iPhone18 Pro and iPhone18 Pro Max can be charged up to 50% in about 15 minutes. Apple has listed it in their technical specifications. However, there are conditions to achieve this speed. The charger you have may not be able to reach this speed.
Organize numbers for wired, MagSafe, and Qi2
| Charging method | speed | what you need |
|---|---|---|
| wired | Up to 50% in about 15 minutes | 60W compatible USB-C cable + variable voltage supply (USB PD 3.1) compatible / 60W or higher power adapter |
| MagSafe | Up to 50% in about 30 minutes Max 25W |
35W or higher adapter + MagSafe charger |
| Qi2 | Max 25W | Qi2 compatible charger |
What you should be aware of is that all of them come with “conditions on the adapter side.” Whether your iPhone can be charged quickly or not depends on the charger you connect it to, not the device itself.
Wired requires two conditions: “60W or more” and “USB PD 3.1”
According to Apple’s notes, wired fast charging requires a 60W capable USB-C cable and a power adapter that supports USB PD 3.1 (or higher) variable voltage supply (AVS). The technical specifications also say “adapter compatible with variable voltage supply and 60W or more,” and the adapter side also requires 60W or more.
Even if the wattage is sufficient, older adapters that do not support variable voltage supply will not meet the requirements. If you use what you have, you need to check the compatible standards.
Apple used a 40W dynamic power adapter (up to 60W, model A3351) for testing. In a comparison test conducted by ChargerLAB last year using 15 different genuine chargers, this adapter was the most efficient with a measured 36.42W, and even when using a higher-end model with 140W, the output remained almost the same.
The cause of slow charging may be due to the cable rather than the adapter. Please check them as well.
For MagSafe, the required adapter has increased from 30W to 35W or more.
Fast charging with MagSafe is up to 50% in about 30 minutes. The time itself has not changed, but the requirements for the required adapter have increased.
When MagSafe increased to a maximum of 25W in the iPhone 16 series in 2024, the condition Apple listed was a 30W USB-C power adapter. The iPhone 18 Pro is listed as 35W or higher.
If you bought a 30W adapter two years ago, you may not be able to get the maximum speed as is.
Wireless maximum 25W remains unchanged for 3 years
The maximum 25W numbers for MagSafe and Qi2 have not changed from the iPhone 16 series in 2024. Before iPhone 15, the maximum power was 15W, so this is a big difference for those who are upgrading from that generation.
The speed of wireless charging itself has reached a plateau, and this year’s evolution is on the wired side. If you want to charge quickly, it is safer to connect the cable.
Check your existing charger before purchasing a new one
New iPhones only ship with a USB-C cable, not a power adapter. If you want to use something you already have, check the following:
- I want to charge quickly by wired → Does it support 60W or more/USB PD 3.1 (variable voltage supply)?
- I want to charge quickly with MagSafe → 35W or more (30W is not enough)
- Wireless is up to 25W even with Qi2. It’s the same speed even if it’s not genuine MagSafe.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro series will begin on Saturday, September 12th, and will be released on Friday, September 18th. The details of the presentation are summarized here.
Source: Apple
Source: iPhone Mania
