I’ve had the iPhone 8 Plus for about a month now, and while on launch day I thought I’d be most excited about wireless charging, I’ve found I’ve abandoned my wireless charger in favor of fast charging.
I’ve come to like wireless charging when I’ve used Samsung’s phones, as it’s quite speedy, but Apple has limited its Qi wireless charging to only accept the charge at a very pokey 5 watts.
Contrast that with the Qi fast-charging standard that can provide up to 15 watts of charging power.
Apple has announced plans to upgrade the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus and the iPhone X to accept 7.5 watts of power in a future software update, but that’s still half the speed of some Android phones that can take advantage of all 15 watts.
For example, 5 watts will charge a phone from zero to 20 percent in 30 minutes. A wireless charger that can provide 15 watts can charge a compatible phone from zero to 40 percent in 30 minutes.
So, I’ve decided to concentrate on fast charging using a Lightning cable, but the charger and cable that come with the iPhones is not capable of fast charging.
To charge at warp speeds, you’ll need to buy Apple’s USB-C to Lightning cable ($25) and a USB-C charger that’s capable of providing a feature called Power Delivery (USB-PD).
The power adapters that ship with Apple’s newest MacBook Pros will provide enough power to fast charge the iPhone 8 models and iPhone X.
The cheapest MacBook Pro charger is the 29-watt version that costs $49.
So, you’re talking $74 for the cable and charger from Apple to fast charge the iPhones. We can do a bit better.
Apple says you’ll need to use its $25 USB-C to Lightning cable, which has been verified by every test I’ve found online.
The good news is there are cheaper USB-PD chargers available.
I chose the Aukey Amp Duo 29W USB-C PD charger that costs $17.99 from Amazon.
The Amp PD Duo with the Apple cable can charge my iPhone 8 Plus from zero to 50 percent in just 30 minutes.
In my searching I also found a USB-PD charger for my car, the AUKEY CC-Y7 Car Charger, which has USB-PD through a USB-C port plus a traditional USB type A port. It costs just $13 from Amazon.
The Amp PD Duo and the CC-Y7 charge at the same rate, so plugging in my iPhone for even a short drive around town can provide a nice bump to the battery charge.
So until Apple gets its act together with faster wireless charging, I’m going to stick with wired fast charging.
If you’d like to read a comprehensive review of USB-PD chargers, I think iMore.com did a great job here.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Jim Rossman writes for The Dallas Morning News. He may be reached at jrossman@dallasnews.com.
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