Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 models will support 15W wireless fast charging even when using third-party chargers that are not MagSafe certified, claims a new rumor coming out of China.
Apple's official MagSafe magnetic wireless charger or a third-party magnetic charger with official MFM (Made for MagSafe) certification are required to achieve 15W wireless fast charging on the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14. If using a standard Qi-certified wireless charger, these models top out at 7.5W.
However, according to a Weibo post picked up by news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Korean Naver blog, the iPhone 15 series will be capable of open 15W wireless magnetic charging using non-MFM certified chargers, which are usually more affordable alternatives to those with Apple certification.
The rumor has not yet been verified as coming from a reliable source, but the claim does make sense given that Apple is contributing to a new version of the Qi open standard that works much like MagSafe.
Announced in January 2023 by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), the next-generation Qi2 wireless standard incorporates a Magnetic Power Profile, which means that devices that adopt Qi2 in the future will use the same magnetic technology used in MagSafe devices created for the iPhone 12 and later.
The WPC says that the Magnetic Power Profile in Qi2 will make sure that phones and other battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with chargers for improved energy efficiency and faster charging. Qi2 smartphones and chargers are expected to be available starting in the 2023 holiday season.
Apple's decision to make MagSafe technology available to all devices that support Qi2 wireless charging would seem in direct contrast to its position on USB-C. The iPhone 15 is expected to feature a USB-C port instead of Lightning, which will allow it to comply with new regulations implemented in Europe.
But according to rumors, iPhone 15 models will only officially support USB-C accessories certified by the Apple Made for iPhone (MFi) program, which could be used to limit features like fast charging and high-speed data transfers to Apple-approved accessories.
Apple's iPhone 15 series is expected to be announced during the usual September timeframe. For everything we can expect from the new flagship models, click on the roundup links below.
