MagSafe Charges 2x Slower Than Wired 20W USB-C Charger

[MrGuder]

This is why I said MagSafe is more of a gimmick or novelty than a must have feature. The brick charger (although you have to buy separately) will charge faster. Crazy to pay 49.00 and get a slower charge rate. The downside to all of this is if your not into MagSafe you are stuck now with magnets in all iPhones for years to come.

 

[DotCom2]

Yup. Took mine back this morning. I was curious and jumped on the hype train but then reality sank in and I realized I was wasting my money. Ordered an Anker 20w USB-C charging brick and cable for 26 bucks.
Apple might as well just abandon the accessory market at this point for everything but cases and headphones if we’re being honest.

I just got that same Anker 20 watt charger and it gets hotter than molten lava! Waiting on delivery of the Apple 20watt today and testing to see if there is a difference.

 

[deeddawg]

Meanwhile, Huawei is doing 50W wireless charging...

Hello Early Battery Replacement!

 

[Kabeyun]

So wireless charging is still slower than wired charging. Who knew? In other news, the sun rises in the east.

What Apple should do is to divide the battery in iPhones into two units, with each being able to charge separately. This is what many Android OEMs are doing. That way, you are essentially "double" your current charging speed as you are not charging one huge battery, but charging two smaller batteries at the same time.

Come on Apple, even Xiaomi figured this out.

This is gimmicky. No matter how you subdivide it, report it, or advertise it, you still need to put a certain number of usable electrons into storage.

 

[polyphenol]

Qi or MagSafe moves that transformer from the wall power supply to the charging puck and your phone.

Surely that is in addition to the wall wart or whatever USB-C source you have?

 

[polyphenol]

that’s just a recommendation. the guideline is to make sure you don’t interfere with RF transmission efficiency

I suspect that you are right that it is just a recommendation. Though I am trying to imagine Apple authorising and stocking products which do not conform to the recommendation.

 

[polyphenol]

Meanwhile, Huawei is doing 50W wireless charging...

And Xiaomi are experimenting with:

Xiaomi is working on 80W wireless charging
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/19/21522730/xiaomi-mi-80w-wireless-charging-technology-announced

 

[MiamiC70]

Apple's MagSafe charger charges over two-times slower than a wired 20W USB-C charger, according to a new iPhone 12 video review from the Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern.

Screencap from video review​

The review of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro was generally critical of Apple's MagSafe technology, explaining that the idea seems to be better in theory than in practice.

Although Stern found that the MagSafe charger charged the iPhone 12 faster than a traditional 7.5W Qi wireless charger, it was still slower than plugging directly into a 20W charger. The 20W charger charged an empty iPhone to 50% in only 28 minutes, while the MagSafe took 1 hour.

The full video review covers other aspects of the new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro:

The review was also critical of the fact that the combined cost of the MagSafe charger and a 20W power adapter was $58 combined, and that the MagSafe charger's cable is less than a yard in length.



Article Link: MagSafe Charges 2x Slower Than Wired 20W USB-C Charger

Apple “progress”, where less is more and an additional cost 🙄

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I just got that same Anker 20 watt charger and it gets hotter than molten lava! Waiting on delivery of the Apple 20watt today and testing to see if there is a difference.

Unfortunate. Isn’t it using GaN? I thought that was supposed to be the same or cooler?

And Xiaomi are experimenting with:

Xiaomi is working on 80W wireless charging
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/19/21522730/xiaomi-mi-80w-wireless-charging-technology-announced

THIS TIME WITH LIQUID COOLING! LOL

 

[DotCom2]

Unfortunate. Isn’t it using GaN? I thought that was supposed to be the same or cooler?

No, I didn't get the GaN one. Maybe I should have.

 

[polyphenol]

Isn’t it using GaN?

I'm waiting for the next-after-next-gen Gallium Sulphide devices.

Built-in laughter.

 

[Neepman]

I still don't get the whole wireless charging obsession. How hard is it to plug in a cable? But then I realize i'm dealing with a generation of consumers that thinks making a bowl of cereal is hard.

 

[polyphenol]

I still don't get the whole wireless charging obsession. How hard is it to plug in a cable? But then I realize i'm dealing with a generation of consumers that thinks making a bowl of cereal is hard.

Not at all hard to plug in a cable. For most of us.

But the need to have a plug sticking out of your phone, especially at 90 degrees and on the bottom, is ridiculous. Consider the Microsoft Surfaces - they have a magnetically attached charging plug - that sits on the side and hardly sticks out at all. Try to leave your phone charging in a car, maybe in a convenient hole such as a drink holder, and you have to either potentially damage the plug, or turn it upside down. But some apps simply don't work upside down.

(Why do Apple allow any apps which don't fully support rotation?)

 

[deeddawg]

I still don't get the whole wireless charging obsession. How hard is it to plug in a cable? But then I realize i'm dealing with a generation of consumers that thinks making a bowl of cereal is hard.

Try stepping away from your preconceived notions sometime. I know, it's difficult, but since you've mastered pouring a bowl of cereal, I have confidence you can do it.

Three or so years ago I placed Qi pads (Anker mostly) at the typical spots I already would set my phone down. Kitchen side counter. Home office and work-office desks. Bedroom dresser.

Charging my phone became something I seldom ever have to think about. I simply set my phone down in the usual spots and it charges. Grab & go. Great during an office workday (when we had those) constantly moving between meetings and my office. Simple and easy.

... but you go on plugging into a cord and unplugging from a cord if that makes you feel better.

(and no, I'm not hopping on the MagSafe train - no need in my usage)

 

[DotCom2]

I still don't get the whole wireless charging obsession. How hard is it to plug in a cable? But then I realize i'm dealing with a generation of consumers that thinks making a bowl of cereal is hard.

Please don't be judgmental and condescending. You just do what you feel best for you, and leave the rest of us alone please.

 

[imamacperson]

So in other words Apple don't remove the charging port in a future iPhone update just put a USB-C port (like you should have already done!) and leave it alone!

 

[Omega V]

What Apple should do is to divide the battery in iPhones into two units, with each being able to charge separately. This is what many Android OEMs are doing. That way, you are essentially "double" your current charging speed as you are not charging one huge battery, but charging two smaller batteries at the same time.

Come on Apple, even Xiaomi figured this out.

Meanwhile, Huawei is doing 50W wireless charging...

This is amazing, I don't know what it would do to the life of your battery over the long run but it's an advancement.

I know Apple would never go anywhere near this high but I would assume a 20W-25W MagSafe charger wouldn't be too much for the 2021 iPhones, especially if Apple really does go port-less.

 

[twinlight]

Looks like Xiaomi isn’t happy until the phone levitates on the magnetic field.

Hopefully Apple has a seriously upgraded version of this in the works. In 2 years it should do data and 50+ Watts.

 

[SSDGUY]

One second to set your phone on an induction charger vs two seconds to plug in a cord. Cord wins IMO.

 

[robinp]

Why? It simply means charging took -100% of the wired speed, meaning it was fully charged 30 minutes BEFORE it was plugged it in. Couldn't be clearer. And it's convenient - if you are using your phone, and it suddenly jumps to 100% charge, you suddenly know that in 30 minutes you will be plugging it in.

It’s about clarity of communication. Something you seem to struggle with too.

 

[Ferazel]

This is why wireless charging is such a stupid gimmick. There is zero convenience of snapping a damn magnet dongle vs. connecting it with an actual directly sourced power source. Not only is wireless dramatically less efficient (way to be green Apple) it is incredibly slow due to the low wattage that it can deliver. Please contact Apple and tell them to ditch this nonsense and get a USB C on the next iPhone.

Feedback - iPhone

Apple wants to hear from you. Send us your comments and feedback about iPhone.

www.apple.com

 

[MacBH928]

does the magsafe charge slower because of technology limits or its inefficient as in it draws 60W but can only send over 15W, because thats environmental suicide. Also why would I want to charge slower? Whats the benefit?

 

[Kabeyun]

I still don't get the whole wireless charging obsession. How hard is it to plug in a cable? But then I realize i'm dealing with a generation of consumers that thinks making a bowl of cereal is hard.

Try stepping away from your preconceived notions sometime. I know, it's difficult, but since you've mastered pouring a bowl of cereal, I have confidence you can do it.

One of my most earnest wishes is that the anonymity of the Internet didn’t provide cover for people thinking it was cute to be completely rude to perfect strangers.

 

[I7guy]

.... Not only is wireless dramatically less efficient (way to be green Apple) it is incredibly slow due to the low wattage that it can deliver. Please contact Apple and tell them to ditch this nonsense and get a USB C on the next iPhone....

Seems like more companies than apple use wireless charging. Heck, I was charging my electric toothbrush wirelessly for decades.

Being green isn’t binary. It’s a process to move the needle. Maybe other companies should eliminate that option as well?

 

[SactoGuy18]

THIS is why I am not a fan of wireless charging. I've always charged my soon-to-retire iPhone X with what amounts to an iPad 12 watt/2.4 ampere charger (USB-A to Lightning connection) and the phone usually uses charges from under 25% to 100% in about 80 minutes.