Apple’s proprietary magnetic power connector is creating yet another ecosystem that allows accessory makers to add all manner of contraptions to the rear of iPhones. Now, luxury brands are joining the fun

From top left: Balenciaga, Gucci, Fendi, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton. Product images: respective brands. Photo illustration: Just So

By Low Teck Mee

Although I am not a user of the iPhone, I do follow each new iteration with considerable interest, as practically everyone I know uses the Apple device. It’s good to be in the loop, if you will. But my refusal to adopt the world’s best-selling smartphone has prompted one die-hard to commented that he does not know anyone who doesn’t use the iPhone except I. Not desiring it, however, does not mean I am totally disinterested in the phone. I am consistently curious about what draws people to the iPhone and what tech is under the hood or above, such as the MagSafe, those nifty magnets in the rear of the phone thatvenable wireless charging and to connect accessories.

And, MagSafe-compatible accessories are everywhere. And we’re not referring to just car mounts. From the Edge Pro attachments that allow other gadgets to stay close to the mother ship to all manner of mounts, kick-stands, and hand grips, MagSafe is itself creating an ecosystem of products that is reminiscent of how it was when iPhone first came out. But what is truly fascinating to me is how eagerly luxury brands are jumping on the bandwagon, too. I guess it is not different from the protective phone cases they have continued to make for the iPhone, regardless of the prevalent version. Or the occasional crossbody pouch to house it, in case you needed one. Now, it is the card case that can be click-snapped to the back of the iPhone that every luxury brand must offer.

I am especially drawn to the Hermès, with the contrast stitching of a visage of a horse (there is also a very cute hedgehog), but at S$870 a piece, it is also the most prohibitive. For those who must have their MagSafe ring framing the Apple logo obscured by monograms, then there is Balenciaga’s ‘signature magnet card holder’ (S$295—the least expensive, surprisingly, in this selection), complete with the conspicuous logotype; Gucci’s ‘bi-colored magnetic card holder’ (at S$550, the second most expensive); Fendi’s ‘diagonal MagSafe card holder’ (S$450); and Louis Vuitton’s ‘Porte-Cartes Magnet’ (S$530). No small expense, all of them, but as someone once told me, “the best phone deserves the best this and that”. Sure.