It’s not just for charging anymore, or even detachable wallets. Australia’s Rode has found another use for Apple’s MagSafe.
The magnetic ring hidden underneath the back of an iPhone has found some handy uses ever since Apple released it in the iPhone 12 range, from using it to keep the charging rate optimal to holding other accessories there, such as a wallet.
We’ve seen a few companies dabble in MagSafe ideas, but Rode is taking it to a different place, using the magnetic ring to hold accessories in place used for content creation.
It’s part of what the company announced this week, launching the Phone Cage and Magnetic Mount, two devices that uses the MagSafe rings to hold lights, microphones, and even a casing designed to help you hold an iPhone used for filming.
In the Phone Case, Rode has an aluminium casing built to hold an iPhone in either horizontal or portrait orientations, with a magnetic mount holding it in the centre, and other accessories able to be mounted.
The idea will effectively make an iPhone easier to hold when making videos, all while allowing something like a boom mic to be easily mounted, too.
Similar in concept, the Rode Magnetic Mount is just the circular MagSafe mount from the Phone Cage, but with an ability to hold accessories from rods suspended from its design. Think of it like a tripod of sorts on a MagSafe mount, able to be used with the iPhone.
Interestingly, Rode’s MagSafe Magnetic Mount may well be designed for Apple phones, but it could come with the benefit of working for future Android phones, as well.
The upcoming Qi2 standard shares a lot in common with MagSafe, so it’s entirely possible that Rode’s Magnetic Mount will work with compatible Android phones, too.
“Today, we offer a wide range of audio solutions for mobile creators, and we are thrilled to introduce two new offerings to this ecosystem with the Phone Cage and Magnetic Mount,” said Damien Wilson, CEO of Rode.
“When combined with one of our microphones, these accessories give creators all the tools they need to capture incredible content on their phone,” he said.
Something wasn’t announced, however, and that’s the pricing, with both Phone Cage and Magnetic Mount expected late-April in Australia, though no official pricing has been released.
