MAGFAST CEO Seymour Segnit on Why Mini Cables Rock
For Seymour Segnit, the founder and CEO of MAGFAST, changing charging for good isn’t just a business plan; it’s a way of life. MAGFAST has crafted a powerful, unique line of interlocking device chargers, and the company has put more work into every component that makes up each device in the MAGFAST Family – Extreme, Time, Life, Wall, and Air – than most companies put into an entire product range.
Nothing demonstrates this better than a recent update on the development of MAGFAST Life. Life is MAGFAST’s flagship portable power bank, designed to keep all of your devices charged while you’re on the go. It can charge your phone multiple times using its USB-A or USB-C ports, built-in cable, or Qi Wireless charging pad before its battery requires a recharge. This compact package is far cleaner and more elegant than the typical portable charger, and masterful design plays a major role in this.
Regarding the built-in swappable mini power cables that connect to MAGFAST Life, Segnit believes that the company has spent between 150 and 200 hours refining and reworking this single component and that he has personally dedicated at least 40 to 50 hours of his own time to this work and the unique challenge that it posed.
While designing MAGFAST Life, the company aimed to ensure that all three of the modular built-in cables – USB-A, USB-C, and Lightning – could all fit in the exact same space, making them as beautiful as they are interchangeable. However, after finalizing the 3D models for Life, the team discovered that something wasn’t quite right. Though all three 3D models appeared to fit in the same space, each cable had specific design needs that hadn’t been met, and some changes needed to be made to make the design work as planned.
Each of the three cable tips needed for MAGFAST Life has a piece that protects the delicate electronics inside from touching the silicone and rubber as the power starts to flow, preventing damage when the device is in use. Furthermore, Segnit emphasizes the fact that in addition to being beautifully designed and looking good from every angle, the cables need to be strong and resilient so that they last for a long time. In an industry where many cables fall apart easily, Segnit is quick to note that a long-lasting cable is better for consumers, MAGFAST, and the planet, as it minimizes the amount of e-waste in the world. See how MAGFAST is committed to reducing e-waste and greenhouse emissions here.
USB-C is the most elegant solution, and Micro-USB is close behind, but Lightning requires more space, as the connector itself is slightly thicker. Inside each cable is a ball bearing made of iron metal. The magnet pulls on the ball bearing to hold it in place and easily release it. However, there is no magnet in the cable itself because Apple’s MFi (made for iPhone/iPod/iPad) program does not allow it.
Segnit doesn’t just value meticulous, hard work. He also believes in putting complexity and care into every single component across his line of chargers, but this should surprise no one who knows him. Over his multi-decade career of launching important products and services, founding companies, and building businesses, Segnit has always been relentless when it comes to getting the details right, and with MAGFAST, this is more true than ever before. Though putting hours into cable design might seem absurd to some designers, MAGFAST isn’t just about charging devices; it’s also about changing how the experience of charging looks and feels forever and rethinking an industry along the way.
Click here to learn more about MAGFAST and CEO and founder Seymour Segnit.