The Apple MagSafe Leather Wallet Review

I really don’t think Apple needs any introduction. As one of the highest valued stocks on the planet they are probably the most valuable brand in the world. To my delight, it was a strange feeling when I found out Apple themselves had entered the wallet market (sort of) creating and developing a MagSafe Wallet style case comparable with their latest range of iPhones. 

For those who don’t know MagSafe is essentially the iPhone equivalent of the MacBooks wireless charging coil and improved wireless charging. Thanks to this magnetic property (that helps properly align your iPhone with a variety of accessories) the Leather case wallet is designed to ‘stick’ to the back of your phone with ease and provide easy access to credit/debit cards of your choice. Let’s now take a look at what the Apple MagSafe Wallet can offer you and whether it’s a worthwhile accessory for your new iPhone 12.

Look & Design

As a slim and minimalist designed wallet the Apple Leather Wallet comes in at a size of just 4.54 x 3.24 x 0.59 inches. This wallet’s size is purposely chosen to be basically the size of a standard credit/debit card but also a great size to easily fit with all the different iPhone 12 models including the Pro, Max, and Mini. This size is optimal for the case style of the wallet as you can’t and don’t want to add too much bulk to the iPhone. Apple has done a good job of making the Wallet as thin as possible so it won’t interrupt the usability of the wallet when out and about. 

Made from and crafted from specially tanned and finished French leather. Apple has done what a company should never do when creating a leather product. They’ve failed to accurately state what type of leather, or leather grade, the wallet is. If I were to take a guess to the type of leather it was I’d put money on it being a fine grain leather. The leather is of a soft nature, thin, but firm to the touch making it durable. The quality of the leather is very strong, as you’d expect from a brand like Apple, and is likely to last a long time with proper care.

Finally, the wallet is available in a small range of colors including Baltic Blue, California Poppy (a mustard yellow color), Saddle Brown, and Black. The colors are really vibrant, much more so than other wallets dyed with ‘odd’ colors. 

Functionality & Utility 

The idea and main functionality of the iPhone wallet are to combine your smartphone and wallet into one item. This has many benefits including easier access to your cash and cards, along with minimizing the number of items you carry with you on a daily basis. Many people have enough phone wallet cases and the Apple wallet is very much in tune with this idea.

The wallet itself can Store up to 3 cards but can store 4 with a push. This isn’t exactly a high number and might not be enough for people to completely replace their entire wallet with this one. This is further supported by the fact the Apple Leather Wallet can’t store any physical cash as the slots are far too small and thin. 

One initial issue I had with the iPhone Leather Wallet was its incredible tightness.  The quick access slot located on the back of the wallet is challenging to traverse and the more cards you have in the wallet the harder it is to not only access said cards, but effectively use the quick access slot. The cards get jammed easily and the tightness of the leather on the cards makes it very hard, without a lot of pressure, to get the cards out in a quick timely manner. 

That being said, this could be down to the quality of the leather. Many tops or fine-grain leathers need ‘breaking in’ much like you’d do with a good pair of boots. So as the wallet is used more over time and the leather stretched out I’d bet the iPhone Wallet becomes looser and easier to handle. Having only used the wallet for a few days I can’t yet accurately comment on this though. 

Apple’s MagSafe Features

The wallet features strong built-in magnets that allow it to effortlessly snap into place on the back of your iPhone. This is meant to be beneficial as it keeps your phone clean without the need for messy adhesives. The issue I found with the magnet is it just wasn’t that strong.

Time and time again the wallet detached from my iPhone and I felt like I was always handling my phone on tenterhooks, always having to be overly careful about the position I hold it in and how frugal I could be with moving it about. This took enjoyment away from using my phone and I begin starting to detach the Apple Wallet from the phone before use – counterproductive I know.  

This issue also occurred when taking the attached wallet into and out of your pocket. You ended up having to be super conscious of the correct positioning of your phone as your iPhone could very easily side between itself, the wallet, and the trousers pocket, immediately detaching it. The is the same with taking it out from within your pocket.

Most of the time I found when it came to using my wallet I’d first take out my iPhone and then continue rummaging around for the wallet. Perhaps this is different depending on the type of pants/jeans you wear (i do tend to go more skinny style) but, in all honestly, that shouldn’t be an excuse. 

Finally, a nice added feature is the MagSafe Wallet can stack upon other MagSafe accessories including any of the MagSafe iPhone cases including the leather, silicone, and clear plastic variants.

Price Tag

Coming in at a hefty price tag of $59.00  The Apple Leather Wallet is a little bit overboard in my opinion. Obviously, Apple is notorious for its insane and frankly overpriced products but when it comes to something as small as this case-style wallet I really can’t find a way to justify paying the high price. If you’re not bothered about the wallet being an ‘official’ Apple product then I’d suggest checking our detailed article on our favorite iPhone Wallet Cases. 

Final Verdict

Honestly, I’m not entirely impressed with the iPhone MagSafe Wallet. I’ve used a lot of these types of smartphone ‘case’ wallets in the past, and although Apple brings top quality, they fail in nearly every other domain. Using a magnet for attaching the case is by far one of the least effective ways to do so. The magnets are just not strong enough to easily keep attached to the phone without always having to be hyper-aware that it might fall off at any moment. For more information on the Apple iPhone Leather Wallet check out their official website by clicking the link below. 

We also have a full article on the Best MagSafe Wallets on the market not officially made by Apple themselves. Make sure to check that out.