It’s come and gone though hasn’t it? I seem to recall Apple switched to something else (USB-C?) and a few here on HN were annoyed because MagSafe was so good - I still have a ~2013 Macbook Air with magsafe that I use in the kitchen. If it’s back then that’s great news for Apple laptops - I haven’t paid attention to them for a while
It is back, yes
Up to 2026? And Apple could license the technology. Patents are also made for that.
Apple has shown that they are not interested in bettering the cable situation and just want you to buy overpriced cables and lock you in. If they were, they would have licensed/opened MagSafe, Thunderbolt, etc.
They could licence the magsafe tech to other brands without allowing them to sell cables/chargers for Apple devices, maybe even alter the size/shape as a requirement.