Small but mighty is the tagline for the Twelve South Butterfly.
This latest addition to the Twelve South’s home office and travel accessories is the world’s smallest 2-in-1 USB-C MagSafe charger. Not going to lie, I was really looking forward to seeing this in person.
First Impressions
Having almost 20 years under my belt as a tech reviewer, I have worked with a lot of gear. It is not everyday I open up a box and go wow.
The Butterfly instantly makes me think of a pocket fob watch. At just 6cm diameter it is about the size of one. If you are into desserts, it looks very much like a macaron.
It is presented as a simple round dial in a matte aluminium finish, so small that it fits comfortably in my hands. There is a subtle texture to the finish, with makes the unit grippy and not prone to slipping out of your hand.
Opening it up separates the two halves, with a black vegan leather band that tethers the two pucks together. Think of what happens when you deconstruct a macron by prising it apart.
On the left puck is a 15W MagSafe charger, and on the right is an Apple Watch fast charger. The Watch charger can be rotated up and out of the shell. This little feature underscores just how thoughtful the Butterfly design is.
In Use
You plug in the charger, both ends of the USB-C cable, and you are ready to go. The decision to make is, how do you want to position the Butterfly?
The simple thing is to open up the two sides, and lie the pucks both flat on the table where they can look like a pair of goggly eyes.
Or you can stack the two sides together so the charging part is top and bottom which gives you a mini pedestal.
Or would you pull out the Apple Watch charger so you can morph the Butterfly into a display stand that supports the iPhone Standby Mode? Or flip it the other way so the Apple Watch is on Nightstand mode?
The possibility is not endless, but there is certainly a wealth of versatility in such a small package.
The MagSafe charger rocks a solid magnetic connection with the phone. I don’t rock an iPhone, but I do have a Pixel 8 Pro with a MagSafe (Qi2) compatible case. Just for fun, I stuck my phone on the Butterfly MagSafe and dangled it from the other half and the connection is rock solid.
There is no smoke and mirror with the charging capabilities. 12S says it is 15W and judging from what I observed, my phone was taking on the charge at 15W. With a finger in th e air measurement, it took about the same amount of time to charge via the Butterfly as it does with any of my other fast chargers.
I don’t have an Apple Watch on hand (see what I did there?), but I managed to borrow one for a quick connection test and a photo. There was no time to test the performance or compatibility, but with Twelve South Butterfly being officially available from Apple as well, I can safely assume that the performance and compatibility claims are all above board.
Lastly, there is nothing stopping you from charging your Airpods (or any Qi compatible earbuds charging case) on the Butterfly.
Other Features
Twelve South has left nothing out with the Butterfly. As a travel accessory, they have provided a full gamut of swappable plugs so you are ready to go no matter where you travel.
A 30W charger and a 1m braided USB-C cable are packaged in the box.
They have also provided a little travel bag to keep everything together.
Conclusions
The Twelve South Butterfly lives up to the expectations. It is an elegant, stunning piece of tech which reflects the creator’s vision and attention to details.
With a RRP of $219.99, the Butterfly is on the premium side of pricing. However bearing in mind that 12s is using an aluminium shell, rather than plastic with faux metal finish, the product is pretty premium.
The small size lends itself easily for a traveller, and the versatility in positioning it to best suit your needs is impressive.
DRN would like to thank Twelve South for providing the review unit. And we are so impressed that we are awarding the Butterfly with the DRN Pulse Award. Congratulations Twelve South!
Specifications
Dimensions
Height: 2.35 cm (0.9 in)
Width: 6 cm (2.4 in)
Depth: 6 cm (2.4 in)
Weight: 119 g (4.2 oz)
Cable length: 1m (39 inches)
Compatibility
- ButterFly MagSafe Charger (15w)
- All models of iPhone 12-15 (incl. mini/Pro/Max)
- AirPods Pro (1st & 2nd gen)
- AirPods (3rd gen)
- AirPods with Wireless Charging Case
