Apple Releases New Magnetic Charging Dock — But No One Knows Why

Magnetic Chargining Dock Credit: Apple
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Apple on Wednesday released a new version of the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock — and no one quite knows why.

The new Magnetic Charging Dock model sports a model number of MU9F2AM/A. The old charging dock, which was pulled from the online store today and is no longer available for purchase, carried a model number of MLDW2AM/A.

It isn’t readily clear what tweaks or design updates Apple has made to its Magnetic Charging Dock to warrant releasing a new version (and pulling the old one). In fact, the new model number is the only reason we know that there’s a new version at all.

By the looks of the product listing, there don’t seem to be any new capabilities. Like the old model, the new charging dock lets users charge their Apple Watch devices in a flat position or on its side. It’s a fancier version of the standard charging puck that comes with Apple’s flagship wearable.

Digging a bit deeper, an FCC filing for the new Magnetic Charging Dock doesn’t reveal any additional details, either.

The dock still outputs a maximum of 5 watts of power, and there doesn’t appear to be any changes to its internal functionality.

On the other hand, Apple did ask the FCC to withhold certain schematics of the dock’s antenna specifications. That may hide the secret to the updated dock — and it certainly makes figuring out why a new version was fielded much harder.

The fact that Apple has filed documentation with the FCC suggests that the company may have internally updated the dock. That could include small refinements to the inductive charging system, antenna, capacitor arrays, or other under-the-hood changes that don’t necessarily mean new features or aesthetics.

Either way, it’s a mystery. And without any confirmation from Apple, we won’t know why there’s a new dock. It’s worth noting that there doesn’t appear to be any widespread or significant issues with the old dock. So if you have one, there isn’t currently any need to upgrade.

The new updated Apple Magnetic Charging Dock is still the same price: $79. It’s currently available to purchase from Apple’s website with deliveries slated for this Friday, Nov. 16.

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