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Only iPhone 14 Pro is expected to get a much-needed charging upgrade

By Anam Hamid

Published: Aug 29, 2022, 10:39 AM

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iOS Apple

Only iPhone 14 Pro is expected to get a much-needed charging upgrade

With Apple's September Far Out event approaching, iPhone 14 rumors are heating up. The latest leak comes from tipster DuanRui, who says that the iPhone 14 Pro will support 30W charging.

Apple says that the iPhone 13 series takes around 30 minutes for a 50 percent charge when juiced up with a 20W charger. Unofficial testing shows that the iPhone 13 Pro Max supports a peak charging speed of 27W, and the iPhone 13 Pro can go as high as 23W.

Apple does already sell a 30W USB-C power adapter, but according to a March tweet from esteemed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company might replace it with a charger based on the GaN (gallium nitride) technology. This transparent crystalline material will presumably allow Apple to make a smaller and more efficient charger.

Compared to the maker of the best Android phones, one of whom introduced 240W fast charging tech this year, Apple is in no rush to increase charging speeds, and while that may be bothersome in situations when your phone needs a quick top-up, slow charging is actually better for battery health in the long run, and it also helps that the iPhone 13 Pro Max has one of the best battery lives on the market.

That doesn't mean anyone would want the iPhone line to be stuck with 20W charging forever and it is looking increasingly likely that the new phones will support 30W charging. DuanRui's scoop is based on a charger brand that has apparently started sending "new charger products to the media" and they also say that it will be touted as a large part of the iPhone 14 experience.

Before this, earlier this month, leaker McGuire Wood had also said that the iPhone 14 would support 30W fast charging but had added that the speed would drop to 27-25W after the first charging cycle phase, which is the standard practice amongst mobile vendors and is adopted to help with heat management.

He had also said that wireless charging speed would remain the same at 15W and that the phones may support reverse wireless charging, although it's probable that this feature will not work at launch.

Most significant iPhone charging speed update in recent memory will be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro

Wood had indicated that 30W charging would be exclusive to the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, and DuanRui is asserting the same. This implies that the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max will be stuck with the same charging speeds, which is a bummer considering that the regular models are also tipped to feature the same design, rear cameras, and chipset as their predecessors.

It can be argued that the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Max were in fact more deserving of higher charging speeds as they will likely sport bigger batteries than their 2021 counterparts and they will also not be any more power efficient than the current models as they will retain the same chip.

If it is any consolation, the Pro models are expected to be more expensive, whereas the standard iPhone 14 variant will be priced the same as the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 model.

Today's rumor also mentions that Apple will be sticking with the Lightning interface, which though disappointing, is not surprising, given that Apple is rumored to transition to USB-C next year with the iPhone 15 family. The bright side is that Apple may increase Lightning data transfer rates to USB 3.0. The current Lightning connector is based on USB 2.0 and it supports speeds of 480 Mbps, and the new standard can deliver speeds of up to 5 Gbps.

Apple will announce the iPhone 14 line on September 7, alongside a very expensive rugged watch model for athletes, the Watch Series 8, a new SE watch, and new earbuds.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.