At the presentation of the new iPhones, Apple announced that from now on the charger and headphones are excluded from the package. The box now contains only the phone itself and the cable. Moreover, this innovation applies to both the iPhone 12 family and older models like the iPhone 11, iPhone XR and other smartphones that remain on sale.
I talked about which charger you can choose for your iPhone in this article:
How to quickly and easily charge iPhone 11
Alexander Pobyvanets
September 20, 2019
All modern iPhone models support fast charging, so it is logical to buy accessories that support the Power Delivery standard. If you choose from branded Apple chargers, then it makes sense to buy an 18 or 20 W unit for your iPhone. There is no point in taking a more powerful one; there won’t be much difference in charging speed, but such an adapter can be used in conjunction with a tablet or laptop.
Power adapter with Deppa display
A budget option for fast charging with two connectors, and in addition to USB Type-C there is also the old USB Type-A, this is practical. The power supply also received a small screen: if you are into statistics, you will see voltage data.
- Total power: 27 W;
- Connectors: one USB Type-C, one USB Type-A;
- Price: 1790 rubles.
Buy!
Adapter and wireless charging
The easiest way is to buy an adapter. A 20 W charger for iPhone 12 pro will cost from 800 UAH, and a 30 W charger will cost from 1200 UAH. Further, accordingly, more. If you are a follower of old traditions, this option may be convenient for you. However, in addition to buying an adapter, there is another option - a wireless charger for iPhone 12, which you can buy at any electronics store. This decision seems so obvious that many analysts have the idea that this is another plan of the Cupertino team.
According to insiders, this is a logical step to abandon wired charging as such, which means the charger for the iPhone 12 pro max will be without Lightning. The cost of the charger and the Qi wireless charging mat is approximately the same. Thus, the company will smoothly but confidently transfer the user to a wireless system. Let us remember that Cupertino has already done this with headphones. In 2016, the company announced the abandonment of the standard 3.5 mm jack. At the same time, new wireless AirPods have been released. After them, other wireless headphones appeared on the market, but Apple's products remained far ahead. That is why analysts suspect that Apple will not stop there, because the Cupertino team is a trendsetter in the world of smart technologies.
It is noteworthy that this may have a negative impact on competitors. Consider, for example, SuperVOOC, which offers fast charging as a competitive advantage in the market. If it is possible to charge the device wirelessly, which is much more convenient, who will care about the speed? Thus, Cupertino residents can ruin a very promising area of smart technologies.
Satechi Travel Charger
A small adapter with two connectors, Type-C produces up to 18 W, and Type-A no more than 12 W. You can connect a USB Type-C to Lightning cable from a new iPhone here, and, for example, recharge the same Apple Watch - the old type of port is still there.
- Total power: 30 W;
- Connectors: one USB Type-C, one USB Type-A;
- Price: 2990 rubles.
Buy!
How to charge iPhone 13 and iPhone 12?
iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 come with a USB-C to Lightning cable and all you have to do is buy a wall charger with a USB-C connector. If you also need fast charging functionality, there are two things you need to pay attention to when purchasing a charger:
- The maximum output voltage of the adapter must be: 18, 202, 29, 30, 61, 87 or 96 W;
- The adapter must support the USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) standard.
iPhone 13 and 12 also support the Qi wireless charging standard. The main emphasis when charging iPhone 13 and 12 is on the built-in magnetic MagSafe fast charging connector.
Aukey PA-D5 power adapter: small block with two Type-C
This small power supply is notable for its compact size, the presence of a pair of USB Type-C connectors and support for fast charging. You can charge your phone and tablet from it, and even a laptop like a MacBook Air - although you have to leave it on all night.
- Total power: 63 W;
- Connectors: two USB Type-C;
- Price: 3290 rubles.
Buy!
How to extend the “life” of the battery?
In order to maintain stable operation of your smartphone battery, manufacturers recommend adhering to the following rules:
- Regular software updates are necessary, as they may contain new energy-saving technologies;
- do not expose to sudden temperature changes (at temperatures above 35° C the battery may be damaged, low readings reduce the phone’s battery life), the optimal temperature will be 16-22° C;
- It is better to charge the phone without a case, so the device will not overheat;
- If you do not use your phone for a long time, you should charge it halfway. A full charge often results in the battery not charging at all. The device must be stored at a temperature not exceeding 30° C;
- iPhone can extend battery life without charging. One way is to turn on automatic brightness adjustment. The gadget takes into account the lighting and adjusts. The second method is that you do not need to turn off Wi-Fi, since this access method consumes less energy;
- Availability of an energy saving mode with a low battery alert function. It will save energy by disabling iCloud synchronization, as well as AirDrop information transfer. At the same time, you can use the Internet, send SMS and make calls. The mode can be easily disabled when charging the phone;
- efficiency of the iOS 9 operating system, which allows the user to find out the most power-consuming applications and, if desired, turn off their activity.
Baseus mains charger
The small unit produces a decent 65 W and can immediately charge several gadgets via a pair of USB Type-C and a single USB Type-A. The charging is also interesting because this is one of the first GaN charges: gallium nitride is used instead of silicon. Therefore, the charger turned out to be small, but at the same time powerful, and it also does not overheat.
- Total power: 65 W;
- Connectors: two USB Type-C, one USB Type-A;
- Price: 2990 rubles.
Buy!
What is the reason?
The Cupertino team formulated their statement as follows: users update gadgets, which means they can use previous adapters. However, it is not entirely clear what to do for users who have changed their Android smartphone to an iPhone. Even if the adapter is suitable, the charging speed will be extremely slow. That is, new users will still have to buy a charger for iPhone 12 separately. This also applies to other models that remain on sale.
The main goal of this decision, according to them, is to reduce environmental pollution. However, for the most part, the public perceived this as a decision to save money and make money on the sale of storage devices. Proof of this theory can be found in a study from Counterpoint Research. The research company calculated how much Cupertino residents saved and the amount is impressive - $264 million. Be that as it may, this decision is very beneficial for Apple: it emphasized the image of an eco-company and saved money. What remains for users?
Native Union Smart Hub
I have a 45 W Native Union Smart Hub charger in my household; it is small in size, has three ports and a rich set with adapters for sockets in different countries. The thing is excellent, although the price may confuse you, but Native Union by definition does not produce cheap things.
- Total power: 45 W;
- Connectors: one USB Type-C, two USB Type-A;
- Price: 5990 rubles.
Buy!
What to buy?
If you already have an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning cable, you don't need to buy anything. Plug the power adapter into an outlet, connect Lightning to your iPhone 13, and charge it.
If you want a new MagSafe charger with a magnetic clasp, it costs about 3k for the charger itself.
For faster charging than Apple's 5W adapter, you can purchase a separate 20W USB-C adapter. It can be used with the included Lightning to USB-C cable and MagSafe charging. Now such an adapter costs about 2,000 rubles.
If you want to buy a longer Lightning to USB-C cable, the 2m option costs around RUB 2,290. If you want, you can find it cheaper.
Satechi mains charger
This powerful adapter is notable for the fact that it can power a large MacBook Pro. This is a kind of alternative to a complete power supply for a home or office, where we get four ports at once: two with Type-C and two with USB Type-A. I use this myself, it’s a very convenient thing, you can charge your entire fleet of gadgets at once.
- Total power: 108 W;
- Connectors: two USB Type-C, two USB Type-A;
- Price: 6990 rubles.
Buy!
Charging a smartphone from a computer is dangerous
So is it possible to charge iPhone 12 from a computer? It's all about the security of user information. The new version of iOS 12 comes with an unusual feature. It turns out that if the smartphone is not unlocked after an hour, then even for charging the Lightning port will become unavailable. This innovation was created to protect the device from hacker technologies used by special services. Now an attacker is unlikely to be able to remove data from the acquired smartphone via USB if more than an hour has passed. This mode is activated, but if necessary it can be disabled.
Is it possible to charge iPhone 12 from a computer? There are some arguments in favor of this:
- the ability to stay in touch, because sometimes there is not enough charge to make an important call or send a message;
- convenience, since there is no need to search for a free outlet or install an electrical splitter.
There are also disadvantages to such recharging:
- direct threat of receiving dangerous files and, as a consequence, infection with computer viruses. You can insure yourself against such a problem by enabling the “charge only” function, it will block data transfer;
- Charging is slow because the USB connector cannot provide the required level of current;
- possibility of battery wear.
Anker PowerPort 5 AC Charger
This one differs from the Satechi adapter, which I gave as an example above, in the number of connectors: there are five of them instead of four. However, it has lower power, and there is only one Type-C, which is gaining popularity.
- Total power: 60 W;
- Connectors: one USB Type-C, four USB Type-A;
- Price: 3990 rubles.
Buy!
Naturally, these are not all currently available power adapters; the choice is huge, the main thing is that there are enough offers for every taste and color. Starting from simple blocks with one connector, ending with entire charging stations. In addition, the topic of wireless chargers for iPhone remains uncovered - with the advent of MagSafe, the universe of accessories will only grow and develop.
I had several texts on the topic of exercises, I’ll leave links:
About iPhone chargers: how to quickly charge your phone
Alexander Pobyvanets
1 May 2020
What's included with iPhone 13 and iPhone 12?
In the box with every iPhone 13 there is a Lightning to USB-C cable and that's it. And if you don't have Apple devices and a power adapter for them, you now need to buy one separately.
Apple USB-C 20W Wall Charger
Also, starting with the iPhone 12, Apple stopped including EarPods in the box, so you'll have to use your own headphones. Apple sells wireless AirPods, but there are plenty of cheaper options, including ones suitable for running.
As Apple explained during the iPhone 12 announcement, eliminating the included power adapter reduces the size of the box. Loading pallets can accommodate 70% more devices, which means more shipments. The smaller box size will reduce carbon emissions by 2 million cubic tons per year.
Apple AirTag
Apple introduced smart AirTags at its Spring Full Bloom event this spring. Rumors about this device have been circulating for a long time, but in 2022 the gadget was officially released and has already reached Russia. To date, this is the smallest device that integrates into the Apple ecosystem. AirTag makes it easy to find things if you lose them on the street or forget them somewhere.
In Russia, Apple AirTags are sold in several configurations. You can buy one device and it will cost 2990 rubles. Or take a set of four AirTags for 9,900 rubles. In addition to the tag itself, Apple also sells accessories to conveniently attach it to things. A leather keychain with a key ring is available in different colors for 3,990 rubles, a polyurethane keychain pendant for 3,290 rubles, or the same, but a leather keychain pendant for 4,490 rubles. When you purchase an AirTag from apple.com or the Apple Store app, you can customize it with initials and/or emojis. If there are several AirTags in a family, this will help differentiate them.
It seems that Apple will ruin a promising direction
There is a high probability that the entire technology industry will follow Apple and refuse included chargers. In addition, the company appeals to its concern for the environment, and this is populism (remember Greta Thunberg).
This is where competitors are at risk. Fast charging is one of the main areas of development among Android smartphones. Qualcomm Quick Charge, SuperVOOC, Warp Charge - these standards have learned to charge a device in less than an hour. And now their development may be hindered: they won’t include chargers in the kit, and people will take the most affordable adapter separately; no one will look at the charging speed.
In fact, the industry can kill a promising direction. However, technology companies are about business, not ideological improvement of the world. They think about how to sell the largest possible number of devices, and not how to make technology better and make people's lives easier. Users are not impressed with fast charging, which means companies won't offer it.
The iPhone SE came out this summer. It comes with a shameful 5-watt charger, and a fast 18-watt charger doesn’t improve the picture much: either way, the device is fully charged in 2.5 hours. And this did not stop it from becoming the most popular smartphone in the world in the summer: every fifth smartphone sold is an iPhone SE. At the same time, realme X2 Pro is on the market. It charges to 100% in 30 minutes and is a niche phone. This means people are not interested in fast charging.
How to charge a MacBook?
In fact, I have a special relationship with charging my MacBook. I prefer to use mostly the original charger (out of the box) with the included cable. After all, an iPhone battery can, in principle, be replaced on a budget, but replacing a MacBook Pro battery will cost a pretty penny. But it’s inconvenient with one charger, since you have to always carry it with you (I don’t have an M1 MacBook Pro), so I took the 65 W Baseus charger, already tested by my colleagues, just for charging my MacBook. You can take only the charging adapter, or you can take it with a cable, this is my option.
This is not my main exercise, but it has helped me a lot several times
Firstly, this charger is more compact than the original one and lighter, so you can easily carry it in your backpack. Secondly, there are several ports , meaning you can also charge your iPhone or iPad if necessary. Well, I always have a spare charger at hand; I left the house many times and forgot mine. As a result, at work I had to borrow from someone.
But my position on this matter remains unchanged: on an ongoing basis, it is better to use original Apple power adapters to charge your MacBook.
How do you organize charging Apple devices at home or in the office? Tell us in the comments, better immediately with links to the chargers if you ordered them somewhere. And in our Telegram chat you can post photos of your setup and discuss it with other readers.
