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

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.

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.

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.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

BigBeast

152 months ago

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.

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:

Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)

fivedots

152 months ago

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.

Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)

fivedots

152 months ago

It was designed for that amperage.

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.

Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)

fivedots

152 months ago

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!

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.

Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Nozuka

152 months ago

it even says on the website, that you can use this charger.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD836LL/A/apple-12w-usb-power-adapter?fnode=3c

Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)

SirOmega

152 months ago

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.

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.

So you're saying that my iPad battery is doomed?

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?

Its clear no one here understands Li-Ion battery chemistry. I've been following this stuff for a while now for EVs (http://sequence-omega.net/?cat=4) (I drive a Volt).

A Li-Ion battery's usable life is determined by three variables - calendar life, cycle life, and charging rate (measured in "C" which is the ratio between charging rate and battery capacity in mAh - so "1C" is discharging or recharging the battery in 1 hour, 0.5 is two hours, and 2C is 30 minutes).

Recent research from Stanford Univ. (http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/19/recharging-lithium-ion-batteries-rapidly-harmful/) has shown the effects of "slow charging" to be overstated, and the effects of fast-charging less harmful than originally thought.

Recharging an iPhone 5S at 1A is about .63C (1000mA / 1570mAh). Recharging an iPhone 6 Plus at 2.1A is .71C (2100mA / 2950mA). The difference there is not enough to dramatically effect the lifespan of the battery cell. The 6 has a higher charge rate of 1.16C, but I don't beleive that its very harmful to the battery and the higher charge rate will not shorten the overall lifespan of the battery. For reference, recharging an iPad Air at 2.1A is .24C ( 2100mA / 8820mAh).

Its not until you go over 2C that you start to see substantial impacts. Even Tesla owners who fast-charge frequently still have 99% original battery capacity after more than 100 cycles (http://gas2.org/2014/06/16/video-28000-miles-tesla-model-s-still-99-range/).

Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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