Presumably yours is an iPhone 6 or 6+?
They're the only 2 phones that can charge faster using the 12w charger.
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How long does it take to charge from 0%?
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Presumably yours is an iPhone 6 or 6+?
They're the only 2 phones that can charge faster using the 12w charger.
I tested the 5 watt charger and 12 watt charger. There is no difference in speed because the Apple Watch is only pulling between 1.3-2 watts from my testing. The battery in the device is much smaller than your iPhone's(9-14 times smaller). It can't handle too much energy.
As gregsaphire says.
New iPhones 6 and 6+ are prepared to handle higher current than 1000 mA at 5V. At least iPhone 6 is not capable of taking 2400 mA/5V (12 W charger), but something about 2000 mA/5V. This means iPhone 6 and 6+ are charging with 12 W/5V charger about twice as fast as with 5W/5V charger. So, for people with those phones is good to purchase iPad charger (if they don't have it from iPad before), because it helps to charge iPhones faster.
Above is valid only for iPhone 6/6+. All older iPhones (iPhone 5S included) it is useless, since they utilize only 1000 mA/5V.
The other case is with Apple Watch. Per my knowledge Apple Watch 38 mm has battery with about 200 mAh/3.6V. I assume Apple Watch 42 mm should have battery about 300 mAh/3.6V. Since the charging time (per Apple) of 38 mm takes at least 2 hours with 1000 mA/5V charger, so simple mathematics says that you need current about 150 mA/3.6V, which is accumulated with losses in 200 mAh/3.6V after 2 hours.
Let's forget transfer from mA/5V from charger to mA/3.6V in battery. The charger supplies only 0.75W to the watch, although charger is capable to supply 5W instead. As you can see, faster charger is completely useless and would be just throwing money from window for Apple, since they clearly want to save battery life as much as possible, thus charging current is very small. Even regular USB port with 2.5 W/5V would be at least 3 times faster...
New iPhones 6 and 6+ are prepared to handle higher current than 1000 mA at 5V. At least iPhone 6 is not capable of taking 2400 mA/5V (12 W charger), but something about 2000 mA/5V. This means iPhone 6 and 6+ are charging with 12 W/5V charger about twice as fast as with 5W/5V charger. So, for people with those phones is good to purchase iPad charger (if they don't have it from iPad before), because it helps to charge iPhones faster.
Above is valid only for iPhone 6/6+. All older iPhones (iPhone 5S included) it is useless, since they utilize only 1000 mA/5V.
The other case is with Apple Watch. Per my knowledge Apple Watch 38 mm has battery with about 200 mAh/3.6V. I assume Apple Watch 42 mm should have battery about 300 mAh/3.6V. Since the charging time (per Apple) of 38 mm takes at least 2 hours with 1000 mA/5V charger, so simple mathematics says that you need current about 150 mA/3.6V, which is accumulated with losses in 200 mAh/3.6V after 2 hours.
Let's forget transfer from mA/5V from charger to mA/3.6V in battery. The charger supplies only 0.75W to the watch, although charger is capable to supply 5W instead. As you can see, faster charger is completely useless and would be just throwing money from window for Apple, since they clearly want to save battery life as much as possible, thus charging current is very small. Even regular USB port with 2.5 W/5V would be at least 3 times faster...
As gregsaphire says.
New iPhones 6 and 6+ are prepared to handle higher current than 1000 mA at 5V. At least iPhone 6 is not capable of taking 2400 mA/5V (12 W charger), but something about 2000 mA/5V. This means iPhone 6 and 6+ are charging with 12 W/5V charger about twice as fast as with 5W/5V charger. So, for people with those phones is good to purchase iPad charger (if they don't have it from iPad before), because it helps to charge iPhones faster.
Above is valid only for iPhone 6/6+. All older iPhones (iPhone 5S included) it is useless, since they utilize only 1000 mA/5V.
The other case is with Apple Watch. Per my knowledge Apple Watch 38 mm has battery with about 200 mAh/3.6V. I assume Apple Watch 42 mm should have battery about 300 mAh/3.6V. Since the charging time (per Apple) of 38 mm takes at least 2 hours with 1000 mA/5V charger, so simple mathematics says that you need current about 150 mA/3.6V, which is accumulated with losses in 200 mAh/3.6V after 2 hours.
Let's forget transfer from mA/5V from charger to mA/3.6V in battery. The charger supplies only 0.75W to the watch, although charger is capable to supply 5W instead. As you can see, faster charger is completely useless and would be just throwing money from window for Apple, since they clearly want to save battery life as much as possible, thus charging current is very small. Even regular USB port with 2.5 W/5V would be at least 3 times faster...
Sorry, but I've done it myself using a 2.1A 5V charger. It charges both the 4S and 5S MUCH faster than the 750mA little square puck that's included with the phones.
Now, that isn't to say that they don't get warm - especially the 4S, so I wouldn't recommend doing it on a regular basis as I think the excessive charging rate likely isn't good for your battery life, when it generates that much heat, but if you're in a hurry, once every so often doesn't hurt.
What you've described isn't technically possible.
It's placebo that you've plugged a 'bigger' charger in, so it's charging faster.
Whatever charger you plug in, all iPhones (bar the 6 & 6+) will only draw 1000mA.
That little square puck is just 750 mA/5V? In Europe we do have 1000 mA/5V. That it makes sense that with 2.1A/5V you can charge iPhone 4S and 5S faster, obviously, because both are ready to be charged at least with 1A/5V, maybe even 1.1 or 1.2A/5V, but definitely they don't use 2+A/5V. I tried it myself as well, since I (still) have those phones (in my drawer).
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It is quite normal. Once the battery is almost full, its resistance becomes higher and logic board reduces current taken from charger. It is all done for protection of the battery life.
This. The Apple Watch's battery is 205 mAh, 0.78 Wh, 3.8V (Source: iFixit's tear down). 5W is too much for such a tiny battery, but a non issue since Apple has electronics that control the current going into the battery. So it's safe to use 12W, but won't charge faster.
Yep, did a little digging, you're correct that the standard draw is only 1A (increases to 1.1A if you wake it up, but then the screen is drawing energy, so it's not going to help your charging time). The iPad's are 2.05A, so they can make use of the more powerful chargers.
I plugged mine in at 4%. About 10-15 minutes later it was at 17% and I was able to put it back on and go downstairs for the evening. I like that I can get a quick boost like that mid day.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
Has anyone been able to confirm/deny the rumors that the plastic watch sport charger would charge slower than the metal watch charger??
Also, for what it's worth, when my Watch comes in I'm going to probably charge my watch sometime in the evening before bed, so that I can use the watch to a) track my sleep b) monitor my sleeping heartrate and c) use the taptic feedback as a wakeup alarm.
Depending on usage/battery life, compared to the usefulness (or not so much) of the above objectives, I may end up switching to nightly charging after the first week or so, but I'm going to at least try it out
Also, for what it's worth, when my Watch comes in I'm going to probably charge my watch sometime in the evening before bed, so that I can use the watch to a) track my sleep b) monitor my sleeping heartrate and c) use the taptic feedback as a wakeup alarm.
Depending on usage/battery life, compared to the usefulness (or not so much) of the above objectives, I may end up switching to nightly charging after the first week or so, but I'm going to at least try it out