Apple granted a patent for a future iteration of its MagSafe cases — Apple World Today

However, Apple says that the power of the device increases and the design of the device changes, sometimes the amount of heat being generated cannot be adequately dissipated. In such cases, the temperature of the device will increase, which could lead to problems.

Even if the temperature does not increase to the point of causing failures, the device itself could be uncomfortable to handle. Apple says that new techniques are desired for dissipating heat from the device or reducing an amount of heat generated by the device. The tech giant’s idea is a MagSafe case that would allow an iPhone to run at higher temperatures when the case is installed.

Here’s the summary of the invention: “This application relates to adjusting an operation of a portable electronic device based on the detection of a protective case. A processor of the portable electronic device is configured to receive a signal that indicates the portable electronic device is in contact with and retained by the protective case. Responsive to receiving the signal, the processor is configured to allow the component to transition from a first operating state to a second operating state. 

“The first operating state is associated with a first operating temperature that corresponds to a first temperature range at a surface of a housing for the portable electronic device. The second operating state is associated with a second operating temperature that corresponds to a second temperature range at the surface of the housing. The second operating temperature is greater than the first operating temperature.”