Kickstarter: MagCable

Well this is an insanely cool accessory!

This nifty little cord is called the MagCable and, with 40 hours left to donate at the time of this post, is about to be funded on Kickstarter.

The MagCable is something that every device owner should think about purchasing in the future and here is why.

Like Apple’s laptops and Sony’s smartphones, the MagCable attaches magnetically to the device.  Well sort of.

It actually is a two-part system that helps reduce accidental unplugs, pulls off of a table, or the classic “Which side of the USB is right?” scenario.

One part of the cord is the cable itself that has a strong neodymium magnet at the end.  The other part of the cord is the Lightning/Micro USB adapter that plugs directly into your device.

The MagCable Lightning/Micro USB adapter is designed to stay inside your device.  When you need to charge up, simply connect the magnetic side to the adapter and you’re good to go.

Like USB-C and Lightning cables, it doesn’t matter if the magnetic part of the cord is “upside down” or “right-side up” because there is no such thing.  As long as the magnet attaches, it will charge.

MagCable also has a quick charging mode which allows you to turn off data transmission to and from your phone.  How much faster this actually charges your device will depend on several different factors so it is kind of up in the air.  It would be interesting if you coupled this with a Motorola Turbo Charger to see how fast you could charge your Moto X.

I see no huge drawbacks of this accessory.

One might consider that MagCable is late to the party with newer devices coming out with USB-C ports.  However this is made to work with the already versatile Lightning cable.

A use case that aMagic, the company that is creating MagCable, proposes for their accessory is when you are in the car and need to connect your phone to charge.  I’m not the one to condone messing with your phone whilst driving a three-ton death machine, but I guess it does make it easier and safer.

Another drawback that may plague the MagCable is the adapter that snaps into your device.

First of all it might render some of your smartphone cases obsolete.  I’m thinking along the lines of “tough” cases that have flaps that need to be flush that prevent dust or water from entering the case.

That is one aspect of the MagCable that aMagic promotes though.  That if you keep this adapter constantly plugged into the USB/Lightning port, it will keep dust out and extend the life of your device.

Which leads to my last concern with the MagCable.  How well will the adapter stay in the device indefinitely?

If you never take it out, I am assuming it will not be that much of a factor, but what about the people who consistently swap cases or forget the end of the cable and need to borrow a friends?

Not only will you have the potential to lose an incredibly small and important piece, but you might also wear-down the adapter itself.  I know from owning several micro USB cords over the years that the pins holding the cord inside the device do fail eventually.

MagCable makes “USB-guessing” a thing of the past!

Overall the MagCable seems like a pretty positive accessory.  If you are someone who still has a device that uses micro USB (not the new C-Type) I would say this should definitely be on your list of chargers to purchase.  We all know how annoying it is to try to figure out what way to plug one of those in.

Oh and it will only cost about $15.  It could be cheaper, but it is a pretty good deal for the practicality of the cable.

Check out the Kickstarter link below!

Kickstarter: MagCable