The iPhone 16 series supports up to 45W USB-C charging

The iPhone 16 series launch is still fresh, and the devices won’t actually be available until September 20. The phones bring improved MagSafe wireless charging, but it seems Apple has quietly improved wired charging as well. A recent certification reveals that all iPhone 16 models are compatible with 45W charging via USB-C.

Tipster ShrimpApplePro posted X screenshots of China’s CQC certification for the iPhone 16 series. The post shows that all models, tested with 5-15V and 3A inputs, are compatible with 45W charging. However, for some reason, Apple didn’t mention anything about it during the launch event. This led to the belief that the new 25W MagSafe wireless charging is almost as fast as the USB-C charging on the latest iPhone models.

Apple quietly brought 45W USB-C charging to the iPhone 16 series

For reference, the iPhone 15 series supports up to 27W-29W of USB-C charging. So, the new 45W wired charging capabilities of the iPhone 16 series is a notable bump that Apple hasn’t made much of. Anyway, the Cupertino giant doesn’t seem to be particularly keen on wired charging.

A few years ago, iPhones received some slight improvements in terms of USB-C charging, but Apple didn’t even bother to promote it properly. The company merely says that its devices support fast charging via the company’s official 20W chargers, although they are compatible with more than 25W. In fact, if I had to bet, I think Apple would prefer a future with iPhones without physical ports. However, strict EU regulations wouldn’t allow for such a thing.

The rumors were true

Leaks from July suggested that the iPhone 16 series would bring faster wired and wireless charging. In the end, the predictions came true, although iPhones are still far behind what the best Androids can offer in terms of fast charging. That said, Google and Samsung are among the Android brands with the “slowest fast charging.” In fact, the latest iPhone 16 series surpasses any Pixel or Galaxy phone when it comes to wireless charging power. The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL even lag behind in wired charging, supporting only 27W and 37W, respectively.