Apple has filed for a patent (number ) that hints at the turn of the late, lamented MagSafe adapter. This is the company’s third such patent filing; the first being number 20170093104 in March 2017, and the second being number 20170133787 in May 2017.
With the 2016 MacBook Pro line, Apple ditched the MagSafe connector, which disengaged with the slightest amount of pressure. This saved many Mac laptops from a disastrous plummet when someone accidentally snagged the power cable.
The latest patent filing is for connector adapters that may have a MagSafe connector receptacle and a Universal Serial Bus Type-C connector insert. This would allow MagSafe chargers to be used to charge devices having Universal Serial Bus Type-C connector receptacles.
It would also provide the breakaway characteristic of a MagSafe connector system for a device that doesn’t include a MagSafe connector receptacle. Other adapters may have other types of magnetic connector receptacles and connector inserts.
Of course, Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product.
