Will slow charging extend iPhone battery life?

dianed143 · October 29, 2020, 3:29am

They bricked my phone last year replacing the battery. That took hours to get the new phone going and a second trip to the store to try and wipe the original phone (it was completely dead). And getting appointments is not as easy as it was a few years ago (probably worse now due to covid)

Diane

Verne_Arase · November 4, 2020, 8:43pm

The 11 Pros came with an 18w power adaptor - to fast charge using MagSafe you’re supposed to use a 20w PD 3.0 charger. As an ode to the iPhone 12, they’ve reduced the 20w Apple charger from $29 to $19 - a steal at Apple prices.

Fast charging on the iPhone 12 requires a 9v 2.22a power profile, something (according to AppleInsider) all 20w PD 3.0 chargers have but higher wattage PD 3.0 chargers may not.

I avoid fast and inductive charging because they heat the battery, so I use a lower powered charger - in my office I’m currently using a 10 port USB powered hub which delivers 5v 2.1a per port and a lightning cable.

Technically that’s a low end fast charger - isn’t the old Apple power adaptor 5w? - but I don’t want to sacrifice a precious AC plug for a little one-use charging brick.

On my nightstand I do do Qi charging my my phone’s low, but that charger is just so convenient that I’ll use it when either my phone or watch or AirPod’s charge is low. It’s a $29 charger I found on Amazon and unlike Apple’s product it’s actually something that exists.

xdev · November 4, 2020, 9:02pm

I bought a $9 Aukey 18w USB-C tiny charger on Amazon and have been using it with Magsafe and iPhone 12 Pro. I suppose it’s not charging at the very max, but I don’t care. It’s really fast. I use it to top off my iphone during the day, so sometimes if it’s 50% by evening I might put it on the puck to charge it so I don’t run out later that night (depending on what I’ll be doing). I put it on there for 30 minutes and it’s up over 80%.

By comparison, my old iPhone 11 Pro on a Qi charger would take two+ hours to go from 50-90%. I put it on the charger multiple times a day to keep it charged. It was also really finicky and wouldn’t charge two out of ten times, requiring I fiddle with it until I got the green charging icon.

With Magsafe, I am only topping off the phone only occasionally (not every day) and for as little as 15 minutes. It works great.

Simon · November 4, 2020, 9:57pm

Excellent choice! :)

I have the same one for my old iPad and it’s great. I plan to use it for my new 12 mini too. But straight Lightning, no MagSafe here.

My wife preferred getting a 30W RAVPower so she can use the same charger to power her new MBA (fingers crossed for AS release in two weeks) and her new 12 mini. She has no desire for a MagSafe either.

In the car we definitely plan on installing a mount with MagSafe. There’s a nice Anker ual USB-C 36W adapter that should work just fine there.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RL2N8YY

Verne_Arase · November 4, 2020, 10:14pm

xdev:

I bought a $9 Aukey 18w USB-C tiny charger on Amazon and have been using it with Magsafe and iPhone 12 Pro. I suppose it’s not charging at the very max, but I don’t care. It’s really fast. I use it to top off my iphone during the day, so sometimes if it’s 50% by evening I might put it on the puck to charge it so I don’t run out later that night (depending on what I’ll be doing). I put it on there for 30 minutes and it’s up over 80%.

By comparison, my old iPhone 11 Pro on a Qi charger would take two+ hours to go from 50-90%. I put it on the charger multiple times a day to keep it charged. It was also really finicky and wouldn’t charge two out of ten times, requiring I fiddle with it until I got the green charging icon.

With Magsafe, I am only topping off the phone only occasionally (not every day) and for as little as 15 minutes. It works great.

From what I read, if you have the 9v 2.22a profile you can quick charge on MagSafe at 15w (except for the mini whose max is 12w); otherwise you’re limited to 10w.

I don’t even have my 12 Pro Max yet - heck I haven’t even been able to pre-order it yet - and my daughter in a stunning display of self-restraint doesn’t want her 12 until Christmas, so all I know is what I’ve read.