The iPhone 15 Pro Max can charge faster than Apple says! You might expect Apple to increase battery charging speeds on the iPhone 15 models because they come with USB-C charging ports instead of Lightning, but that hasn't happened.
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Instead, Apple's latest iPhones have the same official 20W maximum charging speed as previous models.
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This also means that all iPhone 15 models will reach 20W speeds if you have a compatible charger. That's what Apple did with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14.
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Speeds can exceed 25W, so you can make your iPhone charge faster with a power supply that supports at least 30W. But how much faster are we talking about?
The following test shows how quickly the iPhone 15 Pro Max takes to charge via USB-C with several different Apple chargers. This can help you decide which accessories to buy next.
YouTuber Brandon Butch conducted the test. He used 5W, 12W, 20W and 30W chargers that Apple sells.
The 5W wall adapter is the standard iPhone charger that Apple used to offer buyers for free.
The 30W charger is something you would use with the MacBook Air, as it is the power supply that comes with the base models.
Butch used a device to measure the maximum charging power of each charger while charging the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
It also looked at how much heat was generated by the phones and the charger.
The YouTuber's findings are clear: you should use a 20W or 30W charger instead of the smaller bricks.
Charging speeds will not exceed 25W, so anything greater than 30W will not have any impact on charging times.
Plus, you don't get maximum power throughout the entire charge cycle – not even if you're using one of the lower power consumption models.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max needs 2 hours and 11 minutes to go from 0% to 100% using the 30W charger. The 20W power supply needs another 10 minutes to do the job.
You'll wait more than 4 hours for the 12W charger and almost 6 hours for the 5W model. The real advantage is that a 20W or 30W charger will give you more power during a quick recharge that lasts just a few minutes.
On the other hand, the advantage of using a 5W or 12W charger is that the iPhone doesn't heat up as much as with faster chargers.
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But the chargers themselves get hotter. In theory, using low-wattage chargers could improve your iPhone's battery health.
But the gains may be indiscernible and not worth the sacrifice.
With all this in mind, opting for a 20W or 30W charger is the best idea if you use wired charging.
If you don't have 20W (or faster) USB-C chargers at home, you might want to buy some and recycle/reuse the lower speed ones.
The test did not involve wireless charging. MagSafe chargers will recharge the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 15W.
I use wired and wireless charging with my iPhone 14 Pro, which also supports unofficial speeds of over 20W.
I rely on the same 100W multiport charger that recharges my Mac to charge my iPhone.
I will also remind you of the battery health features available on iPhone 15 models. You may want to prevent your iPhone 15 Pro Max from reaching 100% while charging.
That means you'll get to the 80% faster with a 30W charger than the 2 hours and 11 minutes estimate. The iPhone 15 Pro Max could charge faster than Apple says
Battery life will suffer, but the battery will degrade more slowly.
Check out the full video below to see the iPhone 15 Pro Max battery load test in full.
You might expect Apple to increase battery charging speeds on the iPhone 15 models because they come with USB-C charging ports instead of Lightning, but that hasn't happened.
Instead, Apple's latest iPhones have the same official 20W maximum charging speed as previous models.
Technology. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.
Sign up to receive the most interesting technology and entertainment news.
By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have read the Privacy Notice.
This also means that all iPhone 15 models will reach 20W speeds if you have a compatible charger. That's what Apple did with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14.
Speeds can exceed 25W, so you can make your iPhone charge faster with a power supply that supports at least 30W.
But how much faster are we talking about?
The following test shows how quickly the iPhone 15 Pro Max takes to charge via USB-C with several different Apple chargers.
This can help you decide which accessories to buy next.
Youtuber
However, YouTuber Brandon Butch conducted the test. He used 5W, 12W, 20W and 30W chargers that Apple sells.
However the 5W wall adapter is the standard iPhone charger that Apple used to offer buyers for free.
The 30W charger is something you would use with the MacBook Air, as it is the power supply that comes with the base models.
Butch used a device to measure the maximum charging power of each charger while charging the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
So he also analyzed how much heat was generated by the phones and the charger.
The YouTuber's findings are clear: you should use a 20W or 30W charger instead of the smaller bricks.
Charging speeds will not exceed 25W.
