Just as the new Qi2 standard with 15W charging has really started to take hold across the third-party Apple gear accessory space, Apple took to the virtual stage earlier this week to unleash its new 25W MagSafe Charger. While for some that might not seem like much, what with all of the fancy new AirPods, stealthy black wearables, and desert golden pocket computers dominating the air waves right now, but there are some things to consider here.
Apple 25W MagSafe vs. 15W Qi2
“I literally just scooped up the now previous-gen MagSafe charger while it was on sale, and now it’s just the old slow one.”
“I can’t believe I just bought a new $100+ MagSafe Qi2 charging stand that’s even slower than this new $39 cable.”
“Ah man, I just bought a brand spanking new 15W Qi2 charger, and then Apple goes and releases one that will charge my new phone at a drastically faster speed.”
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re likely not alone. As pointed out over on 9to5Mac, if you purchased a MagSafe charger previous to this week’s Apple event, it maxed out at 15W – Apple’s previous 15W model is currently on sale for $29, the new 2024 Apple MagSafe Charger will indeed, according to Apple, power up the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 at 25W, tether-free. This, as far as we can tell, is the fastest in the game – we are yet to see any MagSafe or Qi3 stands that can deliver the full 25W of power.
For comparison’s sake, the Samsung Galaxy S24 maxes out at 15W and the new Google Pixel 9 jumps between 15W and 23W if you’re using the latest Google Pixel Stand.
All of the more exciting new charging gear that literally just debuted at IFA, for example, was almost entirely based around the Qi2 standard with 15W of juice.
- Anker debuts new 3-in-1 fold-out 15W Qi2 charger at IFA
- ESR debuts new Qi2 MagSafe charging gear with CryoBoost active cooling from $35
- Belkin revives Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger with its new fabric-wrapped Qi2 15W model
- Check out Anker’s new 360-degree rotating 15W Qi2 MagSafe charging stand
- Anker just debuted its thinnest power bank to date with Qi2 MagSafe charging
While we are likely to soon see full-on 25W charging stands with the official MagSafe seal of approval land in the third-party space, much like we did after Apple intro’d 15W charging, as soon as iPhone 16 is delivered to millions of doorsteps in the next couple weeks all of the brand new releases marketed as being able to provide the max power output, well, won’t be.
But there’s more to keep in mind here. Firstly, as Apple and our friends at 9to5Mac have stated, the new 25W MagSafe Charger can only deliver this sort of power to iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, and you’ll need to provide your own 30W (or, presumably, better) power adapter to make it happen.
The new MagSafe Charger delivers the same 15W of power to iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15 (when paired with a 12W adapter). It provides 7.5W for iPhone 8 or later with a 20W adapter.
So, you’re really only missing out on the extra 10W of juice if you are or will be updating to iPhone 16, and if you’re not updating to the new 16 series handsets right away, it likely won’t be long before the third-party makers get their hands on the 25W of wireless magnetic output.
But does any of this really matter?
It’s always nice to know you’re getting the max charging speed…I guess, or even just that you didn’t buy something that has now been rendered substandard or labeled one of “those old 15W chargers.” But does any of this really matter all that much? I for one, am not entirely convinced.
I will be updating to iPhone 16, mostly due to job requirements and to test out all of the new gear before you make any not entirely informed major investments on accessories, but I certainly don’t need the extra 10W of charging power. I still have a 7.5W MagSafe charger on my desk (among others) that can juice my iPhone 15 Pro more than fast enough.
Everyone has different requirements and some folks use their iPhone away from an outlet far more than I, that’s for sure. But considering how long iPhone’s internal battery lasts, don’t most folks have more than enough time on off hours at the home base to get powered up and ready to go for another day? Correct me if I’m wrong but it would seem that most do.
Too hot to handle
The other thing that comes to mind is heat and battery health.
As my colleague Ben Lovejoy put it, “just because you can charge your phone faster doesn’t mean that you should.”
Sure, some phones seem fine with daily 15W charging, both other users claim it has taken a mild toll on their device year-over-year.
While I personally am no expert here, it would seem that if 15W chargers provide enough juice at a fast enough rate for your needs, feeding the iPhone 16 more power that heats it up at faster rates might not be the smartest choice when it comes to the longevity and overall health of a device that has become a seriously expensive investment. Clearly Apple has tested the heck out of its new charger, but it always does and there always seems to be some intermittent number of users claiming their batteries are dying faster then they should.
While the data on all of this stuff seems to range from anecdotal to just make sure you’re using a good, compatible charger, a seemingly clear consensus is that wireless MagSafe charging does not inherently damage batteries, but heat can over time, and wireless charging does produce heat.
So perhaps, the conclusion to be making is that the new 25W charger is not rendering 15W chargers useless or old-fashioned, but rather just a look towards the future, and maybe even something only folks who absolutely need the fastest possible juice up should even consider.
Here are a few other resources you will want to take a peak at before jumping into the 25W charging game:
- Here’s how fast iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro will charge
- Just because you can charge your iPhone faster doesn’t mean you should
- New MagSafe charger now available for iPhone 16 with big charging speed boost
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