If you’ve wanted MagSafe-style convenient charging on an iPad Mini, Pitaka’s latest case is here for you. The new $79 MagEZ Case Pro for the sixth-generation iPad Mini (aka the iPad Mini 6) has magnetic points on the back that pass power through the iPad’s USB-C port when used with the included pad. Or you can use it with the $129 MagEZ Charging Stand, which elevates the tablet and provides a second Qi charging spot in its base for a phone or headphones.
There are some downsides to this approach. Pitaka’s case doesn’t make use of the magnets built into the back of the iPad Mini, and it blocks the USB-C port from access, leaving you with the magnetic pad as the only way to charge the device. Forget about transferring any data over a wired connection while the case is on, too. The case itself is a stiff rubber with a carbon fiber-like weave pattern, which should provide protection from most average drops but isn’t the most rugged thing I’ve seen. It also doesn’t cover the screen like Apple’s folio cases, so you’ll probably want to pair it with some kind of screen protector.
On the plus side, the case does allow for Apple Pencil charging on the right side, and there’s a little accessory that grabs the Pencil and holds it in place better when you toss the iPad in a bag.
Those downsides aside, the MagEZ certainly lives up to the easy part of its name, as charging just requires plopping the case near the base and letting the magnets do their thing. The magnetic attraction is strong, and the stand will hold the iPad easily in either landscape or portrait orientation. (The stand also tilts, but it does not have any height adjustment.)
Neither the case nor the stand comes with a charging brick, and Pitaka recommends at least a 45W USB-C Power Delivery brick if you want to charge the iPad and a phone at full speed at the same time on the stand. (The base supports 7.5W charging with iPhones or up to 15W charging with other Qi devices.)
You do have to really be committed to wanting magnetic charging to make this setup worthwhile, though, as neither the case nor the stand is particularly cheap. But if that’s not a blocker for you, both accessories should be available starting today, May 30th.