Iphone Marketing Exec Talks Iphone 12 With 5G Magsafe And More In New Interview

As the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro make their way to customers around the world, Apple’s VP of iPhone product marketing Kaiann Drance recently joined the Rich On Tech show with Rich DeMuro for an interview. During the show, Drance talked in-depth about the iPhone 12, MagSafe accessories, and more.

Regarding the iPhone 12’s support for 5G, Drance explained how Apple is working to balance battery life concerns with the faster cellular connection:

Drance also touched on Apple’s decision to switch to including USB-C to Lightning cables in the box this year. DeMuro questioned Apple’s decision to switch from USB-A to USB-C this year, while also dropping the included charging brick altogether.

We are able to make a bunch of software optimizations throughout the entire system to make battery life even better. On top of that we added a new feature called “Smart Data mode” that will allow you to manage your 5G usage and battery life a bit better, so you can use 5G speeds when it really matters.

Drance explained that USB-C is faster and more modern and that if you have a Mac or an iPad or any other consumer technology products, you likely already have a USB-C charging brick. She also pointed out that the old USB-A to Lightning cables still work perfectly.

Regarding the new MagSafe accessories, DeMuro asked about the effect the magnetization could have on credit cards with magnetic stripes. Drance pointed out that credit cards should be OK, but the thing to watch for is single-use cards such as hotel room keys. “What you do want to just watch out for is those single-use types of cards like the hotel cards,” she explained. “You might not want to put that right against it.”

Finally, Drance addressed what shoppers should expect if they visit an Apple Store as a walk-in visitor this iPhone launch season. This year, Drance says that if you show up as a walk-in, you’ll likely get an appointment to come back at a later time — but if you are able to visit that same day, you can expect to wait longer than usual due to social distancing guidelines. You can learn more about Apple’s retail strategy in our full guide right here.

The full interview is well worth a listen and you can find it on Apple Podcasts.