Apple’s newest leather iPhone MagSafe wallet has a trick: The handset can show the user the last place the wallet was attached. This should make finding the clip-on accessory easier.
But it’s short of actually building an AirTag tracker into the wallet.
A new trick by Apple iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe
“We also have a new MagSafe Leather Wallet that supports Find My,” said Kainn Drance, head of iPhone product marketing, during Tuesday’s iPhone 13 unveiling. “You can now be notified of the last known location where your wallet was separated from your iPhone.“
The accessory uses the magnets that are part of the MagSafe system to cling to an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. And the handset can tell when and where the clip-on wallet is removed. If a user misplaces the wallet, they can open the Find My app on their iPhone and see on a map the last known location.
Photo: Apple
However, the Find My app can’t be used to show the current location of the wallet if it’s moved. That would require something like an AirTag to be built into the wallet. And Apple didn’t do that.
Retroactive? Maybe not
The Find My trick apparently requires new hardware. Apple discontinued its previous clip-on wallet on the dash of this announcement and is only offering the new one. There’s no reason to do that if the new and old versions are functionally the same. Cult of Mac doesn’t have the original version to confirm this, however.
The new version of the Apple iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe comes in five color options: brown, dark purple, light purple, green and black.
It costs $59 and can be preordered from the online Apple Store now. Orders placed Wednesday won’t arrive before September 22.
The accessory holds up to three IDs and credit cards, and is compatible with all iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, no matter the size. They must be running iOS 15 or higher, though.
The wallet can sit on top of a MagSafe case, but Apple also says, “not supported on iPhone 12 Clear Case with MagSafe.” The wallet needs to be removed for charging, of course.
