Magnetic connector. Why magnetic cables for smartphones are dangerous and useful
I also want to somewhat disappoint fans of dismemberment - I will not cut this cable, I still need it for tests in the future.
I hid some lyrics under spoilers, away from lovers of dry facts.
introduction
Recently, due to certain circumstances, reviews of various cables for our gadgets have become popular. After all, it is quite natural that having a unique fleet of devices, there is a need to connect them for charging and/or synchronization anywhere - at home, in the car, at work, at a train station, etc., etc....
Mainly due to the peculiar competition of manufacturers, we have the opportunity to cheaply buy cables of various lengths, any color and type of external protective coating... Sometimes your head is spinning from the abundance of all kinds of “know-how” of Chinese engineering, which they just haven’t come up with to interest the buyer - and illumination of the entire cable or just its connectors, built-in tester, combined cables two in one, or even three in one, as well as with a combined connector, and so on.
And now, Chinese manufacturers are once again trying to satisfy any wishes of customers, and the latest asset of this competition are cables with a miniature magnetic Micro USB or 8-pin lightning connector. They work by analogy with the well-known MagSafe magnetic connector, from which Apple for some reason - then she refused.
Thinking out loud
I’ll be honest, I’ve been wanting to purchase a similar cable for a long time, even when they first went on sale. However, their prices were inadequate, and more or less accessible solutions had “pioneer problems” - the impression was created that buyers were voluntary beta testers, based on whose feedback all wishes and shortcomings would be taken into account in the future. I would not be surprised that the manufacturers did not conduct basic tests of the reliability of the design. After several negative comments from unhappy owners, I abandoned this idea until better times.
And then I had a chance to try it for free - what it is and how it works. There is also an opportunity to find out what to pay attention to if I like this connection method, but the disadvantages of this instance will be significant... But first things first.
A few words about postal services
The delivery of the goods to me took place during the New Year holidays - at a time when the number of orders is off the charts and postal workers do not want to work and have time to clear away mountains of correspondence. I already thought that I would never get anything. It took about three months for the envelope to reach me; perhaps it could have been brought faster on foot from China.Equipment
Considering the price category, everything is quite ascetic - in a regular white bag with a zip-lock fastener there was our magnetic cable with an adapter, which was secured with an elastic band. Very practical - the envelope can be used for other purposes, and with an elastic band you can use an elastic band to secure our old cable wound for transportation.
First impressions
This magnetic Micro USB cable from Floveme belongs to the budget, but fairly high-quality “laces”. Visually, if compared with previous models, it cannot be distinguished from most conventional cables - the dimensions are almost identical.
In the photo, for comparison, I placed Micro USB connectors from Xiaomi (left) and Meiyi (right) cables.
Appearance
In general, the cable is made quite neatly without any flaws, so I have no comments on its appearance. The coating of the metal protective/decorative covers of the USB type A connectors and the magnetic connector is matte. The seller offers three coating color options - silver, yellow gold and pink, and the wire itself is only white. There are no inscriptions, and there is also no Floveme branding, as it is in the seller’s photo.
The cable length is 1 meter and the wire diameter is 3 mm. The wire is soft, tactilely pleasant to the touch, somewhat reminiscent of a soft touch coating. The USB type A connector is standard, nothing special here - it fits into the connectors of chargers and PCs without problems and is fixed in them normally, the connection is stable. What else is needed? But on the other side of the cable there is the whole “zest” of the hero of our review - there is a magnetic base with contacts for connecting a Micro USB adapter.
It’s very convenient - we leave the miniature part of the connector in the connector of our device, and if necessary, we connect only the magnetic part of the cable, thereby reducing the likelihood of damaging the device.
Removable adapter
The length of the Micro USB adapter connector on this cable is 5.5 mm
Photo of the connected adapter to the tablet
It is also almost impossible to lose the miniature receiver when it is in the device connector, because it is inserted quite tightly with a characteristic click and is firmly fixed in it. At first I was even afraid that I would break something or pull out the connector “with meat” when I first tried to remove the adapter, because it takes a lot of force to pull it out. However, it should be understood that this was not done by accident, but so that the magnetic connector does not pull the adapter out of the connector during disconnection.
Magnetic connector
The magnet is moderately strong, so to disconnect it you need to apply a slight force, although nothing will fall off without permission (of course, everything also depends on the weight of the connected consumer and other conditions and features of use). But the device will not pull the cable along with it, but will fall behind if someone accidentally touches it.
Although the magnet is not super powerful, it is able to hold the phone. If you carefully lift my Nokia N9, then the cable can withstand its weight of 136g.
Cable operation indication
The magnetic connector itself contains a two-color LED indicator. When the cable is connected to the charger, it first alternately flashes green or blue several times, and then begins to glow green continuously. This happens before the consumer is connected and if the charging process begins, or more precisely, active energy consumption, the indicator changes color to blue until charging is complete. This is of course all conditional; with a current of 225mA the cable is not sure “what is happening?” and begins to flash alternately blue and green.Ready indication and... 
...charging process. 
For example, my phone Nokia N9, like most similar devices, upon reaching ~90% of the battery charge, the charging process continues, it simply consumes less energy and, accordingly, the indicator lights up green. Also, the indicator turns blue if you unlock the N9, when, in addition to charging the battery, the consumption of the smartphone increases (screen, processor and other key elements).
Even without connecting a consumer, due to the presence of this indicator (there is also an assumption that there is also some kind of board for distributing contacts), there is a slight energy consumption by the cable itself, but it is quite meager ~ 0.005A.
The indicator also has one more “trick” - it is clearly visible in the dark, and you can easily connect the cable by touch, or find out at what stage of the charging process.
Magnetic cable in action
To recharge our devices, we can connect the cable connector on either side to the adapter. In addition to recharging, you can also use it for data transfer and synchronization. But in this mode, the cable, unfortunately, only works in one position of the magnetic connector out of two possible. This is due to the presence of only five contacts and, as we found out, the purpose of the contacts is as follows: 1.5 - ground, 2.4 - data+/data-, 3 - + 5v. Date contacts are not duplicated and, accordingly, in one of the provisions we get them mixed up.If the location of data+/data- is changed when connecting the cable, then the system Windows 10 such a device is defined as “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)” with the identifier “USB\DEVICE_DESCRIPTOR_FAILURE”.
Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)
And also the charging process from the computer on my N9 occurs only with the normal placement of contacts.
ATTENTION! This drawback is critical when using this magnetic cable with smart chargers that communicate with the consumer via data lines, so if the cable is “wrongly” connected, the charging process will not occur correctly. This mainly applies to all fast charging technologies. For example, such as QC2.0, QC3.0, MTK Pump Express, etc.
Unfortunately, at the moment I do not have the opportunity to check how the connection process will occur in practice when connecting devices that support fast charging technologies. As soon as I have something so “smart” in my hands, I will immediately add to the review.
But my old lady is a charger Nokia AC-16E, which came with the N9, now belongs to the “dumb” class, its date contacts are closed and, accordingly, the phone does not care how I connected the magnetic connector to the adapter. This is the first time I regretted that the USB connector on my phone had a protective cover, it was impossible to use a magnetic cable with it...
Cable testing
The time has come for some small tests of the magnetic cable. To check the voltage drop as the current increases, I used EBD-USB+ (ZKEtech) and charger from iPad Air - 12W USB Power Adapter (model A1401). I think this adapter is good for this, because it:- does not increase the voltage with increasing load to compensate for possible losses on the cable, as some chargers do now;
- supports current up to 2.4A (actually even 2.5-2.6, but I didn’t torture it with such a load for a long time),
- and in general, it’s very cute... just kidding, it’s just the best adapter I have at the moment.
First, I will indicate the testing data of the power supply A1401:
500mA - 5,170V; 1A - 5.147V; 1.5A - 5.128V; 2A - 5.105V
But this is what our experimental subject was able to do - Floveme magnetic cable:
500mA - 4.967V; 1A - 4.755V; 1.5A - 4.533V; 2A - 4.323V
For comparison, cable data Nokia CA-185CD, which came with my N9 (previously I considered it my best cable - brand, appearance... but now having tested it, I’m shocked, it’s a pity I didn’t do it earlier):
500mA - 4.924V; 1A - 4.663V; 1.5A - 4.396V; 2A - 4.104V
And VOXLINK 1M Micro USB Cable:
500mA - 5.031V; 1A - 4.879V; 1.5A - 4.754V; 2A - 4.638V
While testing and using the charging cable, I did not detect any heating in the contact area between the magnetic connector and the adapter.
Durability
The only thing that remains in question is the durability of this cable, its magnetic connector, and especially those five contacts, which over time may cease to be in normal contact with the micro USB adapter.
For example, my tablet's docking station Nexus 7 2012 has a similar connection principle as this cable. So, over time, you have to wipe the contacts, because the charging process begins to take a very long time, or even the tablet discharges faster than it can charge the battery... Of course, the fault for this is most likely not the connectors, but the hands of the users and the age of the device itself, however...
Results
Advantages:
- The most important thing is that the Micro USB connector of our device becomes less loose.
- Miniature design (especially compared to the first generation, this one is practically no different from regular cables).
- LED indicator, which helps not only to determine whether our device is already charged, but also to find the cable in the dark.
- A slight voltage drop at a current of up to 1A (ideal for undemanding devices).
- Price (at the moment quite affordable).
- Inadequate implementation of work in both connection options due to an insufficient number of contacts (apparently this is due to the manufacturer’s attempt to save money to reduce the final cost of the product through a simple connection implementation using only five contacts). Therefore there are also possible conflicts with smart chargers.
- Significant voltage drop at current strength above 1A (not suitable for fast charging of devices).
- The durability of the contacts connecting the magnetic connector to the Micro USB adapter is questionable.
- You can short out the magnetic connector if it accidentally attracts a pin or other metal object.
conclusions
Well, summing up all the above, I can confidently say that magnetic cables have a right to exist. And despite all the shortcomings of this copy that I listed earlier, it will come in handy for certain tasks and will be quite useful, making it easier to use your device.
This cable is useful for use cases where a low-demand consumer needs to be connected. But for powerful devices, for which the correct location of the date contacts is important when any magnetic connector is connected, I cannot recommend it and advise you to look at more expensive analogues.
I think that a magnetic cable is an ideal option for onlookers and forgetful people... When you often forget that your phone is not charged from the heat of your body, but is firmly fixed with a cable to the power source, or when there are only “hand-assed people” around, who don’t look where they’re going and hit everything in their path... Just at these moments, such a cable can save more than one nerve cell.
Finally
Phew... This is my first review, so please rate the review itself, not the product.I will try to answer all your comments and if necessary, I will add to the review. Constructive criticism is welcome!
Instead of a cat
"Yo" 
P.S. Even before receiving this cable, I became interested in the flashlight Nitecore T.I.P., its manufacturer supplies it without a plug on the Micro USB connector. I assume that the magnetic cable itself is an ideal option for use as a missing cover for protection, plus there is no need to remove the cap to recharge. As for tightness, that’s another question...
The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review was published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.
I'm planning to buy +15 Add to favorites I liked the review +19 +42I bought a cool and very convenient wire. Not wireless charging, but still very convenient. Friendly with high currents, charges Android and iPhone. It’s even useful for fast charging - it supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2/3, analogues from Apple, Huawei and Mediatekl.
Applies to all magnetic wires: if used carelessly, you can burn your smartphone. Or the whole apartment.
“Magnetic” charging cable - convenient?
"Magnetic" cable it would be more correct to call "cable with plug-in connector"
. The main part consists of a regular wire, a USB connector for connecting to a charger, and a contact pad with a powerful magnet.
The charging part consisting of a connector, magnet and contacts is connected to it. This part is inserted into the device's charging port. The magnets in the 2 parts of the cable attract at a distance of 1 to 5 centimeters, ensuring a strong connection and connecting the device to charging. 
What is good about a “magnetic” cable? Lots of advantages:
- no need to lift the cable and try to get the connector into the smartphone port,
- there is no risk of breaking the port with the connector,
- The connector contacts do not deteriorate.
And if the first is simply convenience, then replacing the connector is the most common reason for a device to appear in service. Breaking a port is like two fingers on the asphalt. Both for iPhone and Android.
By eliminating the need to insert a cable into the device every time you charge, you actually save your smartphone.
About convenience: you need to place your smartphone near the cable, and the cable will connect itself. Almost like wireless charging, but for any smartphone and doesn’t need a case. Well, or almost not needed.
How to choose?
For experiments, I chose several cables: Moizen M4, Newest and unnamed. As it turned out, these are the same wire with a different price and serial number, similar to my old SDL with one plug.
Includes meter cable and connectors: microUSB, Lightning, USB Type-C(not available in Moizen). The properties are quite tempting: a metal braid, a neat plastic USB plug, a properly made part with a magnetic pad. 
There is also an LED on the magnetic pad of the cable, signaling that the wire is connected to a charger or computer.
The question arises - how did you manage to implement a “blind” connection without looking at your smartphone? After all, microUSB, Lightning and USB Type-C interfaces have a clear sequence of contacts for charging. The Chinese have found an elegant solution for this cable. 
The magnetic pad on the cable is installed closer to the edge. Each of the 3 connectors has 2 pairs of similar ones. The cable is connected to the one at the bottom - this prevents incorrect pinout. You can turn the wire over to either side - it makes no difference.
Using the cable used, the smartphone can be charged and connected to a computer to transfer data with either side to the connector: turn the wire over as you wish.
Short successful test
Testing has shown that the maximum cable capacity is suitable for fast charging of any devices: up to 12 V, 2 A. Apple fast charging works (tested on iPad), Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0/3.0, Mediatek Pump Express.
When charging with maximum parameters, there are no failures or heating. The test is successful for all devices - you can use it.
All devices recognize the wire and work normally. Certain problems may arise with Lightning, since only 5 contacts are used: although the iPhone 7 Plus accepted the wire in testing, Apple's protective mechanisms can set the heat.
All other algorithms behave like native ones. Now my Android hangs on it - all the time when I'm at my desk (about 8 hours a day with breaks). Works like a clock.
One of the serious drawbacks is that all connectors stick out quite a bit (by 2.5 millimeters) when installed in a smartphone. In the case it is almost unnoticeable, but without it at first it becomes very unusual. 
And if not for one important point, I could simply write a review about a good wire for a penny. The case helped to clarify one bug that applies to all magnetic wires.
How not to kill your smartphone with a magnetic cable
The smartphone is heavy enough that the wire can drag it along with it. Therefore, if the lace is held by something, when the pad is magnetized, the contacts sometimes do not press well - a small unnoticeable gap remains.
With poor contact and high charging currents, the connector begins to heat up, which can lead to a fire.
The problem is treated very simply - just release a little more wire than necessary. Then, at the moment of docking, it will fall into place on its own. Or place the smartphone along the cable laying line, moving the smartphone along it a little immediately after docking. 
The heating temperature does not exceed the temperature of a hot smartphone. But still, this is a rather unpleasant moment that is worth remembering. Is it worth abandoning “magnetic wires” because of this?
The price is like this.
Surely, each of our site visitors regularly encounters a situation where the charger cable does not insert into a smartphone or tablet the first time. What can I say, sometimes you have to turn the plug over a couple of times! Solves this problem, made in a symmetrical form. But for now, only top-end devices are equipped with it. What to do if you do not intend to change your phone in the near future? There is a solution: this is a magnetic cable!
Operating principle
This accessory looks like a regular wire that connects to a computer or charger. But it actually consists of two parts. The micro-USB plug is detached from the cord itself. According to the creators of such cables, it will be inserted into the smartphone on a permanent basis. This should not interfere in any way, because the plug protrudes only 1-2 mm beyond the device body. The rear platform of the connector is equipped with a magnet, which also has a cable end. As a result, connecting the wire to the gadget occurs instantly. The cord seems to be attracted to the smartphone!
Most of these accessories are equipped with magnets with a fairly strong effect. For example, when using Elough E04, you can safely pull the device by the connected wire - it will definitely not come unfastened. Moreover, this metal braided cable can easily support the weight of a phablet! However, in general, it all depends on the weight of the device. Of course, a 12-inch tablet may not be able to withstand the magnetic connector.
Types of cables
When choosing a magnetic cord, pay attention to which devices it supports. iPhone requires a Lightning cable. And in the case of Android devices, not everything is clear. For example, Samsung smartphones usually use a slightly shorter micro-USB plug. In this case, you should select a magnetic charger for your phone, which includes products from a South Korean manufacturer among the supported devices. This must be indicated in the technical characteristics of each cord.
A magnetic USB cable can also be supplied with several plugs of different lengths. In this case, the cord can be called universal - it will fit all smartphones. This will also allow you to connect the charger to different gadgets in turn.
Please note that you can buy another type of magnetic cable. It will not have a removable connector. Such a cord will have two ends that are magnetized - both connectors. This will allow you to attach them to each other, simplifying transportation - for example, the cable will definitely not get tangled in a backpack. The Baseus cord has this design.
Every customer is delighted with the magnetic cable. Using such a cord is a good way to stop envying owners of the latest gadgets with USB Type-C. Now you too will connect the charger to your smartphone in a fraction of a second!
The desire to get rid of wires led to the creation of wireless power transmission systems. The most popular AirFuel and Qi/PMA standards are already quite widely used in chargers for smartphones, laptops, etc. They allow you to create sealed solutions that do not require a specialized connector. However, they also have disadvantages, for example, significant power losses, increased cost and increased radiation levels. MagC wireless magnetic connectors from Magconn can become a budget-friendly and reliable analogue of wireless charging systems.
Rice. 1. MagC magnetic connectors from Magconn
AirFuel and Qi/PMA wireless power transfer systems are truly wireless, meaning your phone doesn't need to be mechanically connected to a charger to charge it. This eliminates the need for a power connector and greatly simplifies the task of sealing the case. Without a doubt, such wireless systems are very useful and promising. However, along with their advantages, they also have disadvantages: losses during energy transfer, increased RF noise, and increased complexity of circuitry.
At the moment, although wireless power transfer systems are contactless, to charge, for example, a cell phone, it will have to be brought close to the charger. For this reason, Magconn engineers offer an alternative solution - MagC magnetic contact connectors.
The MagC connection consists of a pair of connectors: an RX receiver connector with ring contacts and a TX send connector with spring-loaded point contacts (Figure 2). RX connectors are flat and are usually installed on a mobile device (smartphone, laptop, etc.) as they do not have protruding parts and leave the surface of the case flat. Outwardly, they resemble ordinary 1-wire tablets (iButton, touch memory), but have a larger number of contacts. The TX connector is usually installed on the charger.
The RX and TX connectors are magnetic and attract each other. At the same time, thanks to the ring contacts, automatic positioning occurs, which allows you to connect the device quickly and almost blindly.
Rice. 2. MagC magnetic connectors have a number of advantages
Thus, the MagC connection has the following advantages:
- Wireless connection between a mobile device and a charging station;
- Minimal losses during energy transfer, since the connection remains contact;
- No RF interference;
- Possibility of simple sealing of a mobile device with protection from dust and moisture;
- Easy to connect due to magnets and automatic positioning.
The number of pins depends on the MagC connector model. Some of them have only a couple of power contacts, others have contacts for data transfer, in particular for creating a USB channel.
SeriesM10 - the most compact and low-current connectors in the family. Their diameter is 13.6 mm. Models M10P (RX connector) have only power contacts, and the load current is 1.5 A (Fig. 3). M10D models have a pair of additional contacts for data transfer, and the load current is limited to 1 A. This is quite enough to create a standard USB channel.
Rice. 3. M10 magnetic connectors with load capacity up to 1.5 A
SeriesM21 differs from the M10 series in increased current load and increased diameter of 18.9 mm (Fig. 4). M21P models allow currents to pass up to 3 A and are used for power supply only. The M21D and M21O models have additional data pins and are limited to 2.1A.
Rice. 4. Magnetic connectors M21 with load up to 3 A
SeriesM100 used to power the most powerful consumers with a current of up to 10 A (for example, laptops). The series includes only M100P models without information contacts (Fig. 5).
Rice. 5. Magnetic connectors M100 with load up to 10 A
As mentioned above, RX type connectors are usually installed on mobile devices, and TX connectors are usually installed on charging stations. It is often convenient to have the TX connector located on the cable. In such cases, you can use ready-made solutions from Magconn (Fig. 6).
Rice. 6. Cables with magnetic connectors
The following three figures show examples of the use of MagC magnetic connectors in real devices. In Fig. 7 MagC connectors are used for charging and data exchange with a smartphone. In Fig. 8, a similar problem is solved using a cable with a TX connector.
Rice. 7. Example of using MagC in stationary chargers
Rice. 8. Example of using MagC using a cable
As mentioned above, thanks to the ring contacts and magnets built into the MagC connectors, the mobile device can be connected almost blindly to the charging station. In addition, it can be freely rotated on the platform without interrupting charging or communication (Fig. 9).
Rice. 9. MagC connectors make connecting to a charger as easy as possible
According to estimates from developers from Magconn, using MagC connectors is half the cost of implementing wireless charging. At the same time, it is possible to increase reliability, minimize power losses and significantly simplify the circuit. Don't forget that MagC connectors allow you to get rid of cables and significantly simplify the task of sealing the case.
Although Magconn is focusing on using MagC for wireless charging of mobile devices, the company nevertheless points to significant potential for connectors for IoT devices, bank cards, security systems, etc.
