iOS 17.4 Seemingly Brings Qi2 Wireless Charging Support to iPhone 12

[MacRumors]

iOS 17.4 brings support for 15W wireless charging with Qi2 to the iPhone 12, according to Macworld.

Qi2 is a next-generation wireless charging technology designed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and based on MagSafe. MagSafe was first introduced on the iPhone 12 and offers speeds of up to 15W. Third-party wireless chargers without MagSafe certification have been limited to maximum speeds of 7.5W, but Qi2 can reach the full 15W.

Last year, Apple enabled 15W speeds with Qi2 wireless chargers on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 via iOS 17.2. The iPhone 15 lineup already supported Qi2 upon launch, leaving the iPhone 12 as the only iPhone model with MagSafe without the faster charging capability when using Qi2 accessories.

Citing reader reports and its own tests, Macworld claims that the iPhone 12 is able to charge at 15W when using a Qi2 wireless charger after an update to iOS 17.4. When using a Qi2 charger, the device now displays the animation that only appears when 15W charging is active and tests with the Anker Qi2 MagGo Wireless Charger demonstrated charging speeds in line with MagSafe.

Apple openly stated that iOS 17.2 brought Qi2 support to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, but it did not make any such claim about iOS 17.4 and the iPhone 12. This may be because the iPhone 12's wireless charging technology was built around the original Qi standard and MagSafe before Qi2 was finalized.

Article Link: iOS 17.4 Seemingly Brings Qi2 Wireless Charging Support to iPhone 12

 

[truthsteve]

but wait! everyone kept saying Apple deliberately makes phones worse via software updates to get people to upgrade.

they're awfully quiet now.

 

[hacky]

That's great! I would have never thought that something like wireless charging standard could be updated by the software upgrade.

Also it's pretty ironical Apple pushes Qi2 upgrade to iPhone 12, yet limits 80% charging limit and battery cycle count to iPhone 15

 

[vegetassj4]

I prefer my custom wired charger @ 1.21 jigowatts

 

[nt5672]

but wait! everyone kept saying Apple deliberately makes phones worse via software updates to get people to upgrade.

they're awfully quiet now.

One positive example versus 100s of negative examples does not counter the obvious.

 

[hacky]

but wait! everyone kept saying Apple deliberately makes phones worse via software updates to get people to upgrade.

This one has been proved at court, what's your point? https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67911517

Multiple times even https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/7/21127984/apple-iphone-batterygate-slowdown-batteries-french-fine

And it's not just about phones software updates - https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/24/...-canceling-weakened-firmware-experience-appke

they're awfully quiet now.

Your comment is the first one - it's pretty nonsensical to say "they're quit now". Of course, because everyone was quiet about everything when you're the first commenter.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Weird flex, adding functionality to a phone that is about to stop receiving OS updates (iPhoneOS 19 in 2025 will probably be the last one to support the iPhone 12).

 

[madebybela]

Weird flex, adding functionality to a phone that is about to stop receiving OS updates (iPhoneOS 19 in 2026 will probably be the last one to support the iPhone 12).

the A14 in the iPhone 12 is only two generations behind the A16 currently sold in the iPhone 15. These are gonna be sticking around way longer than usual.

 

[Crispy Duck]

When using a Qi2 charger, the device now displays the animation that only appears when 15W charging is active.

What does this animation look like? How is it different to the current green ring animation?

 

[machpost]

Will this also enable Qi2 for the 12 Pro? And will this allow me to charge at 15 watts with a standard Qi charger, or is a newer Qi2 charger necessary?

 

[backstreetboy]

Weird flex, adding functionality to a phone that is about to stop receiving OS updates (iPhoneOS 19 in 2026 will probably be the last one to support the iPhone 12).

iOS 18 is not culling any phones https://www.macrumors.com/2024/02/27/ios-18-compatible-iphones-rumor/. It's unlikely iOS 19 will cull two generations.

 

[truthsteve]

One positive example versus 100s of negative examples does not counter the obvious.

"one positive example"

you mean 5+ years of updates for nearly all iPhones is not one example? lol

 

[truthsteve]

This one has been proved at court, what's your point? https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67911517

1. you clearly didn't read the article. " it denied any wrongdoing but was concerned with the cost of continuing litigation."

2. Slowdowns were to prevent random shutdowns due to old batteries. Meanwhile Samsung asks the user to replace the batteries while it continues to randomly shutdown because...simple physics. Apple literally did a software update to extend the life of the device so that no user would need to shell out money to continue using their old device. Lmao you chose the WORST example for your argument.

Awfully quiet now.

 

[hacky]

1. you clearly didn't read the article. " it denied any wrongdoing but was concerned with the cost of continuing litigation."

2. Slowdowns were to prevent random shutdowns due to old batteries. Meanwhile Samsung asks the user to replace the batteries

Apple hit with €25 million fine in France for iPhone slowdown controversy​

Yeah, totally not guilty... Tell me more about it.

 

[truthsteve]

Apple hit with €25 million fine in France for iPhone slowdown controversy​

Yeah, totally not guilty... Tell me more about it.

" was first introduced with iOS 10.2.1, and was designed to prevent unexpected shutdowns as old batteries degraded over time."

lol continue on with the worst example you can come up with.

" The problem was that it never communicated this to its customers"

so it's not due to the shutdown

do you even read your own articles you link?

 

[FeliApple]

but wait! everyone kept saying Apple deliberately makes phones worse via software updates to get people to upgrade.

they're awfully quiet now.

There’s no comparison between a (late) feature addition, and the constant aspect that has plagued iOS since the beginning: update far enough and battery life and performance suffer tremendously.

I couldn’t care less whether this worsening is intentional. Maybe it isn’t. But I don’t care, what I care about is that it happens. iOS updates obliterate devices eventually.

 

[Tyson14zoll]

What does the 15w animation look like?

 

[truthsteve]

There’s no comparison between a (late) feature addition, and the constant aspect that has plagued iOS since the beginning: update far enough and battery life and performance suffer tremendousl.

I couldn’t care less whether this worsening is intentional. Maybe it isn’t. But I don’t care, what I care about is that it happens. iOS updates obliterate devices eventually.

you're blaming Apple for battery physics? weird.

 

[FeliApple]

you're blaming Apple for battery physics? weird.

Battery health is irrelevant if the device isn’t updated, and battery replacements improve battery life relative to degraded batteries on the same iOS version, but never match original iOS versions.

Stop with this myth once and for all, ffs.

 

[seek3r]

Weird flex, adding functionality to a phone that is about to stop receiving OS updates (iPhoneOS 19 in 2026 will probably be the last one to support the iPhone 12).

September 2027, when according to you the first os that wont support the 12 will be released, is 3.5 years away… that’s “about to” to you?

 

[truthsteve]

Battery health is irrelevant if the device isn’t updated, and battery replacements improve battery life relative to degraded batteries on the same iOS version, but never match original iOS versions.

Stop with this myth once and for all, ffs.

oh so adding new features shouldn't use more energy?

completely ridiculous take.

 

[spazzcat]

Apple hit with €25 million fine in France for iPhone slowdown controversy​

Yeah, totally not guilty... Tell me more about it.

Yep, Apple learned it was better just to let the phone crash and reboot vs preventing it by slowing the CPU.

 

[FeliApple]

oh so adding new features shouldn't use more energy?

completely ridiculous take.

Ah but now you changed your argument.

What I think about that is very simple: if you can’t maintain software efficiency with updates (whether that’s due to features or not), allow downgrading. But don’t obliterate devices via one-way updates that cause issues that can never be solved. Millions of devices have been obliterated by this.

 

[gnipgnop]

One positive example versus 100s of negative examples does not counter the obvious.

100s? Then it should be easy for you to provide a list of 10 examples.

 

[truthsteve]

Ah but now you changed your argument.

nope. my argument was that battery *health* did not deteriorate over iOS updates, not that battery *life* decreased over iOS updates. of course battery life would decrease, but not the *health*.

you claimed battery *health* is irrelevant if device was not updated, which implies it is relevant if device was updated which makes no sense since health remains relatively unaffected by iOS updates.