Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Android Central
Android Central
Technology
Nicholas Sutrich

I added MagSafe to my Pixel Fold. It worked better than I expected

Using the Spigen MagSafe ring on the Google Pixel Fold

Every once in a while, Apple debuts something on its phones that makes us Android folks wonder why someone on this side didn't already think of that. MagSafe was one of those things, as it added magnets to the back of iPhones, ensuring that wireless charging always lined up perfectly, and it even birthed a whole range of new magnetic accessories.

Thankfully, Spigen makes MagSafe rings that work perfectly for any Android phone. While it can't add wireless charging to phones that don't already support it, this Spigen Magnetic Ring Plate — or MagFit, as it might be better known — does make the best MagSafe accessories work with your existing phone.

So I figured, why not give it a shot and apply one to my Google Pixel Fold? I've got several MagSafe accessories here that I thought might work perfectly — spoiler alert: they do — and it's just nice to add this kind of feature to an already great phone, anyway. I even installed the Ring over top of my DBrand leather skin, which both looks and feels top-notch.

Put a ring on it

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

I liked it, so I put a ring on it. Don't worry; I won't be making any more Beyoncé jokes, but adding a MagSafe ring to your phone really is as easy as putting a ring on a finger.

The ring comes in the box pre-attached to the plastic plate you see above, and all you have to do to apply it is remove the blue factory protective plastic, line up the numbers to ensure the MagSafe ring is centered, and press it against the back of your phone.

That's it: no cutting, no mess, no waiting. The newer versions of this ring even come in black or carbon fiber and have cutouts on the plastic installation adapter better suited for Pixel phones, but the old one didn't cause me any issues.

Plus, the ring is just $15, making it an incredibly cheap adapter that'll add tons of great functionality to your favorite phone.

What else can you do with it?

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Spigen sells the OneTap Pro (pictured above) magnetic stand that doubles as a wireless charger. This is a really nice wireless charger for a bunch of reasons, but its ability to both charge and display your gorgeous Pixel Fold makes it an easy recommendation.

It fits perfectly with the Pixel Fold closed but, unfortunately, isn't something that works well with the phone unfolded. It ends up tilting to the side and bit and just looking awkward. It also doesn't work when rotated, so you can't unfold the phone and rotate it 90 degrees; it just slides off after a second.

Wireless chargers all work perfectly with the MagFit, particularly ones that have MagSafe support since they'll automatically align via the magnets and ensure a perfect charge every time. Other wireless chargers still require you to play the "hunt for the charging spot" game.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

And Spigen also makes a MagSafe wallet/kickstand combo product called the Spigen Smart Fold that works really well with this MagFit ring. It sits on the back and stays in place via the MagFit magnetic ring, fits two cards inside so you can have your ID and some kind of another backup card, and even doubles as a nifty kickstand that works when the Pixel Fold is folded and unfolded.

The magnet is strong enough to keep the wallet in place, and neither piece shifts nor moves at all when it's in kickstand mode. This one's a super duper handy way to carry around a thinner wallet and have something even more useful (the kickstand); plus, it's easy to drop in your pocket or slap on the back of the phone any time you need to use it.

Now I need to browse Amazon for a bit and see what other nifty MagSafe accessories make sense for this phone.

Despite all the positive vibes here, I'm still not sure I trust MagSafe car mounts. I've used too many of them and seen phones take nasty dives straight into the center console when I go over a big bump, so I'll be sticking with a more traditional car phone holder for now.

 Phone deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Samsung | Amazon | Verizon | AT&T 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.