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After listening to MacBreak Weekly #316: The iPhone 5 it was mentioned, but not confirmed, that the new Lighting 8-pin adapter may be magnetic in attachment similar to the MagSafe adapters for MacBooks.

I can't really find evidence either way to determine if this is true or false, so can anyone else provide any proof either way?

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  • This should probably be closed until it's actually available on the 21st. Because we can't possibly answer it before then. – Jason Salaz Sep 13 '12 at 15:07
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In the external buttons and connectors section of Apple's official spec sheet for the iPhone 5 no mention is made that the lightning connector is magnetic.

Given how proud, and rightly so, Apple is of the MagSafe connector, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts they would mention that the new connector is MagSafe if that was indeed the case.

Secondly, looking at 2D representations of the new connector, it does not have any of the characteristics of the MagSafe connector at all. It uses the traditional male/female plug/socket concept humans find so comforting.

Once I get my new iPhone 5, I'll let you know.

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  • Additionally, the Lightning connector is going to be used in various docks, meaning it'll be used to support the weight and angle of the iPhone - while this could probably be done with magnets, a la MagSafe, it would be a lot sturdier to use a physical connection. – da4 Sep 13 '12 at 16:28
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No it's not. It was just a supposition from some rumors.

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Whether magnetic enough to bond with the phone like a magsafe does with your computer, it seems to be magnetic enough to stick to the MOS "Magnetic Organization System" cable collector without using its separate magnet clips:

Magnetic Organization System picture

Maybe there's some slight usability-aiding magnetic part in it, without which an otherwise identical rip-off copy would turn out to suck much more than an original, but which Apple doesn't boast about as their priorities were making a slim, future-safe cable, not a cable that homes in on nearby phones?

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    This only proves that the lightning connector contains ferromagnetic materials, such as Iron, steel, etc. – MrDaniel Mar 16 '13 at 0:25
  • And if there is on the iPhone side too, we'd have a force. – ecmanaut Mar 16 '13 at 4:22

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