iPhone 17 Pro Max Overnight charging 5W or 20W?

[maerz001]

While I appreciate your enthusiasm in jumping to dismiss someone’s response as “wild speculation”, you’re ignoring a lot here.
The primary purpose of a vapor chamber is to pull the heat away from the hottest end (processor during active use). The same thing helps distribute the heat evenly while charging as well. It’s not designed to just keep the processor run cooler and let everything else be damned. This in conjunction with the aluminum construction dissipates heat faster.

Secondly, 30 mins is still just a few. I didn’t say it was only for a couple mins. OP wants to plug it in overnight and last I checked 30 mins is much smaller than that.

If you have any questions, I’m happy

The principal of a vapor chamber is that you need enough heat to generate the vapor from the liquid. If the battery gets to this level it’s toast

2nd:
“A few minutes” → about 3–5 minutes, sometimes up to 10 depending on tone.

If you want:
• 2 or less, say “a couple.”
• 5 or more, say “several.”

 

[snipr125]

The slower the charger - the better. Companies will never tell you this because it leads to them losing profits. 5W is much better for battery in long run. I mostly use old 5W, 10 or 12W Apple bricks to charge my iPhone, rarely I also use 15W Samsung charger.

It seems like phone charges much faster at 5W when it is turned off, not sure what is the reason. Heat during charging is also significantly reduced

When the phone is on its is always using the battery to keep the device running even whilst charging. So if you turn it off or at least turn off wifi/mobile data it will charge slightly faster. Hope this makes sense. Less work=less heat.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

This is the type of thread that theyayarealiving would love to be a part of.

What happened to them?

 

[BigMcGuire]

Hats off to TheYayAreaLiving who would have loved to comment and preach the 5w gospel .

That said, while she and others love to use their 5w brick, I had mine yellow and overheat from trying to keep my 15 Pro Max topped up. Maybe it was defective. Those with 5w bricks - check it sometime - mine get SUPER super hot.

So I have been using whatever charger I can find - phone pulls what it needs, and my health is still 103% after almost 200 cycles on my 15 Pro Max. I do set max charge to 80% and am a fairly light user. I use my 65w charger in my car and I plug in whenever I can and that keeps my phone cool. Yeah, I plug it in overnight - (stops at 80% and runs off its power source all night - super cool).

My $.02 - Use a 20w charger (or higher) - set max charge to 80%, plug in when you can, enjoy life.

 

[BigMcGuire]

What happened to them?

They were permanently suspended. One of Macrumor’s biggest fans. Last time I tried to explain why, I got slapped, so this is all I will say.

 

[jz0309]

All (as in, 100%) of the battery conversations on MacRumors are speculation supported by made-up facts to enable busy-work and micromanagement of devices and systems that don't need our help. Need to charge? Charge it. Need to use it? Use it. Heat is normal. Do not subject phone to excessive, extremely high temperatures (think like in a locked car in the middle of summer) for extended periods of time. The end.

THIS.
Computing devices are tools, batteries are consumables. Enjoy your tools while they do what you expect them to do, if they don’t anymore, replace battery or get a new tool.
And if one is really so concerned about the last % of battery life/health, get AC+ and stop worrying. Enjoy the tool and life.

 

[GioGiusi]

Literally does not matter, and don't let anyone tell you that it does.

 

[aespana]

I use a 5w charger from a Chromecast 2 and it works well.

What doesn't seems to work is the Optimized Battery Charging. It always just went to 100% straightforward. I know this because if I wake up randomly like 1-2 hours after connecting the phone, it just reached 100% without any delay or something like that. For example, going to sleep 10pm, waking up randomly at 12am when the next alarm is 4:30am..

Don't know if this is normal but meh, I don't really care

 

[JerseyDoug]

Just use the charger that come with your phone…

Yours came with a charger? Interesting. Mine didn’t.

 

[Lwii2boo]

While I appreciate your enthusiasm in jumping to dismiss someone’s response as “wild speculation”, you’re ignoring a lot here.
The primary purpose of a vapor chamber is to pull the heat away from the hottest end (processor during active use). The same thing helps distribute the heat evenly while charging as well. It’s not designed to just keep the processor run cooler and let everything else be damned. This in conjunction with the aluminum construction dissipates heat faster.

Secondly, 30 mins is still just a few. I didn’t say it was only for a couple mins. OP wants to plug it in overnight and last I checked 30 mins is much smaller than that.

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer.

No you are. That is not how physics works. The VC is for only one use : distribute better heat generated by SoC. This does not apply for heat coming through battery.
If you want to go even deeper, 17 Pro / PM will go hotter quicker during hot days with sun exposure than previous Pro model despite many clueless "tech" Youtuber claiming the opposite. Better thermal conductivity meaning heat transfer are quicker : VC will cool the phone even quicker due to Alumininum thermal conduct under heavy SoC use - but the heat (or cold if very cold day) from outside will penetrate the device quicker too.

Some Chinese youtuber called HTX Studio pointed it out btw (they are infinitely better than US "tech" youtuber btw), you should check it out hands down best tech analysis of 17 Pro with Geekerwan video. VC has a very specific placement to manage heat distribution from SoC. Don't get me wrong VC is great and I am glad there is one to better exploit SoC power but it's not a magic component that prevent heat from other sources.

 

[knuta]

why so many of you charge at night while sleeping?
what if a charger overheats

 

[Artemiz]

No you are. That is not how physics works. The VC is for only one use : distribute better heat generated by SoC. This does not apply for heat coming through battery.
If you want to go even deeper, 17 Pro / PM will go hotter quicker during hot days with sun exposure than previous Pro model despite many clueless "tech" Youtuber claiming the opposite. Better thermal conductivity meaning heat transfer are quicker : VC will cool the phone even quicker due to Alumininum thermal conduct under heavy SoC use - but the heat (or cold if very cold day) from outside will penetrate the device quicker too.

Some Chinese youtuber called HTX Studio pointed it out btw (they are infinitely better than US "tech" youtuber btw), you should check it out hands down best tech analysis of 17 Pro with Geekerwan video. VC has a very specific placement to manage heat distribution from SoC. Don't get me wrong VC is great and I am glad there is one to better exploit SoC power but it's not a magic component that prevent heat from other sources.

Why are you talking about sun exposure here? Are you assuming OP is sleeping on the streets? That is not the point of this thread at all nor did I mention anything about using the phone outside.

 

[Artemiz]

It’s still wild speculation that 20W is now fine and previously was not. How do you determine how many Watts are fine?

Pretty much everything I just said in the comment you responded to. Calling it wild speculation just because it goes against your thinking doesn’t make it so. Circle back in a few months with proof and I will stand corrected.

 

[Artemiz]

The principal of a vapor chamber is that you need enough heat to generate the vapor from the liquid. If the battery gets to this level it’s toast

2nd:
“A few minutes” → about 3–5 minutes, sometimes up to 10 depending on tone.

If you want:
• 2 or less, say “a couple.”
• 5 or more, say “several.”

I didn’t say the vapor is going to pull the heat away. You won’t see the full benefits of VC for charging alone but it still helps distribute the heat better compared to one without. All you have to do is use a thermal camera and test it instead of using all your energy trying to prove me wrong. And I believe someone on r/iPhone already did.

No, I won’t.

 

[NotApplicable]

I use MagSafe nightly because I don’t like using the USB-C port

 

[BlackrazorNZ]

I charge my phone using the 0.2w charger on my night stand, which is an inductive motor connected to a rotating wheel within which runs Harry, pet hamster, who helps keep my phone tippy-topped up by chasing the never-ending promise of a piece of apple that he can see but never quite reach.

I am a harsh taskmaster. The apple is a lie.

But on the plus side - 2700 cycles and my iPhone 6 is still at 97%, so there's that.

On a more serious note : The phone itself decides what power it draws, based on some fairly robust algorithms. If your phone determines it doesn't need 20w, it won't draw 20w. Your charger is not some sort of electronic beer bong, forcing juice into your phone against its will.

 

[BlackrazorNZ]

Here's a graph from ChargerLab showing the different charge rates of various Apple chargers - as you can see, the system will intelligently throttle based on input voltage/current, measured heat, and charge level :

 

[Lwii2boo]

Why are you talking about sun exposure here? Are you assuming OP is sleeping on the streets? That is not the point of this thread at all nor did I mention anything about using the phone outside.

My point is VC is here to manage heat generated by SoC and nothing else. Sun exposure is with batteries the other main heat sources. Hence the comparison. Those two sources are equal on this topic : VC does not help, it’s not intended for those sources of heat because those heat transfers are drastically different.

Heat from battery is not focused on one specific spot. VC will not help.
Once again you don’t understand much about thermals. It’s ok to don’t know everything but being so rude and confident while having zero knowledge on a given topic is just wrong.

 

[jz0309]

why so many of you charge at night while sleeping?
what if a charger overheats

do you unplug all of your electrical appliances over night? refrigerator, washer, oven, computer etc etc

 

[Artemiz]

My point is VC is here to manage heat generated by SoC and nothing else. Sun exposure is with batteries the other main heat sources. Hence the comparison. Those two sources are equal on this topic : VC does not help, it’s not intended for those sources of heat because those heat transfers are drastically different.

Heat from battery is not focused on one specific spot. VC will not help.
Once again you don’t understand much about thermals. It’s ok to don’t know everything but being so rude and confident while having zero knowledge on a given topic is just wrong.

And Ozempic is here for type 2 diabetes but there are other benefits as well.
I never said it’s intended for that purpose either. If you’re gonna take things out of context or deflect to using the device in the sun, I’m done responding. Find someone else.

 

[trevpimp]

Stick to the 20W I feel like the 5W charger is too low for sufficient battery life

 

[Allen_Wentz]

At night I sleep 6-7hrs. So even if my new IPhone 17 Pro Max was at 1% charging using a 5Watt would bring it up to my 80% max charge limit.

I want to know if there is any advantages of using the original apple 5W or it worse?
My other option is the Apple 20Watt.

Thoughts?

Just charge the darn phone and do not worry about the specifics unless you have a problem, which you will not.

 

[maerz001]

Pretty much everything I just said in the comment you responded to. Calling it wild speculation just because it goes against your thinking doesn’t make it so. Circle back in a few months with proof and I will stand corrected.

You are turning around. We said your claim is speculation. Instead of providing any kind of evidence to support your claim you ask us to proof that your assumption is false.

 

[Thor_9]

OMG, my battery is degrading!!! 🙀 I won't be able to function today or sleep tonight because of the horrible anxiety this causes! Anything below 95% is totally unacceptable. I've spent hours researching this topic, bought the proper chargers, only charge to 80%, and set a timer so I don't accidentally over charge. Even if I fall asleep, the timer wakes me up so I can unplug. This is SERIOUS you guys. I don't understand how you aren't as stricken with worry about a degrading phone battery. And DON'T tell me it's free with AppleCare or $99 otherwise. NO! Absolutely not! I want the ORIGINAL battery, because once the phone is opened, it's RUINED! OMG you guys my phone battery, chargers, cables, I'm SO overwhelmed. I'm LITERALLY SHAKING right now!

/s

Hang the phone inside an ice bucket. It will lower the temperature of the surrounding air further cooling the phone. /s

 

[Ravox]

Always charge mine and my wife iPhones with 5w at night, we are never in a hurry to charge, when traveling we take a 12w all iPhones we traded in the last 5 years had 100% battery with a lot of use