This iPad mini 6 case offers MagSafe-like charging capability

If you want MagSafe-style convenient charging on the iPad mini, the latest case from Pitaka is here for you. The new $79 Maggie Case Pro for the sixth-generation iPad mini (aka iPad mini 6) has magnetic dots on the back that pass power through the iPad's USB-C port when used with the included pad. Or you can use it with the $129 MagEZ Charging Stand, which elevates the tablet and provides a second Qi charging spot in its base for phones or headphones.

There are some drawbacks to this approach. The Pitaka Case doesn't use magnets built into the back of the iPad mini, and it blocks the USB-C port from access, leaving you with a magnetic pad as the only way to charge the device. Forget about transferring any data over a wired connection, even when the case is on. The case itself is a tough rubber with a carbon fiber-like weave pattern, which should provide protection from most average drops, but it's not the hardest thing I've seen. It also doesn't cover the screen like Apple's folio cases, so you'll probably want to pair it with a screen protector of some sort.

On the plus side, the case allows the Apple Pencil to charge on the right side, and there's a small accessory that holds the Pencil in place and better grips when you toss the iPad into the bag.

Those downsides aside, the MagEZ certainly lives up to the easy part of its name, as charging only requires closing the case near the base and letting the magnets do their job. The magnetic attraction is strong, and the stand will easily hold the iPad in landscape or portrait orientation. (The stand also tilts, but there's no height adjustment.)

Neither the case nor the stand comes with a charging brick, and Pitaka recommends at least a 45W USB-C Power Delivery brick if you want to charge the iPad and phone at full speed at the same time on the stand . (The base supports charging up to 7.5W with iPhones or up to 15W with other Qi devices.)

You really have to commit to wanting magnetic charging for this setup to be worthwhile, however, as neither the case nor the stand is particularly cheap. But if that's not a blocker for you, both accessories should be available starting today, May 30.