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torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Can use iPad 12W charger to charge iPhone 6s Plus without any risks?

Dear Colleagues,

I know that were many debates years ago (2013) about this hot topic:

Re: Can use ipad charger to charge iphone?

Even then, and before the topic was closed, was more or less agreed that:

Use of the iPad 12W power adapter to charge the iPhone 5 is approved by Apple.
Use of the iPad 12W power adapter does no harm.
Use of the iPad 12W power adapter provides no benefits–other than convenience.
The iPhone 5 battery will not charge any faster using the iPad 12W power adapter.
The iPhone 5 internal battery charger circuit will limit its current draw to 1A maximum, even with an iPad adapter than can supply 2A or 2.1A.
By this reason, the iPhone 5 battery will not suffer any damage because for it will not be any difference of using the Apple's 5W or 12W USB power adapters.

but I don't know if since then, the iPhone 6s Plus can benefit of the higher output current of the iPad 12W charger.

Anyone knows (or measured):

How much current can draw the iPhone 6s Plus?
In case it could draw more than 1A, how much faster could charge it using Apple's 12W adapter?
Would it iPhone 6s Plus battery get hotter due the higher current draw? Any experiment done on it?

I really wonder, if with the introductions of the iPhone's Plus models, if Apple introduced on them the capabilities to charge quicker using the iPad's 12W adapter; and if any user experienced any lost of battery lifespan doing it.

Thanks by your sharings in this interesting topic!

iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 10.3.3, 128GB

Posted on Sep 27, 2017 8:02 AM

39 replies

Sep 29, 2017 2:19 AM in response to torakaru

I have charged my iPhone several times from a 500W lab-grade power supply. Its the phone that decides how much current it takes - the charger only decides about voltage. In general one should use only original or certified chargers.

Sep 29, 2017 6:19 AM in response to torakaru

torakaru wrote:

Hi Lawrence,

Thanks a lot, it is a pity that you have not anymore the iPhone 6 to perform the temperature quick experiment with the 5W and 12W adapters; but if your iPhone 7 Plus is drawing 2A when the 12W adapter is used, it will be a very good candidate for this experiment.

The only charger I ever used with my iPhone 6 was the 12W. There was no way I was going to carry two chargers around. I had the phone for almost two years. The last I used it and checked the battery health, It was still very good.

You're way over thinking this. All cell phone batteries will lose capacity over time. What charger you have makes no difference in that.

torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Oct 2, 2017 4:06 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

I agree with you that an AC adapter itself (as far is a certified and approved Apple compatible product) will not make any difference, and the current control is made by the charger IC inside the iPhone and the iOS controlling it. But that doesn't mean that between the different official charging processes that iOS allows, some of them could slowly decrease the battery capacity over time (not perceptible by end user during the first two years, like is your case with an iPhone 6, but in long term view: 3-5 years).

By the way, may I ask you how do you check the battery health of your device?

Oct 2, 2017 6:14 AM in response to torakaru

torakaru wrote:

By the way, may I ask you how do you check the battery health of your device?

An app called Battery Life. It doesn't pretend to do more than it can. It's a good rough guide. I would take an recommendation that the battery wasn't healthy as an indication that I should have it officially checked by Apple.

torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Oct 3, 2017 6:27 AM in response to Michael Black

Thanks Michael, but that information is incomplete, as doesn't clear explain if using Apple 12W (or higher) adapters will charge faster than using the 5W power adapter (or not?), in other still sold models as: iPhone6s, iPhone6s Plus, iPhone7 & iPhone7 Plus.

torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Oct 3, 2017 6:31 AM in response to iPhoneSEguy2003

Thanks by your comment iPhoneSEguy2003. The iPhone6s will charge slightly faster (around 33%), and I would suppose that the iPhone SE (which shares most of its inners) too; but I cannot confirm and you are the first one addressing that model in this topic related initially to the iPhone6s Plus.

It will be very helpful if next time that you fully discharge a couple of times both of your devices, you charge them one time with your original 5W adapter, and another with the 12W, and monitor the chraging time to see the differences between both in both iPhones.

Thanks in advance by your next sharings!

Oct 3, 2017 6:42 AM in response to torakaru

torakaru wrote:

It will be very helpful if next time that you fully discharge a couple of times both of your devices, you charge them one time with your original 5W adapter, and another with the 12W, and monitor the chraging time to see the differences between both in both iPhones.

Personally, I rarely fully discharge my phone. I charge it overnight so I would have no way of knowing how long it took to charge. And, I gave away my original iPhone chargers. I only keep the iPad chargers.

Once again, you are way, way overthinking this. Put your phone on to charge overnight.

Oct 3, 2017 11:52 AM in response to gail from maine

gail from maine wrote:

And it won't. The amount of charge that is "allowed" to pass into the device to charge it is set at a maximum flow. A device using 5w to charge is only going to get 5w from a 12w charger.

Hi, Gail; you are correct that it is the phone itself that controls the current that goes into the phone. However, starting with the 6, iPhones can use more current than earlier models, at least for the first 70% of the charge cycle. Phones from the 5S and earlier limited the charge current to 1 amp regardless of the capabilities of the USB power source.

The 6 and 6S series will draw 1.5 amps (7.5 watts) for the first 70% of the charge cycle, thus will reach 70% charge 50% faster. The 7 series has a starting draw of 2 amps (10 watts) to 70%, so they will reach 70% twice as fast with an adapter that can supply 2 amps or more (the Apple 12 W can supply 2.2 amps).

All iPhones slow down the rate of charge above 70% to eliminate any risk of overcharging, and will stop completely at 100%.

All of this information is empirical; I spent a considerable amount of time measuring and watching a USB power meter (I couldn't afford a recording power meter).

Apple claims that the 8 series can fast charge, but I don't have one, so I can't measure one yet.

Oct 3, 2017 11:59 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Lawrence Finch wrote:

All of this information is empirical; I spent a considerable amount of time measuring and watching a USB power meter (I couldn't afford a recording power meter).

You engineers.......

torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Oct 5, 2017 8:48 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Very Good summary statement Lawrence! 😎

I have some extra figures to share with you 🙂 and the community to further complete your study, they are wrt the iPhone 8. It looks like that when used the regular 12W adapter with normal USB cable, it can only draw up to 1.5A like from iPhone6 (7.5W charging), and follows the same charging pattern you described. BUT, if user uses a USB-C to Lightning cable adapter that supports USB-PD (like Apple 29W adapter), the iPhone 8 will draw 1A but at 10V, (10W charging, 25% more power transfer) and will drop to standard 5V/1A at 70%. Interesting, right? 😊 iPhone 8 will really charge even faster than any of previous gens (iPhone6/6s/7) with the right adapter and cable! ➕

(BTW, Apple 29W is enough, the Apple 61W and 87W USB-C power adapters will not charge even faster the iPhone 8, but the same as 29W; so no reason to invest more on them just only for your iPhone 8) ✅

Also, your thrist of knowledge, the iMac USB-C 2017 will charge the iPhone 8 as fast as using the 12W adapter (but not as fast as 29W adapter; despite the cable that you use). But this could change in future HW upgrades of iMac computers. ℹ

And the 7.5W wireless pad (just for iPhone 8), at the moment will charge the iPhone 8 at same speed than the 5W original adapter, not faster for the moment; but in this case, this could change with an iPhone iOS upgrade (if feasible, reliable and if Apple decides to do it in the future, as it is new feature technology just introduced in the iPhones 2017 gen) ℹ

(P.D. I don't know, but I would expect same new charging feature and behaviour in iPhone 8 Plus model, and most probably in iPhone X, as all of them where released at same time)

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,707 points

Sep 27, 2017 8:35 AM in response to Michael Black

It looks like I was incorrect regarding the 12W charger charging a bit faster with my iPhone-7. Not surprising. Most persons tend to believe what they want to believe.

torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Sep 27, 2017 9:45 AM in response to Michael Black

Thanks by the sharing, I already saw it; there is no clear reference nor facts there with respect the iPhone 6(s)Plus.

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,707 points

Sep 27, 2017 10:00 AM in response to torakaru

I’ve been doing it for years with no problems but, if you’re concerned, it’s not that big a deal to simply avoid using the 12W.

torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Sep 27, 2017 10:03 AM in response to Philly_Phan

Philly, may I kindly ask you on which iPhone model (or models) have you being charging them with the 12W adapter for years without issues, please? :-)

Sep 27, 2017 10:06 AM in response to Philly_Phan

I don’t no

Can use iPad 12W charger to charge iPhone 6s Plus without any risks?