TL; DR
- Realme introduced MagDart technology, which effectively mimics Apple’s MagSafe.
- Thanks to a 50 W charger, it can be charged more quickly, although a puck charger “only” has 15 W.
- You can also buy a charging case, wallet, and even a photo light.
Realme didn’t waste much time revealing its answer to Apple’s MagSafe. The company has introduced MagDart technology which, as the name suggests, gives Realme phones an equivalent of MagSafe wireless charging.
Like the approach to MagSafe in the iPhone 12 family, the Realme approach combines a well-known inductive charging coil with a magnetic ring (in this case boron and cobalt) to securely mount your phone on a charger or accessory. Realme has a clear speed advantage, however – its 50W MagDart charger reportedly charges a 4,500 mAh phone battery in just 54 minutes. Apple’s MagSafe is limited to “only” 15 W for most iPhone 12 models.
There is also a wider range of accessories. Realme is based on MagSafe with a puck-like 15 W MagDart charger, a MagDart wallet and a MagDart power bank. In addition, however, you have the option of using a MagDart case to add the functionality of the Realme GT. There is even a Pro Light that illuminates your selfies better with 60 LEDs.
The company has also teased a concept phone with a built-in MagDart, the Flash, though no launch plans are known.
Related: The best wireless chargers
Realme has not given a release date or price for any of its MagSafe doppelgangers. They show promise if you want the convenience of a magnetic wireless charger while sticking to Android. The question, however, is whether or not Realme will make a sufficiently large commitment to a MagDart ecosystem. Apple had some early successes with MagSafe, not least because of its persistence. MagSafe is available with every iPhone 12 variant, and the technology is likely to last for several generations of hardware. It’s not yet clear if Realme will do the same, and that could be an issue if MagDart company either limits MagDart to a handful of devices or ends support after a product cycle or two.