We hope that after reading this article you will be able to choose the best wired and wireless iPhone chargers and charging cables for your needs.
The iPhone has two main types of charging, namely wired and wireless charging. In general terms, wired charging is faster, but this is not always the case. What matters most when it comes to charging speed is the power output that the charger has. Up until the release of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max in 2019, Apple included with every iPhone their 5 Watt charger (which is adequate but not quick), yet iPhones have been compatible with fast charging since the iPhone 8 was released.
To take advantage of Apple’s fast charging you’ll need an 18W charger or better, and this 18W power adaptor must have a USB Type C connector and USB PD (USB Power Delivery). The usual USB-A adaptor that comes with Apple’s 5W and 12W chargers is not fast charging compatible.
With each new iPhone (and iPad) model, the larger iPhone’s battery is and the trend towards bigger screens makes these newer devices even more power hungry. Even the newer CPUs that are used by Apple in the newer phones use more power. What this means is that we need to charge our iPhones more regularly and when we do we prefer to have the phone charged as quickly as possible.
The wireless charging standard or protocol that Apple uses in the iPhones is slightly different wireless charging than what is used by Android devices. To fast charge the iPhone uses the USB PD (Power Delivery) standard.
Read on and see our recommendations on what you should look for in a charger for your iPhone as well as our thoughts on what to look for in iPhone charging cables.
Do You Want Wireless Or Wired Charging
While Charging wirelessly is very convenient as all you do is place your iPhone on the charging mat, pad, dock, cradle or stand. However wireless charging isn’t as fast as wired charging as wireless iPhone chargers will generally deliver either 5 Watts or 7.5 Watts of charging power which is equal to the 5W standard charger but not as quick as fast charging.
With most of the charging devices you will also need to buy the charging adaptor or power brick. And the charger will not be able deliver more output power than what you put into it. So if your iPhone wireless charging pad can deliver 7.5 Watts you will need a power adaptor that outputs more than 7.5 Watts for the wireless charger to charge at 7.5 Watts. It will not be able to do this you’re hooking it to a charger that will provide only 5 Watts of power.
How To Choose Your iPhone Charger
Consider what you want to do now charging wise but also think about what you may want to do in the future. Consider this, an 18 Watt USB PD charger is powerful enough to fast charge the iPhone, however it’s not big enough to power an iMac Pro, so if you looking at upgrading your laptop soon a more powerful charger that can do more and has more possibilities for charging more devices might be a smarter selection.
It is generally a wise move to get a USB-C charger even if you don’t need it right now because that is where technology is moving and having USB-C is future proofing and they are also backwards compatible.
What To Watch Out For When Buying A Power Adaptor
The main considerations here are: power output as well as the type and number of ports the charger has. For fast charging (Apple’s iPhone 8 and above) you will be required to have 18 Watt or greater power adaptor that as USB PD.
How To Purchase The Best Lightning Cable
The main criteria here are durability and compatibility. Always use a MFi (Made For iPhone) cable. MFi certification means that the cable meets Apple’s stringent quality and compatibility standards.
As you may be aware from previous experiences, not all of the iPhone cables are equal. Certainly you could buy from Apple stores even though they are pricier when compared to other chargers.
Having a good robust cable will reduce the chances of the cable tangling and you should look for a cable that has reinforcements where the cable and the connector join. This is a problem area and is where most cables wear. And you usually manage to destroy these cables on a regular then perhaps you should opt for a cable that has a bit more longevity.
What To Look For In Your Wireless Dock
Many wireless iPhone chargers deliver only 5 Watts, and is good for charging your iPhone overnight, but remember that a 7.5 Watt wireless charger will charge faster and generally is a better option to buy.
