This is not good news if it’s true:
It’s certainly true, though I think characterizing it as criminal seems a bit harsh. Apple Engineering is all over this, contacting many of the ASC posters and others to seek additional details. Only time will tell how serious this is and whether easily correctable or not.
I’ve been pretty impressed at how Apple seems able to fix many seemingly hardware-related problems with software updates.
I’m anxious to see how a software update will turn a 5 W charger into an 18 W charger. 
I get what you’re saying, but the issue here appears indeed to be that Apple is skimping on the charger. There’s no technical limitation or malfunction. We know iPhones can charge fast, just not with the equipment in the box. That would be ok if this were a cheap device (say a $379 SE), but on a $1100 phone it’s just silly. With their $250B in the bank it’s hard to see how this is anything but unchecked greed.
I have an iPhone X and I only rarely charge with a 10W charger (only when I travel with a multi-port USB Anker charger.) Otherwise, my phone charges only with the stock 5 W charger (or is plugged in to the car, which is also 5W). I really only do overnight charging, so whether it charges from 0 to 100 in an hour or five hours doesn’t really matter to me; or I just plug in to top up a bit while I am in the shower, eating dinner, etc. (though that is maybe once or twice a week.) My phone continues to report 100% battery health, which is one of the reasons I use the 5W charger - I remain concerned that charging the battery faster heats the battery more and would contribute to faster deterioration of battery health. (I also rarely use Qi charging, for the same reason. I could surely live without it.)
This story and the headline are pretty hyperbolic, aren’t they? Couldn’t the same thing have been said about the X and 8 Plus last year? Charging times were pretty much the same with the same included 5W charger.
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Like you, Doug, I basically only do overnight charging so it’s not a big deal to my personal use.
But I don’t think you’re right this has always been the same. From the material the above page linked to, I have this. The 8 was a lot better at this.
I’ve never had a problem charging my 8 Plus, but I always use Anker multi chargers that are billed as “fast.” I’ve never plugged it in to the Apple charger at all.
Well, I mentioned the 8+, last year’s bigger model. And charge time for the 8+ according to phonearena.com was 2:58; the iPhone X was 3:09; the XS is 3:05 (so, a little better than the X was.) Maybe it’s only the XS Max that is “criminal” at 3:29, but Gordon Kelly’s story suggested that the XS is as well. (This was the same person who reported that the X was about to be “suddenly canceled” last January. I think that he just doesn’t like Apple all that much.)
He (and the phonearena.com article) also mentions the cost of the USB-C charger at $49 and cable at $19, but fails to mention the price of the Apple 12W iPad charger at $19, which is a lot more reasonable and works fine with the include USB lightning cable. The 12W charger speed is pretty close to the USB-C charger on the iPhone X, and many people may already have one. (See The best Apple power adapter for the iPhone | Macworld )
That’s an interesting article you quote, Doug. I note it’s from May. I wonder if it’s possible Apple changed something in iOS or the firmware since then that might have led to a change of charging behavior among various iPhone models.
Same here. I very seldom run out of power before the end of the day (usually only when doing a lot of GPS navigating), and then the iPhone sits plugged in all night. Let’s do a quick poll (which I imagine those who only read via email will have to visit the Web site to complete):
How often do you charge your iPhone in the middle of the day such that a fast charge would make a difference to you?
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- Almost never
0
voters
I answered “Daily”, but I don’t know if it actually makes a difference or not. I generally plug in my phone when I plug in my Edge 1000 and PowerPod after I get back from a ride (why not, the cord is there and I’m going to be messing around with software/web sites for a little while and then taking a shower). I plug in whenever I’m in my car with it’s 5 USB ports, even if my daughter is with me and wants to commandeer the audio (in that case she plugs in first). I almost never go the entire day without plugging in at times simply because I’m stationary and the cables are just lying there, but I’m not sure if I actually need to. I use a Qi charger overnight. I’ve only had the XS for a week, and I don’t think I’ve gone much below 40% yet. If I had to go a whole day without recharging, my guess is that I’d make it, but I haven’t had that much experience with the XS as yet. I never use the included charger; the new one is still in the box.
I’d be shocked if you needed to plug in during the day with a new iPhone XS.
Most of the time I need to top up during the day, I’m using a battery pack so the rate of the stock adaptor isn’t really relevant. I have accumulated enough third-party USB chargers over the years that I don’t really use the one that comes with the phone anyway.
Two factors that might have gone into Apple’s decision: (1) why not make the included charger as small and light as possible? (2) how many of the users who want a “more serious” charger already own a third-party product?
I answered 'almost never;, but it does become handy if I am taking a lot of photos, especially in cold conditions. For those uses, I generally use an Anker ‘Cigarette box’ battery. Note that for many years, I have the thought the included power supply was a joke. I either use Anker muti=dock charges or the charger that came with an iPad. As I recall, when Macworld found USB-C charging to be only slightly faster than either of those alternatives.
However, I have just returned from a trip where I plugged my XS into am Anker 24W Dual USB Car charger. I didn’t measure precisely, but the XS seemed to barely charge compared to my earlier phones (a 7 and X). So Apple may still need to do some tuning of the charge logic for XS in future IOS updates.
Daily with my SE. Battery dead by 5 in the afternoon. Brought it to a Genius Bar when Apple offered the battery replacement program, the battery was at 94% efficiency after 2 years. He said not to bother replacing it unless I intended to hand it on (which I do). I replaced the battery, the service folks broke the phone somehow and ended up giving me a brand new SE. Pretty good deal so far. Six months later the battery is dead by the same time. I plug in whenever I can, charge in car or on the kitchen counter.
The service guy said you need a phone with a bigger battery, non-standard usage more appropriate to a larger device. Sigh… I am looking at the Xs or possibly a refurb X given the non-continuance of the SE. And my daughter is keenly awaiting my decision…
With my iPhone 7, never. I am using an Apple auxiliary battery case with it. It has a “square hump” in the back of the case, but it is barely noticeable in my pocket and actually makes it a little more comfortable to grip when talking. I should also note that the first case started to shed its silicone skin after 11 months and was replaced under warranty. (That was a whole story in itself, because the serial number was nearly illegible and AppleCare ended up sending me to a localish Apple Store to have it deciphered.) The second case appears to have some flaky issues with its electronics, and it seems to drain more quickly.
My spouse’s iPhone 7 does not have a similar case (she likes the kind where she can carry a driver’s license and a credit card or two), and she finds that the battery just about makes it through the day.
I charge daily but only because I have a cheap Qi charging stand from Amazon sitting on my desk that holds my iPhone at the right angle. Wireless Charging Stand,… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078NSCDTL?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf