The charging power of Apple’s iPhone smartphones has long lagged behind its Android rivals. A few days ago, OPPO just introduced the new 150W SuperVOOC solution, which can be charged to 50% in just 5 minutes, and it only takes 15 minutes to fully charge. In contrast, the current iPhone 13 Pro Max model can only achieve 27W of power (higher than the official 20W charging power) through various USB-C chargers and C-to-L data cables.
While Apple won’t significantly increase the charging speed of its iPhone smartphones anytime soon, the company can still improve the user experience by improving component efficiency and optimizing interior space (increasing battery capacity and body thickness).
Taking the iPhone 13 series models as an example, the thickness is increased by 0.25mm compared with the previous generation. The actual measurement shows that the battery life of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is even better than that of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The problem is that in light usage, charging power doesn’t seem to matter that much. But for heavy users, the long waiting time is unbearable. The actual measurement in September last year showed that users can increase the charging speed of the iPhone 13 with a higher wattage laptop charger – but this obviously does not apply to the majority of pure mobile phone users.
The good news is that according to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to launch a new 30W gallium nitride (GaN) charging head in 2022. Although “iPhone 14” is not explicitly mentioned, it is widely speculated that the company will introduce higher charging power support for the new generation of smartphones.
However, it should be noted that Apple has canceled the original charger included in the mobile phone box since the iPhone 12, citing the reasons for reducing its carbon footprint. Just for potential buyers of the iPhone 14, it also means that they may have to pay more for the upgrade cost for faster-charging power.
It should be pointed out that Apple has already provided a 30W USB-C charger for the 13-inch MacBook Air. But when it comes to gallium nitride technology, there is currently only a 140W version available for the 2021 MacBook Pro.
Finally, it is expected that Apple may be redesigning the more compact MacBook charger (compatible with the new iPhone), and simultaneously improving the charging speed of the iPad tablet line. As for whether the upper limit will be stuck at 30W, it remains to be tested.