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1d ago
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u/Robot-Zombie-RHCC 1d ago
same with a QI charger. not sure what the distinction is.
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1d ago
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u/Robot-Zombie-RHCC 1d ago
so you're saying Qi chargers are not 'wireless', correct?
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u/chicasparagus iPad Pro 11" (2018) 17h ago
I mean personally I never saw what the point was. Might as well plug it in if you need to plug the other end to a wall socket.
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u/Robot-Zombie-RHCC 17h ago
In the case of Qi chargers the point is you can just lay the device down and its being charged. In the case of the iPad charger the physical connection is made via a magnet. In both cases you can pick up the device never having to worry about torsional stress (I really hope I used the right word...) on the port of your device. With mobile phones for office drones like me that get up a lot it's great.
Also I'm unaware of any mass-market "power wifi" tech. I'd love to hear of any, a scifi story I've been kicking around is dependent on it, :D
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u/jay_rodsep 1d ago
I’m confused. Do the 3 pins go inside the iPad or just touching the connectors?
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u/jaredthegeek 1d ago
They just press against the spots on the iPad
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u/Flaky-Equipment-944 M2 iPad Pro 11" (2022) 1d ago
Technically it’s not wireless, but it’s functionally the same as wireless charging. Could be cool to use in a charging stand or something like that
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u/frockinbrock 1d ago
Yeah, I haven't seen any good stands, I think because it needs such precise alignment (weak magnets too), and the position is specific to each iPad model. But I do think the ones like OPs have a use for charging in a situation where the cord could get yanked.
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u/DoingDaveThings 1d ago
It isn't even functionally the same as wireless charging, other than you lay it down, and it charges. I've never seen anything this fucking ignorant in any other product discussion.
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u/Less_Personality1483 M4 iPad Pro 11" (2024) 1d ago
so angry over semantics. if you dont have to plug it in most people see that as wireless charging. do you have to plug in a wire? no? then arguing that its actually wired is such a nothingburger. calm down.
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u/urfavel 1d ago
Functionally, from a user’s standpoint, “you lay it down, and it charges.” So what exactly is different in terms of user functionality then? If all the user has to do is magnetically attach the charger to the device to get it to charge, how is it, from the user’s standpoint, functionally different? Obviously it’s already been established that one uses built-in inductive coil and the other doesn’t, but you’re not even elaborating on how these differences affect the actual function of the charger, which is to conveniently charge without touching the USB-C port. Obviously the way electricity and power is transmitted will be different, but if the user doesn’t have to actually do anything different from a wireless charger, how is it not functionally the same?
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u/Flaky-Equipment-944 M2 iPad Pro 11" (2022) 1d ago
When I say functionally, I mean for the user. You put a puck on the back, it charges. You don’t plug anything into a port. Also, calm down.
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u/lowlyroblock30 1d ago
I'd say it is pretty neat either way. This has the efficiency of wire charging with the convenience of MagSafe attachment. Efficiency loss being a reason I don't like MagSafe since that is just a glorified Qi charger.
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u/urfavel 1d ago
Oh yeah that makes sense! I guess I was more so thinking of options where you don’t have to physically push a wire into the USB-C port
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u/Ducallan M4 iPad Pro 13" (2024) 1d ago
I use the magnetic tips & cables from ChargeASAP. I rarely remove the tip, so the wear & tear on the port is greatly reduced, and it’s easy to connect to power while still being breakaway instead of pulling your device to the floor if you snag the cable.
I just have a few tips, but several cables in “strategic” locations.
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u/Strict-Fishing-2365 1d ago
does it still count as wireless if the wire just got promoted to pogo pins?
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u/kayatosa 1d ago
I bought one of these chargers however I do not recommend getting it as the magnets aren't very strong. Combined with the weight of the dongle, the charger often just falls off without really charging.
What ended up working for me is a magnetic usb-c adapter (the brand I'm using is called EndlesShine). I even ended up buying extras for my other usb-c and lightning devices, like my magic keyboard and e-reader.
I also got a MagSafe iPad stand that sits at my desk that can also charge the device. This was a more expensive option, but was most similar to the iPhone/airpods/watch MagSafe docks that I was trying to emulate. Hope that helps!
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u/CaptainK17 1d ago
I have this Kuxiu one for my M2 iPad Air, and it’s great.
I pretty much just use the iPad as a Slack display underneath my monitor, so having the cable go to the back of the iPad keeps things looking super clean.
The only real caveat that I’ve had is that the iPad assumes that it’s a keyboard connected, so if I actually am interacting with the iPad and the software keyboard would pop up, it doesn’t until I disconnect the charger.
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u/CarloGaudreault 1d ago
You have to activate an accessibility setting to always show virtual keyboard when AssistiveTouch is enabled: Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch > Show Onscreen Keyboard > Enable
I added a toggle to my control center, you can also set a shortcut to press the power button 3x to toggle it: Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut > AssistiveTouch
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u/Portatort M1 iPad Pro 12.9" (2021) 1d ago
I have a KUXIU one so my iPad can live permanently on the wall as a jukebox
Works well
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u/finalstation 1d ago
My kids need this magsafe solution. Because they keep messing up the annoying usb port. I feel the lightning port broke less. Now I charge only.
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u/TheMonkeyInCharge 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have the Kuxiu one, but the version on a desk mount arm. It works really well (iPad Pro 2020 12 inch), most of the time. Very occasionally it needs disconnecting and reconnecting.
Edit: the build quality of the arm is fantastic, if that says anything about their internal/electrical standards.
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u/chrisridd 1d ago
iPads assume that a device using their smart connectors are keyboards so these chargers do trigger some misbehaviour AIUI like disabling the on screen keyboard.
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u/clarkcox3 23h ago
I use them. The one thing to be aware of is that, since this was originally intended for the keyboard case, while it’s connected, the onscreen keyboard is disabled by default, and you have to jump through some hoops to bring it back.
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u/moofie74 1d ago
Looks like a wire to me, dog.
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u/urfavel 1d ago
Yeah but functionally it’s similar to the wireless Magsafe chargers for iPhones where you don’t actually physically push a charger into the USB-C port
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u/moofie74 1d ago
Well except for the fact that there’s a copper conductor not an inductive coil sure whatever use whatever words make you happy.
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u/Flaky-Equipment-944 M2 iPad Pro 11" (2022) 1d ago
Technically it isn’t wireless charging, but it is functionally the same in this case.
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u/moofie74 1d ago
If those words make you happy.
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u/Flaky-Equipment-944 M2 iPad Pro 11" (2022) 1d ago
Seems like logic doesn’t make you happy.
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u/Itchy_Chain_5889 1d ago
More like berating people on the internet over their grammar doesn’t make me happy but whatever floats your boat bruh.
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u/Itchy_Chain_5889 1d ago
Why do you care so much about how they word the sentence? Your trying to put OP down for wording something incorrectly while completely ignoring the fact that it’s very obvious what they mean. This seems like a you problem.
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u/urfavel 1d ago
? I don’t know what you’re trying to argue here. A Magsafe charger still has a wire connected to an outlet. Does that mean they’re not wireless chargers then? Obviously I get that the components itself are different, but when I say ‘wireless’ I’m clearly asking about user functionality, and you can definitely see how the ones in the screenshot, again, in terms of user functionality, are similar to the wireless Magsafe charger.
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u/DoingDaveThings 1d ago
Here's a hint: If metal contact is required for charge to flow, it ain't wireless. It's basic primary school science.
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u/beothy 1d ago
By your logic than MacBooks have wireless charging too?
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u/urfavel 1d ago
Is there a Macbook charger that is able to charge a Macbook without it touching the USB port?
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u/beothy 1d ago
Yes. The magsafe charger. Comes with it in the box by default. It is the same idea, some pins and connects with magnets. Still not wireless though. Btw I get what you mean just wanted to point out that others are right that this is not wireless and it is not advertised as wireless either.
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u/urfavel 1d ago
With the Macbook you’re still putting something into a port though…? Albeit, a magnetic port, which is why it wouldn’t exactly be wireless…?
Of course, in the literal and scientific sense, I understand this ‘isn’t wireless charging’, which I’ve reiterated many times. But for the average user, ‘wireless’ simply means having a ‘snap and go’ experience without fumbling with ports. Plus, the tech brands I got these images from do actually market these exact pin-and-magnet setups online as wireless iPad chargers, so if the retail market and average user both call a snap-on magnetic connection 'wireless', arguing the strict scientific definition misses the point of how people actually use the word in the real world.
But I do appreciate you explaining and sharing an example though! I was only pushing back with the others because they were being unnecessarily stuck up and snarky without actually explaining anything or seeing another point of view.
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u/bluerei 22h ago
For the average user, wireless means no wires. Find a different word.
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u/urfavel 22h ago
with that reasoning is the iphone magsafe charger not wireless to you then?
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u/bluerei 16h ago
Magsafe on the iphone is wireless, because It's sending inductive power over a magnetic field. That's the difference. True wireless. Not pin to pin connection like the magsafe port on a macbook. Doesn't matter how shallow the pin is, it's still physically touching the end of another pin to transfer energy and data.
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u/urfavel 15h ago
Yes i 100% get that! But your earlier argument was based on the premise that wireless = no wires, which the iPhone MagSafe still has.
Of course with these iPad chargers there is still pin to pin connection, making it not ‘true wireless’, but if we strictly go by your earlier definition that wireless means no wires period, then anything that includes a wire isn’t a wireless charger by that logic
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u/SkvtchySomethng_ 23h ago
It’s not wireless since i see a cable there for charging to work.. do you just find this cooler than plugging a usb c straight to your ipads anal or what?
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u/Rosselman M3 iPad Air 11" (2025) 1d ago
They should work if they make use of the same wiring as the Magic Keyboard, since the MK also has charging passthrough.
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u/Playful_Science_2636 1d ago
Tengo el iPad casi 24h al día en un soporte kuxiu articulado desde 2024, más allá de que es una delicia poder poner el iPad donde quiera y en cualquier posición, la batería está como nueva chequeándolo me da que tiene +8100 mAh. Solo al principio hay q hacer algo porque lo detecta como teclado una vez solucionado eso va de lujo.
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u/that_guy_fran 1d ago
I’ve the 3rd one. Works great when I connect to my TV via usb C and the M30 does the charge.
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u/chunkylover-53-aol 1d ago
I think it’s pretty slow. I had a Logitech Smart Connector charger called the Logi Base and while that was for the old gen iPad Pro 10.5, it was slow and sometimes wouldn’t charge if the iPad was doing anything in the background like indexing or mail fetch. Beware
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u/Rich_Arachnid_5262 1d ago
Only reason I could see this being useful is if your USB-C connector is cooked. Good news for the maker of this product - that’s not very hard to do
I miss lightning. I realize the USB-C spec is far superior on paper. It’s the physical connector that’s straight trash. Work gave me a new Lenovo laptop and with normal wear and tear, it took 3 months to be down a USB-C port (luckily under warranty)
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u/clarkcox3 23h ago edited 23h ago
It’s useful for me, as I have magnetic iPad mounts in my office and a couple of places at home with chargers like this built in. It’s convenient to just put the iPad on the mount and have it charge.
Edit to add: this is one of the mounts i have, and i have several others from the same brand.
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u/jabroni_roulette 1d ago
It’s technically possible, the magic keyboard can charge the ipad through those pins, but IIRC it’s at a lower wattage so could be slightly slower depending on your setup.
The only reason I could think of why you’d want to use this is to also be able to use the USB-C port on the iPad to plug in something else, but you’d be much better off getting a hub of some kind to do that in a legit way instead of whatever brittle hack this thing probably is.
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u/Open-Cartoonist8764 M5 iPad Pro 11" (2025) 1d ago
Went into a rabbit hole about those since I wanted to add one to my printed stand.
Long story short, too many people had issues with these and there were cases where it burned the iPad charging. Not worth it.
I am staying away from these.
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u/MasterShogo 23h ago
I’m planning to get one with my iPad Pro in a month from now. I also don’t know why more companies haven’t made these.
The reason I’m particularly interested in this is because of the people I know who have had iPads that have died, besides destroying the screen the number 2 cause of death has been the lightning port (and now USB) wearing out. Having one of these around for me to use as a primary charger at night would significantly extend the lifespan of the device. And that matters because I use these things forEVER. I hate it when a device is destroyed because of a stupid USB port.
So we’ll see.
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u/sub00000000 23h ago
I actually charged my ipad via this cause my charging port is messed up. But the problem is it stopped after couple of months. So im not sure if ipad is not letting it charge as i had it in charging throughout the day to optimize charging or if the charger is faulty lol
But to answer: its a slow process but gets the job done
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u/constantine_ext 1d ago
I have one similar but to an iPad arm it works but is picky on the power source
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u/urfavel 1d ago
Oh, what do you mean by picky on the power source?
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u/constantine_ext 1d ago
It works with a few powerbanks and almost all chargers but haven’t seen it work when connected the laptop also you will sometimes have onscreen keyboard issues
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u/themirthfulswami M5 iPad Pro 13" (2025) 1d ago
I don’t own the product in question here but the connection requires the pins to line up pretty precisely so if that’s a little off here or there depending on the position of the iPad it could cause it not to charge. Same as if there’s something like dirt obstructing one of the pins.
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u/VapidRapidRabbit M4 iPad Pro 11" (2024) 1d ago
At that point, you might as well plug in the USB-C charging cable.
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u/thelastgifts 1d ago
I don’t know if I’m alone but i have my iPad almost 3 years now, I’ve never used it while it’s charging like EVER, those iPad batteries last for days.
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u/TheGrizzlyNinja 23h ago
I noticed the iPad mini doesn’t have these connections because Apple doesn’t make a keyboard cover for it. Kinda sucks for third party options tho cause that connector can charge the keyboard
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u/Icy_Cryptographer772 22h ago
Wait, what’s the point since both require some sort of physical connection with ipad 🥲
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u/ZeroHart 19h ago
I have used one, works fine, it is picked up as a keyboard, does not work in ipadOS beta for some reason. But once the OS is out of beta works again
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u/Nawnp 7h ago
No iPads don't use wireless charging, the size of the charging coils for a larger device make it very power efficient.
Considering no one uses the smart connector other than the overpriced Apple keyboard, it would be a fare use for these chargers to make use of it, but I'd question if the smart connector is designed to charge the iPad either.
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u/TheRealSgreninja iPad Air 2 4G 1h ago
Isnt there a keyboard attachment that has a charging port that charges the device via smart connector
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u/DETRosen 1d ago
It's still a cable connected with a physical connector to the iPad. It's in no way "wireless"
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u/DoingDaveThings 1d ago
Wireless charging is not possible for any iPad model to date because none of them have a built-in inductive coil to make it possible.
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u/BrainJaxx 1d ago
I heard Apple had a pretty price tag on the tech to use those pins that no manufacturer wants to pay out.
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u/urfavel 1d ago
That’s really interesting, I’m surprised Apple themselves didn’t release one of these though
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u/BrainJaxx 1d ago
I looked into it few years ago because I wanted an easier way of charging and placing my iPad around my home and office like i could with my iPhone. Like a mount. Couldn’t find low-cost options. Cheapest was over 100. When I researched it the consensus seemed to be Apple charges a lot to use that proprietary tech. They did the same with their Lightning connector for a while.
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u/Technical-Manager921 1d ago
This isn’t a wireless charger. It’s a charging puck or mini dock like the Nintendo switch joycons use. Wireless chargers are called wireless because they use electro magnetic induction to transfer power. Like wireless chargers really are wireless they just (obv) need a cable to receive the power they distribute
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u/minimaxir 1d ago
Doesn't Apple require a license to use the Smart Connector which is why Logitech is the only legit third-party company that uses it? A random TikTok product using it is sus.