Tested: Spigen’s new MagSafe charger delivers solid performance with an even better price tag

It is now time to take a closer look at the new Spigen MagSafe charger that just launched. Hitting Amazon and the official site under the radar over the last couple weeks, not only is the puck-style charger already on sale at under $20, but we thought we would give it a run for its already affordable price tag for review as well. Spigen has become known for delivering accessories that hit above their pay grade and it appears the new ArcField magnetic charger is no exception. Head below for our review of the new Spigen MagSafe charger as part of our latest Tested with gadgetnewsonline feature. 

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Hands-on with the ArcField  Spigen MagSafe Charger 

The new Spigen MagSafe charger delivers a familiar form-factor with the puck-style design and attached USB-C cable. It comes in at 2.2 inches in diameter and 0.21 inches in thickness, measuring roughly the same size as the official Apple variant. There’s nothing particularly notable about the actual build quality otherwise – it is essentially made entirely of hard plastic and what fels like it could be some kind of metal composite – with a sort of concentric circle design and logo on one side and an entirely flat approach on the other. 

Spigen ArcField MagFit Wireless Charger is perfectly compatible with the MagSafe. Same size as the official charger, it can perfectly fit with other MagSafe accessories. Also with strong magnetic it is easy to use. You don’t need to put effort into finding the sweet spot.

Spigen’s latest release is capable of delivering 7.5W output speeds directly to MagSafe-ready iPhone 12, 13, and 14 series devices, as expected. Not only does it work through the three or four cases I tried, including some of the thicker leather models I have laying around the office, but Spigen also says it features a “seamlessly aligned magnet to ensure stable charging in any orientation” and an effortless experience when it comes to finding the sweet spot for a solid connection. Which, in my hands-on experience, rings true. From there, you’ll also find what Spigen refers to as Airboost Technology that automatically detects the device you’re using it with to optimize the charging mode. 

Here’s a closer look at the spec sheet:

• Compatible with MagSafe case and accessory
• Airboost Technology automatically detects the optimized charging mode.
• Same size with the official charger 2.20 x 2.20 x 0.21 inches
• 7.5W Output
• DC 5.0V=1.5A, 9.0V=1.67A Input

gadgetnewsonline’ Take

In many ways the new ArcField model is just another MagSafe charger taking on the form-factor of Apple’s, delivering a relatively compact way to charge up your iPhone 12, 13, and 14 device (or compatible Android with a magnetic ring attachment). Spigen clearly wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here, but rather a next-generation edition of its original MagSafe model for folks still using the puck-style charger on desktops, to string through stands, and things of that nature. In that regard, it has succeeded. 

The build is solid without feeling overly robust – Spigen hasn’t divulged the details but it feels like a mix between some kind of black matte aluminum and a really hard plastic with a traditional no-frills USB-C cable extending from the circular base. Perfectly functional, about as compact as you can ask for at this point, but nothing overly special.

At launch, some reports suggested that Spigen was saying its new 7.5W MagSafe charger was faster than Apple’s 15W model. That in combination with the new ArcField coming in at nearly half the price, one would tend to assume Apple’s would certainly get the job done faster. So let’s get them side by side for a real world test to find out – no special ideal conditions here, just a straight up iPhone 14 Pro puck-style MagSafe race. 

In this case, we decided to take the iPhone 14 Pro from 65% to 100% using Spigen’s PowerArc ArcStation Pro 70W wall charger – a middle of the road option that sells for $30 and delivers 60W when a single USB-C port is in use for our test. With these conditions, it took Spigen’s new MagSafe 7.5W charger exactly 1 hour and 17 minutes to get to 100% while Apple’s did it slightly faster at 1 hour and 15 minutes – they both got equally as hot during the process for those interested there. 

Obviously those numbers change depending on how much battery is left, the age of the device, how hard to battery has been pushed over time, the wall charger you have access to, and more. But if you ask me, the far more affordable new Spigen MagSafe charger definitely stood its ground here. The official Apple model goes for $38 at Amazon and you can land this new Spigen model for $19.50 Prime shipped right now. While for some folks the silver and white design in combination with the Apple design is worth the extra cash here, other folks that appreciate the stealthy black third-party option can save some cash and get what appears to be very similar performance. 

Buy the new ArcField Spigen MagSafe Charger

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