25W for the iPhone 13?
If you’re expecting the iPhone 13 to be a super-premium smartphone, you would possibly be right in some ways and wrong in others – case in point, we have got a charging speed leak that’s not very impressive.
According to a source chatting with Chinese site MyDrivers, the iPhone 13 series will likely get 25W wired charging – that’d be a moderate boost from the 18W on the iPhone 12 series.
Take this with a pinch of salt because the site’s sources aren’t transparent, and therefore the website also features a dubious diary with iPhone leaks like this.
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If the iPhones used 25W, “the charging speed shouldn’t change much” consistent with MyDrivers – that would imply a rise in battery size, or ask the very fact that within the grand scheme of phone charging speeds, an additional 7W isn’t much.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series uses 25W fast charging so that Apple would be playing catch-up to a top competitor. Still, comparisons pale once you check out the range of other Android manufacturers and, therefore, the charging speeds of many of those users.
Analysis: not enough for Android fans
If you check out Chinese phone companies like OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, and Xiaomi, you will see charging speeds of 30W at a minimum and typically closer to 65W or maybe 100W.
That charging speed can power a phone from empty to full in half an hour or less – not an hour or two, as 25W powering can take.
Such fast charging would typically damage A battery, but most phone brands have software and hardware optimizations to ensure the battery life lasts an extended time.
Compared to the lightning-fast powering many Android phones have (including budget and mid-range devices), iPhone charging feels relatively glacial, whether it’s 18W or 25W.
Just note by ‘Android’, we do not include Samsung phones because the brand’s devices also lag on the fast-charging front.
So while it’s good that Apple is finally opting to enhance the powering speed of its smartphones, this isn’t enough to keep iPhones competitive with Android handsets for people that like fast charging.
