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Best Google Pixel 8 Pro MagSafe cases in 2024
Blend protection and convenience with these MagSafe cases
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best Android smartphones you can get your hands on. Its 120Hz AMOLED display is plenty bright, there's a new and powerful Tensor chip under the hood, and its cameras have been upgraded. Google has also given it a slightly larger battery than the one inside the Pixel 7 Pro, and it replenishes a tad faster via wired charging. There's wireless charging, too, but sadly, without MagSafe support. However, you can add MagSafe support to the Pixel 8 Pro with the right cases.
Samsung skipped Qi2, so which Android phone will be first to get it?
Magnetic wireless charging is right around the corner for Android fans, but we still can't use it
For some, wireless charging is a must-have feature in their smartphone. Others couldn't care less about it, preferring faster wired charging for quick power-ups. I tend to fall somewhere in between — it's a convenience I typically use for charging my phone at night or while working at my desk. Regardless of where your opinion of wireless charging falls between the two camps, the feature hasn't changed much since it was first introduced in the Nokia 920 in 2012.
Samsung dropped the ball on Qi2, but case makers swooped in to catch it
The Galaxy S24 series missed its chance to be the first Qi2 phone, but MagSafe Android cases are finally mainstream
The new Qi2 wireless charging standard has been given the moniker MagSafe for Android, because the magnetic rings used are in the same array and general strength. It was announced at the beginning of 2023 and finalized that summer, and this new generation held the promise of bringing the wide, wonderfully flexible world of MagSafe accessories to non-Apple phones.
The best phone cases and accessories of 2023 are simply magnetic
2023 was the year of MagSafe, and 2024 will be the year of Qi2
2023 may have been a boring year to be a phone nerd, but as a phone accessory addict, this year was the best ever. Qi2 — basically MagSafe for everyone — was announced at CES in January, kicking off a renewed interest in MagSafe accessories and MagSafe cases throughout the year, even though we won't see a Qi2 Android phone until 2024. Thanks to the European Union's rulings — and the begging of millions of Apple and non-Apple users — the iPhone 15 launched with USB-C, signaling the end of the Lightning era. This gave us a new bumper crop of USB-C phone accessories that now work with iPhone and Android.
Best Google Pixel 8 MagSafe cases in 2024
MagSafe cases use magnets to attach accessories and add functionality to your Pixel 8
MagSafe accessories have revolutionized the way we use and interact with our phones. Think of it as the magnetically amped ecosystem that glues your Google Pixel 8 to a host of add-ons, like wireless chargers. Convenient and versatile, the precision alignment of a good MagSafe ring lets you adopt a set-it-and-forget-it mentality when you let your phone out of your hand. With MagSafe, convenience and style are a magnetic snap away.
The Pixel 8 Pro might pack some notable hardware improvements over the 7 Pro, but support for Qi2 wireless charging is not one of them, leaving the 8 Pro stuck with traditional wireless charging.
Ever since Apple brought MagSafe technology to the iPhone 12, the Android community has been left high and dry, waiting patiently for a dependable magnetic charging alternative within the same league. Granted, we're not at the point where we can casually slap any old MagSafe accessory onto our best Android phones just yet, but there are viable options available.
The iPhone 15 just guaranteed the success of Qi2
Despite Apple’s efforts to bury it, Qi2 will overtake MagSafe
It's hard to deny the clear divide in selection and quality between iPhone accessories and the options we have in the Android ecosystem. We get a fraction of the phone case variety in both function and fashion, though Samsung and Google's flagships have made some headway there in the last four years. Nearly all of the best PPS chargers and power banks are optimized for iPhone first, and wireless chargers for Android phones have been such a hot mess that I've developed mental ticks around researching and writing about them.
Why you should use MagSafe on Android before your phone is even compatible
MagSafe accessories are finally worthwhile for Android users — and it'll get even better this fall
Ah, MagSafe. Ever since Apple debuted it in 2020, I — and my colleagues — have loathed and lusted after MagSafe in equal measure.
I am stuck on MagSafe, because MagSafe isn't stuck on my phone
Why haven't more Android manufacturers taken this idea from Apple?
As much as every smartphone manufacturer may see Apple as their rival, both iOS and Android pull inspiration from one another. It's no secret that recent versions of the iPhone's software have cribbed from Android. Often times, when Apple tries to do its own thing — like with its always-on display or notifications — the implementation falls flat on its face. Likewise, we've seen Google follow Apple's lead on a few concepts as well. And as much as you might want to call out copying, these moves can result in refined or evolved versions of the original implementation. But there's one feature that Android phones from the Pixel 7 to the Galaxy S22 have yet to steal: MagSafe.
Nubia Z40 Pro becomes the first Android to feature MagSafe-like charging tech
Finally, Android's chance to play with magnets
Nubia has done its best to make a mark on the world of smartphones outside of its close relationship with ZTE. Since then, it's the RedMagic series of gaming phones that have managed to take off, but there's plenty of innovation coming from the company's mainline devices as well. With the freshly launched Nubia Z40 Pro Gravity Edition, we're getting some Apple-style magnetic charging on Android.
Another Android manufacturer is taking on Apple's MagSafe charging
Oppo's "MagVOOC" is faster, and the company is working on an air charging prototype
Just a few days after Oppo unveiled some fancy new camera technology, the company has returned to show off its latest wireless charging gear. Like Realme before it, this magnet-based charging system is designed to take on Apple's MagSafe, with a few different form factors available for anyone looking to keep their phone powered up all day long.
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When Apple announced MagSafe for the iPhone 12 range, I hoped someone would find a way to make it work with Android devices. MagSafe allows you to magnetically attach various accessories to the back of a compatible phone, including wireless chargers, battery packs, wallets, and car mounts. After using Mophie’s MagSafe adapter with my S21 Ultra for a few weeks, I must say I’m impressed.
Realme's MagDart wireless charging aims to take on Apple's MagSafe with faster speeds
No release date yet
Yesterday we saw a few leaks concerning Realme's upcoming MagDart wireless charging technology, and today marks the official launch, not that Realme has provided a release date or prices just yet. Still, today's announcement is all about Realme showing off its upcoming magnetic wireless charging solutions for Android. As a matter of fact, the company has revealed an entire wireless charging ecosystem, which is why we have a slew of products to reveal below, including the 50W SuperDart wired charger that can fully recharge Realme's concept Flash phone's 4500mAh battery in less than an hour.
Realme's MagSafe clone shows what it's capable of in new video
The tech is called MagDart, and it's designed for rapid charging
Look, MagSafe is some cool stuff. A collection of interchangeable accessories that instantly clamps on with magnets, including wireless charging? Hell yeah, I'm not made of stone. It's not enough to actually make me switch to an iPhone (he said, dodging disapproving glances from his Pixel 5), but I can't deny that it's a fantastic idea. Fantastic enough that it's surprising it took this long for someone to brazenly rip it off. That someone is Realme, with its recently-leaked Realme Flash phone. GSMArena reports that the Flash will be a fairly typical high-end model, with its biggest differentiator being the "MagDart" system, with integrated magnetics in the rear of the body for attaching a Qi wireless charger.Reportedly the manufacturer will offer two choices in chargers: a small puck-shaped charger that more or less matches Apple's MagSafe with 15 watts of wireless charging, and a massive brick with a built-in cooling fan. Exactly how fast this version will charge isn't yet known, though the source claims it will be "the fastest magnetic charger in the world" at its launch.[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/realmeIndia/status/1419545519127367682[/EMBED_TWITTER]Other details on the phone indicate it's a flagship: Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, three rear cameras of indeterminate quality. The screen size isn't known, but it'll use curved glass and a "hole punch" camera in the top left corner. Realme is currently teasing the phone on Twitter, so we should get more official details (hopefully including launch markets) before too long.There are a few other options if you're looking for a MagSafe-style system for Android. Moment makes some cases for the Galaxy S21 that are compatible with MagSafe chargers and accessories, and there are some stick-on magnets available. Neither are particularly elegant.
Apple's iPhone 12 made waves with the addition of MagSafe, kicking off the beginning of a whole new ecosystem of accessories. While the charging capabilities are proprietary to Apple's own product line, there's still quite a bit that can be done with the magnetic mounting system. If you happen to be walking around with a Samsung Galaxy S21 while also eyeing one of the new MagSafe mounts for your car or desk (or a tripod), Moment has a case that will bring the two together — and it happens to be on sale for the next week.