Phone charging cables can sometimes be awkward to plug in, pull phones off surfaces or get damaged when bent. Inspired by Apple's MagSafe chargers for MacBooks, the MuConnect is aimed at making charging your smartphone a snap.
MuConnect is almost exactly the same product as Znaps, which surpassed its goals on Kickstarter in mid-2015. Like Znaps, there are separate models of the MuConnect with microUSB (Android) and Apple Lightning (iPhone) connectors. The system has two parts: the pin section fits into a device's charging port and its connector slots onto the charger itself.
Once in place, the two parts will snap together magnetically when moved close to each other. They're also reversible, so (like Apple's Lightning, USB-C cables and the MagSafe chargers that inspired MuConnect) there's no need to fumble around trying to find the "right" direction. If tugged, the pin and connector will separate easily, meaning the user's device won't be pulled of a table or worktop if the cable is caught by a hand or foot.
The only difference we can see between MuConnect and Znaps is that this one has a fast charging setting for when it's plugged into a PC's or laptop's USB port: a slider on the connector can increase charging speed in those settings by disabling data transfer functionality (note that this will have no effect on charging speed when plugged into a wall outlet).
The company says its cable should fit with phone cases as well, and it has an LED light to illuminate where the end the charging cable is in the dark. You do have the minor inconvenience of a tiny nub hanging off the bottom of your phone, but we imagine many people will find that to be an acceptable compromise.
The cable will be the subject of an Indiegogo campaign starting on February 1, where a minimum pledge of US$12 will secure a cable if/when they ship. You can get updates at the product page below, and watch the pitch in the video embedded underneath.
Product page: MuConnect
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