I’ve been testing the Twelve South Butterfly SE 2-in-1 Qi2 charger for just over six weeks now. I received it from the Twelve South team at IFA in Berlin in September, at a media event the day before.

Twelve South

The Butterfly SE 2-in-1 charger is similar to the Butterfly 2-in-1 charger with a few differences. The new SE has a different, softer finish, comes in black, white, and pink, and only includes a braided cable in the box. The original has an aluminium finish and comes with a 30W travel plug as well.

I want to state upfront that the Twelve South Butterfly SE 2-in-1 charger is an Apple exclusive, so it will only be sold at Apple Stores. South Africa does not have an official Apple presence, we just have the iStore, the retail arm of one of the distributors, so it won’t be available here.

However, if you are travelling abroad where there is an Apple Store, you may be able to pick it up there. The ButterFly SE costs $99 (US),  £95 (UK), or €109 (EU), which is about $30 cheaper than the original Butterfly.

Twelve South Butterfly SE Quick Look

  • The Butterfly SE 2-in-1 supports Qi wireless charging
  • It is compatible for Apple devices with MagSafe (iPhone 12 upwards)
  • It works on Android with Qi support
  • Comes with a colour coordinated braided cable
  • Charges 2 devices together (eg: phone, Apple Watch, AirPods w/ MagSafe)
  • It weighs 119g and has a 1m cable length

The practicality of the Butterfly SE

The Butterfly SE 2-in-charger appeals to me because of the amount of traveling I do, and it is positioned as a gadget for travellers.  If you think about it, it replaces two cables: your iPhone and Apple Watch.

I love packing compact, and this has immediately gone into my permanently packed travel charger pouch. It is smaller than a pencil case and can charge everything on an overnight flight. To give you an idea, the charger is smaller than my palm.

I added the 1m braided cable that was included with the charger; have a 65W GaN plug in there with 1x USB A port and 2x USB-C ports; and a small USB-A to USB-C cable. I love this set-up and easily switch it out between my backpacks.

Prior to this, I had 1x Apple Watch cable, and 1x extra long USB-C cable in there.

Using the Butterfly SE

This clever little device sits neatly on your nightstand and barely takes up any space. I love that a braided cable was included, so you don’t have to worry about damage as this design is more long lasting – it can bend without damage.

I use with my travel plug, which gets at least 30W, based on its compatibility. You just have to make sure your phone snaps into place with magnetic plate otherwise it won’t charge. I was tired the one night and didn’t check how I placed the test iPhone and it didn’t charge overnight on the MagSafe charger. This is me using it on holiday:

The Butterfly SE is one of those nifty gadgets to make your life more convenient. Nobody wants to carry a bunch of cables around. This eliminates that, and doesn’t take up much space.

I also like that you can see your stuff in front of you, like when you’re out in public. I used this charger during transit at an airport, and it was just so convenient while working. My original travel plug was also charing my laptop.

If you’re a frequent traveller or want something useful for your bedside, the Twelve South Butterfly SE 2-in-1 charger is a must. It will charge an iPhone 12 upwards, and your Apple Watch, or it can charge your AirPods with wireless charging support.

It can be used in other instances, like if you want to watch something while it charges, but I’ve not used it this way. I can see how it will come in handy, if you want to watch videos from your phone before going to bed.

If you have an Android with Qi wireless charging support, it will work on it. It is backwards compatible with Qi on a 7.5W speed. Androids with Qi2 support is currently limited, but with the case of iPhone 12 upwards, the speed is 15W. An Apple Watch will charge at a 5W speed.

For more information, visit the Twelve South website.