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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Capable of Faster Charging Using iPad 2.1A Adapter

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Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus ship with higher capacity batteries that deliver exceptional battery life, but as pointed out by iLounge and MacRumors forum members, the two new iPhone models can also charge significantly faster when used with an iPad charging adapter rather than the smaller adapter included with the iPhones.

iphone6-charging.jpg
According to preliminary tests using a Kill-A-Watt device and OS X system information, the charging profile for the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus match that of the iPad, allowing them to charge using 2.1A. Unlike earlier iPhone models which would only draw 5W regardless of the charger being used, the new phones are capable of drawing up to 12W, allowing them to charge at a faster rate. Early feedback from owners suggest the larger iPhone 6 Plus can charge fully in approximately two hours from an iPad adapter.

iphone6-chargingB.jpg
iPhone 5s (l) versus iPhone 6 Plus (r) charging profiles in OS X system report​
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus include the standard square 1A/5W charging block that shipped with previous iPhone models. To obtain these faster charging rates, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners may use the 2.1A/12W charger from the iPad or the high-power USB port of a newer model Mac.

Article Link: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Capable of Faster Charging Using iPad 2.1A Adapter
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/22/iphone-6-and-6-plus-charging/
Before anybody says it: Yes, it is safe. The phone draws the power and only the power it needs, not the other way around. They are intentionally designed this way.
 
Makes me wish they put one of these in with the Plus. It (obviously) charges way slower than my 5.
 
fivedots said:
Before anybody says it: Yes, it is safe. The phone draws the power and only the power it needs, not the other way around. They are intentionally designed this way.
Click to expand...

It maybe safe, but it is not good for the battery to do this. I swear the quality of MR reporting his hitting rock bottom recently. I mean is this article for real?

Any device will charge quicker if you pump up the amps. Likewise it will charge slower if you use less amps. I don't recommend anyone does this regularly.
 
This does NOT mean you should.

Charging with more powerful adapters is hard on the li-ion battery. While it will give you a quick charge it will take a major toll on the batter life after a few months. There are hundreds of articles/videos on why this is so.
 
eenuuk said:
It maybe safe, but it is not good for the battery to do this. I swear the quality of MR reporting his hitting rock bottom recently. I mean is this article for real?

Any device will charge quicker if you pump up the amps. Likewise it will charge slower if you use less amps. I don't recommend anyone does this regularly.
Click to expand...

Shredliotti said:
Charging with more powerful adapters is hard on the li-ion battery. While it will give you a quick charge it will take a major toll on the batter life after a few months. There are hundreds of articles/videos on why this is so.
Click to expand...

So you're saying that my iPad battery is doomed?
 
When I first started charging my iPhone 6 Plus with a third party, two-port charger that uses "smart tech" to determine proper amperage, my 6+ was charging incredibly slow. How slow? I ran down my 6+ battery and plugged it in overnight. 5 hours later, it was 98% charged.

Wondering what the deal was, I remembered the third party charger and its "smart" charging capabilities, and figured that maybe the charger wasn't that smart after all. Once i plugged in my 6+ with the :apple: 12W charger, the 6+ charges up FAST! How fast? The :apple: 12W adapter charges my 6+ at a rate ~1%/min. That's very, very nice. :D
 
Ya, I'd be concerned about the ramifications on the battery and long term performance. If this was the case, why wouldn't Apple just have included the more powerful charger?
 
fivedots said:
So you're saying that my iPad battery is doomed?
Click to expand...

don't be stupid, your iPad battery is designed for that specific amperage. The iPhone is not - ask yourself this. If it was good for the iPhone battery to take higher amps would Apple not give you a higher amp charger?

I mean:

1. They could standardise to a single charger for all products.
2. Happy customers because their phones charge super fast.

Common sense people!
 
Shredliotti said:
Charging with more powerful adapters is hard on the li-ion battery. While it will give you a quick charge it will take a major toll on the batter life after a few months. There are hundreds of articles/videos on why this is so.
Click to expand...

The iPad uses the same li-ion battery(but different capacity of course) right?

Why hasn't it "take a major toll on the battery life after a few months?"
 
eenuuk said:
don't be stupid, your iPad battery is designed for that specific amperage. The iPhone is not - ask yourself this. If it was good for the iPhone battery to take higher amps would Apple not give you a higher amp charger?

I mean:

1. They could standardise to a single charger for all products.
2. Happy customers because their phones charge super fast.

Common sense people!
Click to expand...

Because the higher amperage charger is much larger and less convenient than the one included with the iPad?

This isn't an accident: the iPhone 6(+) circuit is intentionally designed to draw more amps. If they didn't want it to work this way, it wouldn't do it. The iPhone 5(S) do not work this way.
 
eenuuk said:
It maybe safe, but it is not good for the battery to do this. I swear the quality of MR reporting his hitting rock bottom recently. I mean is this article for real?

Any device will charge quicker if you pump up the amps. Likewise it will charge slower if you use less amps. I don't recommend anyone does this regularly.
Click to expand...

Actually, it is fine to do this. Apple officially supports using the 12W adapter for iPod 4th gen. and newer, and all iPhone and iPad models. On the flip side, charging your iPad with a charger that supplies less current that what it needs will damage your device.

I swear the contempt of MR readers sure has skyrocketed recently. I mean, are these people for real? :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
eenuuk said:
don't be stupid, your iPad battery is designed for that specific amperage. The iPhone is not - ask yourself this. If it was good for the iPhone battery to take higher amps would Apple not give you a higher amp charger?

I mean:

1. They could standardise to a single charger for all products.
2. Happy customers because their phones charge super fast.

Common sense people!
Click to expand...
While I don't claim to be an expert by any means, these points are what crossed my thought as well. Your iPhone 6 (plus) might now blow up, but it could very well have a negative impact over the long run capacity wise. But if Apple officially supports it as stated above it's probably fine.
 
EldonChew said:
The iPad uses the same li-ion battery(but different capacity of course) right?

Why hasn't it "take a major toll on the battery life after a few months?"
Click to expand...

It was designed for that amperage.

----------
BigBeast said:
Actually, it is fine to do this. Apple officially supports using the 12W adapter for the iPhone 5 and newer, as well as all iPad models. On the flip side, charging your iPad with a charger that supplies less current that what it needs will damage your device.

I swear the contempt of MR readers sure has skyrocketed recently. I mean, are these people for real? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Are you sure? I wouldn't think that's true. Not trying to be rude- just asking. I believe lower amperage would just mean slower.
 
Hmm... I thought this was common knowledge. I use my iPad charger all the time with my iPhone 5 and now 6. The charge time is so much shorter!!!
 
fivedots said:
Because the higher amperage charger is much larger and less convenient than the one included with the iPad?

This isn't an accident: the iPhone 6(+) circuit is intentionally designed to draw more amps. If they didn't want it to work this way, it wouldn't do it. The iPhone 5(S) do not work this way.
Click to expand...

No it is not intentionally designed that way. Every device that has a battery from a laptop to a phone can do it. I've been doing it on my 4S. Guess what? I have been through 2 batteries (edited as I am actually on my 3rd). Thats a conscious decision I have made, but it definitely screws the battery.

BigBeast said:
Actually, it is fine to do this. Apple officially supports using the 12W adapter for the iPhone 5 and newer, as well as all iPad models. On the flip side, charging your iPad with a charger that supplies less current that what it needs will damage your device.

I swear the contempt of MR readers sure has skyrocketed recently. I mean, are these people for real? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I never said it wasn't fine. The thing is not going to blow up, but it is also not going to last anywhere near as long. No charging with less will not damage the device at all.

It has probably skyrocketed recently since the quality and content of the articles has equally skyrocketed in terms of poor content, poorly written and a lot of errors.
 
Last edited:
bkribbs said:
It was designed for that amperage.
Click to expand...

Makes no sense.

The charging circuit controls how much it wishes to draw. The charger does not decide how much to push.

The iPhone is entirely in control of how much juice it pulls, thus it is also clearly designed this way. Unless you're claiming to know something that the engineers who designed the thing don't.
 
bkribbs said:
It was designed for that amperage.
Click to expand...

And so is the iPhone 6 (Plus).

The iPhone 5s or earlier was not designed for that amperage therefore even if you charge with a 2.1A charger, it would be the same as charging with a 1A charger.

But now that the iPhone 6 (Plus) can charge faster with a 2.1A charger, this means that it was designed for that amperage.

If it was not, then it would be like the iPhone 5s or earlier who would not charge faster with a 2.1A charger.
 
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