Twelve South ButterFly SE 2-in-1 Qi2 Charger Review

The Twelve South ButterFly SE 2-in-1 Qi2 Charger is a rather stylish alternative for those still clinging to their wired chargers for topping up. Mind you, there’s no shame in using wired charging since it still has a clear advantage when it comes to fast charging, reliability, and ubiquity (everyone’s pretty much on board with USB-C, right?). That said, we find the convenience of wireless charging and MagSafe undeniable.

Just lay the ButterFly down on your hotel room’s nightstand, and presto! You have a charging station for your iPhone and Apple Watch. No need for separate cables and wearing out your phone’s port; it’s all magnets and induction from there. So, if that sounds like the tangle-free travel experience you’re working on, jump in and see the rest this wireless charger has to offer.

The Rundown

Is anyone reading this a fan of macaroons? We are, which is why you can’t fault us for picking this plum-colored variant of the ButterFly SE. It was a tough choice between this and the pink and iridescent colorways, but we think we made the right pick. Black and white are also available, in case you want to play it safely and inconspicuously. Whichever colorway you choose, though, we’re happy to report that Twelve South seems to have improved the aluminum’s finish, as the soft-touch surface doesn’t scuff as easily compared to the original ButterFly we tested. Only time will tell how well the ButterFly SE2 will hold up, but initial testing results are promising.

The two halves of this plum-colored macaroon are connected by a vegan leather strap. Of course, we say “strap,” even though it’s just a clever disguise for the cable within that ensures the other half gets power. Regardless, we appreciate Twelve South’s attempt to dress up the entire ButterFly SE in an Apple-appropriate way.

The ButterFly SE features two wireless charging surfaces. The Apple Watch charging puck resides on the half with the attached color-matching one-meter USB-C cable. It flips up so you can connect your watch without undoing the watchband, which is particularly useful if you’re using one that is completely closed. Charging speed is still capped at 5 watts.

Meanwhile, the folded-over half is the Qi2 charger. Yes, the original ButterFly used MagSafe, but the difference with Qi2 is not that important in terms of functionality. This will still stick to your MagSafe-compatible iPhone (12 series or newer, with the exception of the iPhone 16e and SE) since Qi2 chargers magnetically attach as well. More importantly, Qi2 chargers can also supply the same 15-watt power MagSafe chargers deliver, whereas a lot of previous Qi chargers could only supply half that.

The only downside of Qi2 chargers compared to MagSafe is that your iPhone’s StandBy mode requires a true MagSafe charger to remember what kind of display you want for each charger. MagSafe chargers have a built-in chip that talks to your iPhone, letting it know what to display in StandBy mode, and Qi2 chargers simply don’t have this chip.

So, why make the switch if the difference is functionally minimal? Well, Qi2 is an open standard developed by a consortium of companies called the Wireless Power Consortium. Though Apple is a part of this consortium, Qi2 is cheaper to implement since there’s no need to go through Apple’s MFi certification nor get a “Made for MagSafe” branding. Plus, Qi2 also makes it possible for other smartphone brands to make devices with MagSafe-like magnets so that they stick to Qi2 chargers, too.

So, with 5 watts of charging for the Apple Watch puck and 15 watts for the Qi2 pad, speed isn’t really the goal here. Yes, 15 watts is brisk, but nowhere near the speeds your iPhone can achieve via cabled charging. For context, the iPhone 15 can do 20 watts via USB-C with an appropriate wall charger. However, 15 and 5 watts are still plenty for an iPhone and Apple Watch if you just want to top up overnight.

You can also get creative with how you charge. For example, you can fold the ButterFly SE back-to-back so you can use it to prop up your iPhone in landscape mode, thus activating StandBy mode at night. This prevents you from using the Apple Watch charger, though. On that note, you can also use the Apple Watch Charger and even the Qi2 charger for wireless charging AirPods.

Packability

Packability is really the strong suit of the ButterFly SE since it’s about the same size as an AirPods case when closed. Along with the one-meter USB-C cable, you’ll have no problem fitting both into an open liner pocket in your tech pouch, sling, or travel backpack. That, or you use the included pull-string pouch to store both the cable and ButterFly SE.

The more pressing concern is the wall charger. It’s at this point that we should mention that the ButterFly SE does not come with a wall charger. You’ll have to supply your own, and it needs to be a 30-watt unit to get the ButterFly SE’s full functionality. We do have a lot of really small GaN chargers in the office that fit the bill, but the bad news is that it’s a tight squeeze trying to fit even something that small into the included pouch alongside the charger and cable.

Quick Comparison

The “SE” part of the ButterFly SE is somewhat of a head-scratcher since Apple uses it to denote budget versions of their iPhones. And based on what we’ve discussed so far, the ButterFly SE doesn’t seem to be a cut-down version of the original, whether it’s in charging speeds or build quality. If anything, the build quality is better since the soft-touch finish prevents the charger from slipping around.

Though the original ButterFly is slippier and more scuffed after a year, the included accessories put it ahead. Not only does it come with a USB-C cable, but it also has the appropriate wall charger, a larger travel pouch, and three international adapters, so you can use it pretty much anywhere in the world. Price-wise, both the original and SE versions are available at around $100 at the time of this review. In other words, you can go either way; just decide whether you prefer the SE’s build quality and Qi2 or the original’s included accessories, but scratch-prone finish.