iPhone 16 Pro Max OpenCase Review - less is more.

I bought an OpenCase after hearing about it on the Talk Show, and I found it to be quite fascinating. It’s like ripped jeans, except this actually makes sense. You get less, but it provides more value. Can’t say the same about ripped jeans.

You can guess why it’s called the OpenCase.

You have an iPhone case, but you have a hole in the back of it for MagSafe accessories that attach directly to the phone instead of the case. This gives you an overall thinner profile when attaching your wallet or a battery pack or any other accessory. Not only do you get a thinner profile but you get a better, more secure fit. No more wallets falling off while you stick your iPhone into your skinny jeans.

The cut out matches Apple’s MagSafe wallet and MagSafe battery pack perfectly, so that is your template for fitment. If you have a battery pack that is too bulky, or a wallet with bigger dimensions, this case is not for you. Thankfully OpenCase also makes compatible accessories if you’re looking for a one-stop shop. I do have an Otterbox MagSafe battery pack that fits right into this slot, making it a perfect fit.

Here are some accessories that I have that fit the OpenCase perfectly:

1. Apple MagSafe Battery Pack

2. Apple MagSafe Wallet

3. Otterbox 5K mAh Wireless Power Bank

4. Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe

The case material is a vegan leather that feels good in the hand, and more importantly, feels good in the pocket. It doesn’t stick to pockets like silicone cases do, and it makes it easy and hassle-free when removing and putting your phone in your pocket. That is my biggest gripe with silicone cases, and cases in general. No matter how premium they are, they still tend to be lint magnets and have a tendency to turn your pockets inside-out. The OpenCase doesn’t have that problem.

A nice ridged texture that makes it easy to grip and doesn’t attract lint.

Pocket dynamics are also good with the case and a MagSafe accessory because you can even use the MagSafe accessory that is jutting out from the back of the phone to help pull the phone out of your pocket. Normally the MagSafe accessory would just slide off leaving the phone in place, but in this case, the attachment is secure enough to help pull the phone out with ease. It’s almost like a grab handle to help retrieve your iPhone from your pocket.

The cutout at the bottom for the USB-C port is big enough for most cables, but you will have trouble charging with a thicker cable, such as a Nintendo Switch USB-A to USB-C cable. The buttons I think are aluminum, and have a satisfying click to them. If they’re plastic, they do a really good job of looking and feeling like aluminum.

The port cut-out might be a bit small for really big cables, but the alignment is perfect.

I can’t tell if these are aluminum or plastic, which is a good thing.

Volume Buttons and Action Button

The cut out for Camera Control is not the most professional looking, but I can see why they did it the way they did it. Since there is already a big hole in the back of the case, having a bigger cutout for the Camera Control button would have made the case flimsy and on the cusp of breaking. I know their website mentions they went through a lot of prototyping, and I’m sure this Camera Control button gave them frustration. You really do have to press a bit harder to launch Camera Control, which could be a plus or a minus depending on the person. The swipe and click gestures do work on it, but if you are really into the Camera Control button and use it a lot for taking photos and changing controls, zooming, etc, you will get a better experience with other cases or no case. Since I use it solely for launching the Camera app, it’s fine for me.

Not much wiggle room to carve out a Camera Control hole.

That Camera Control button on the White Titanium iPhone closely matches the color of the OpenCase.

The case is a bit recessed by the Camera Control button to make it a bit easier to press.

Let’s talk about that hole in the back in more detail.

The MagSafe charging puck fits right in place near the top of the square hole, so if you have a 3rd party charger with a bigger diameter, it won’t line up properly. Any other accessory that has the same diameter as the standard MagSafe puck will work fine.

The Moment MagSafe puck has the same diameter as a MagSafe, making it a perfect fit in portrait or landscape.

If you have a non-circular MagSafe charger or one with a larger diameter, you can’t put your iPhone flush with the charger due to the nature of the case. You can still charge it, but it won’t be as secure and will fall if bumped lightly.

3rd party charger with bigger diameter leads to…

Improper fit in portrait…

and landscape.

The case is as thick as Apple’s Clear Case and the recessed cutout for MagSafe is 3mm, so you get exactly a 3mm savings in thickness when attaching an accessory. Doesn’t sound like much but you can definitely feel it.

~3mm of thickness is enough to secure your MagSafe accessories.

It’s genuinely harder to take an accessory out of that recessed hole versus a regular case where it will just slide off. Rest assured, any accessory that fits the hole perfectly will not detach without significant force.

You get a certain level of satisfaction when connecting an accessory and seeing it fit right in place, kind of like the classic children’s shape sorting cube toy where you have different shapes and wooden blocks that fit only one particular hole. Magnets are always fun, and so is MagSafe, but this is just that extra level of fun when you magnetically fit it into the perfect shape.

Dear Apple, make another MagSafe Battery Pack with USB-C.

If you’re concerned about durability, I would get the black one since it’s harder to notice wear and tear versus the light gray one. I would like to see more colors in the future.

I don’t normally put a case on my iPhone except when I’m traveling, and this seems like the perfect travel case since I can slap on my wallet or battery pack without worry or bulk. Pocket space is already at a premium when traveling, so if I can consolidate two things into one I’m all for it.

This isn’t an ultra-rugged case for all your outdoor adventures, but it is a nice modern case that will keep your phone protected in day to day use.

The case costs $55 for the iPhone 16 series, but if you own an iPhone 14 or 15 variant, you can snag one for $39.

Even with some of its minor quibbles such as wireless charging, this case was purpose-built for one thing, and it does that one thing very well. If you want the most secure and compact way to carry a MagSafe wallet or battery pack while protecting your iPhone, the OpenCase is not just your only option, but a great option.

Case closed.

The iPhone 17 lineup is the perfect time for Apple to upgrade MagSafe.

Apple debuted MagSafe back in October 2020 with the iPhone 12, and it has been in every major new iPhone since then. With the release of the iPhone 16e, Apple decided not to include MagSafe in this budget device. People have been prematurely speculating whether or not this is the end of MagSafe, but I would argue that now is the best time for Apple to give MagSafe a much needed upgrade.

Alongside the iPhone 12, Apple released the 12 Mini, which had a 5.4 inch display. That meant all MagSafe accessories had to accommodate the smaller 5.4 inch body, up to the 12 Pro Max’s 6.7 inch body. The lower size limit for MagSafe accessories was the 12 mini, and you could tell because Apple’s accessories such as the MagSafe wallet and the MagSafe Battery Pack fit flush with the device and wrapped around the corners perfectly. Apple’s smallest iPhone 17 display is rumored to start at 6.3 inches, which gives MagSafe more room to breathe.

The base iPhone 17 is rumored to be 6.3 inches, climbing up to 6.6 inches for the iPhone 17 Air, and topping off at 6.9 inches for the 17 Pro Max.

The charging coil diameter will probably not change since it is part of the Qi2 standard, but more magnets can be added in the bottom two-thirds of the iPhone to give accessories more stability, using the 6.3 inch iPhone as the new lower limit.

This can lead to a whole slew of new accessories, such as iPad-like folio cases, ultra-sturdy car mounts, and thinner battery packs.

“MagSafe” cases for your iPhone 16e are not MagSafe, and will make your wireless charging experience even worse.

There is a simple reason why Apple didn’t include MagSafe magnets in their iPhone 16e cases:

It would be a classic blunder of over promising and under delivering.

The iPhone 16e does support Qi wireless charging which has a max output of 7.5W, while the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro can get 25W of wireless charging with MagSafe.

Having those circular magnets will give people the illusion that they have faster MagSafe charging, but they will realize that not only is it charging slowly, it might not be charging their iPhone at all.

I’m going through a similar situation at my house with my kids’ iPhone SE 2nd gen. I bought a circular magnet and glued it to the iPhone right where the coil is, but sometimes the phone won’t charge, even though it’s sitting magnetically on an official Apple MagSafe puck. It’ll start charging, but then stop randomly. When it is charging, it is very slow. This is all being done without a case which is the most efficient way of charging wirelessly.

Don’t just take my word for it, because MKBHD discusses his wireless charging experience with the iPhone 16e:

This week I had it on my desk charger for like 1/2 an hour and it gained zero percent (laughing) while just getting warmer. I don’t have to remind you of the downsides of early wireless charging.

The tech enthusiast doesn’t need a reminder of how bad 1st generation Qi wireless charging was (and still is), but the average person buying the 16e needs that reminder more than ever.

It will objectively be a disadvantage for charging speeds because the case adds an extra barrier that power has to travel through from the charger to the iPhone, generating more heat in the process. That excess heat will eventually cause the battery to either charge slowly, or stop charging completely.

Any case company that tells you it provides MagSafe charging with the iPhone 16e is technically lying.

Real MagSafe, which is available on the iPhone 12 and newer (except for the SE and 16e), is more than just magnets aligning the charging coils. There is communication between the magnetic puck and the phone, ramping up charging speeds and slowing them down depending on many factors such as current battery level, device temperature, and the power adapter being used for charging. The goal is to provide faster wireless charging without destroying the battery’s health.

It’s called MagSafe for a reason.

If you do want to buy a magnetic case for your iPhone 16e, just remember not to rely on it for fast charging. Use it for the other conveniences that it will give you, such as propping it up on your desk, your car, or to slap on a wallet magnetically.

If I were buying this phone, I would buy a magnetic case and use it with these accessories that I currently own (not sponsored or affiliated):

1. Moment Wallmount for MagSafe

2. SYNCWIRE for MagSafe Car Mount

These are not chargers, but they are convenient holders that make life easier.

Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack 3 years later - why it is still the most versatile battery pack.

Announced back in July 2021, Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack was the first official MagSafe battery bank. Although it doesn’t have the capacity of many cheaper alternatives in the market, it arguably has the most versatility. 

That versatility all comes down to its lightning port.

Apple is phasing out the lightning port, but the fact is there are still millions, if not hundreds of millions of people who still use a lightning iPhone.

You and I might have switched to USB-C, but we all probably know at least one person in our families that has a lightning iPhone. 

If you plug in your MagSafe Battery Pack with a lightning cable and have your iPhone attached, it will charge both the battery pack and the iPhone. That’s a given.

What most people find surprising is that if you plug in your iPhone via USB-C to charge while the battery pack is attached, it will charge your iPhone and reverse charge your battery pack. 

If you are ever stuck in a pinch and need to borrow someone’s “iPhone cable,” you don’t have to worry about what cable they hand you because you can top up both devices with either lightning or USB-C.

I have mine since launch day back in July 2021, and it has still held up well. I recently tested it on my 15 and 16 Pro Max devices, and the software integration is still there, with some false promises:

iPhone can charge to approximately 90% while using a MagSafe battery pack.

Not sure why it says that because the most this battery could charge an iPhone is 70% for an iPhone 12 or 13 mini.

In actuality, my 16 Pro Max charged from 20% to 59%, which is on par with Apple’s claim of 40% for the 12, 13, and 14 Pro Max. 

This device technically is not supported on any of the iPhones 15 and 16 according to their website, but it still works. 

Once again, not the most capacity, but still has great versatility for those situations where all you have access to is a lightning cable.

Even though it is discontinued, you can grab one on eBay for less than $50 compared to the $99 it was when new.

My custom MagSafe car setup.

This car mount from an obscure company on Amazon is by far one of the best MagSafe mounts that I have tried.

For a measly $11, you get two different places to mount your MagSafe puck: 

1. CD slot

2. Any surface with a 3M sticky base.

I use both spots on my car, depending on the season. Summer is perfect for the CD slot since I can keep the AC vent pointing to the back of the phone to avoid overheating the phone, causing the screen to dim. In the winter, I place my phone on a lower spot that has enough space for the 3M sticky mount. 

Summer setup in the CD slot (top) keeps my phone cool, and the sticky mount (bottom) keeps my phone cool in the winter.

I jumped on the MagSafe lifestyle since I had the iPhone 12 mini back in 2020, and these mounts have held up quite well. They are almost 4 years old, and these plastic pieces haven’t warped or cracked in the past 3 years, even though I park in direct sunlight all day long.

Occasionally the pivoting ball does get loose, but a quick turn to tighten it makes it firm and like new. 

CD slot option provides rubber grips that allow a secure hold.

3M ball joint mount has been holding up for over 3 years.

The 12 mini is a pretty light device, but I also purchased the 13 Pro Max, 14 Pro Max, and now the 15 Pro Max. The increased weight of these devices didn’t make the mount any looser, which is very reassuring. 

The best part about these mounts is their modularity since you have to purchase the MagSafe charger separately. For $41, you have the two mounting options and Apple’s MagSafe puck which fits like a glove. If something does break, you can replace either the mount or the charger, but you won’t have to replace an all-in-one solution with an expensive replacement. If I ever need the MagSafe puck outside the car, I can just take it off in an instant.

The funny thing about all this is that, since I have a short commute to work and usually don’t have any low-battery issues, my goal from the beginning was to just have a nice magnetic mount without a proprietary case system. Before MagSafe, the only way to get a magnetic mount was to either glue a magnet to your iPhone or get a case plus a compatible mount. I hate cases on my phone, so these were never an option. 

Once MagSafe was a reality on the iPhone, this was the time to get a magnetic car mount the way I wanted it. 

This mount and standard MagSafe puck combo works 99% of the time, but if you hit a New York City bump in the road, it would knock the phone right off. This is more a limitation of the MagSafe magnet strength, and not really the mount’s fault. With the 15 Pro Max, I wanted to be a bit more careful with it since I bought it overseas and it has a SIM slot. Yes I have AppleCare+, but if I damage this phone, I feel like Apple will only give me the eSIM version as a replacement here in the US, which doesn’t work on my carrier. In order to prevent this, I made another modification for my phone’s best interest.

I bought Moment’s wall mount, which has a significantly stronger magnet than the standard MagSafe magnet.  The wall mount diameter is bigger than the MagSafe charger, so it does not fit in the car mount cut out by itself. I would need to use the 3M backing of the wall mount and stick it to a MagSafe puck, which would fit directly into the car mount. I didn’t want to waste $30 on a MagSafe puck just to glue another piece to it, so I ended up buying a cheap MagSafe charger on eBay for $15, cut the wire off, and now I had my custom, modular, MagSafe mount with a stronger magnet.

Moment wall mount = stronger magnets.

Once again due to the modularity of this system, I can easily take this puck off and place it on either mount, so I have a stronger connection that is pothole proof.

I even bought another set for my wife’s car so I can use it on longer road trips. The stronger magnet is essential when tapping the screen during navigation, changing podcasts, etc. It provides more confidence knowing that a hard tap or road bump will still keep the phone safe and secure.