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

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,737 points

Sep 27, 2017 10:07 AM in response to torakaru

My wife’s 6 that she got when it was first introduced. I also do it with my 7 but that’s only a year old (I previously charged my 6 that way).

torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Sep 28, 2017 1:18 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Oh, cool! Thanks a lot by your quick response with first figures! 🙂

Let us know how it changes its back temperature when you charge it with the Apple's 5W pwoer adapter.

Thanks again! ➕

Sep 28, 2017 6:55 AM in response to torakaru

I'm not going to bother; it really doesn't matter, and doesn't affect anything. If charging at 2 amps only raises the temperature 4º above ambient it isn't an issue.

Sep 28, 2017 4:41 PM in response to torakaru

I'm happy it was helpful:)

torakaru Author

Level 1

33 points

Sep 28, 2017 4:07 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Hi Lawrence,

Thanks a lot by your latest figures, they are really very useful! Really! 😊

I don't know how it will be in a iPhone 6 Plus (first supposed generation to support higher drawing current above 1A), nor the iPhone 6s Plus (second generation supporting quick charging but not openly officially promoted by Apple either); but at least with your iPhone 7 Plus it is pretty clear that the temperature impact of using the 5W, or the 12W with higher durrent drawed, is pretty small. (May I even allowed to say: Negligible? 🙂)

Then, and at least in the iPhone 7 Plus, I would say that charging it with a 12W adapter could it be called more as its 'normal' behaviour (iso 'quick charge'), and with a 5W adapter an 'slowered down mode' 😮; but of course, none company nor marketing department would allow to mention something like that 😉.

As mentioned before, I believe that the reasoning behind Apple to continue including the 5W adapter iso the 12W in all iPhone boxes until today, and not openly promoting that with the 12W would charge them faster, could be: increase profit margin in each iPhone sold, avoid iPhone packaging increased redesign (12W adapter is much bulkier), and then, still be able to carrier the same quantity (and not less) iPhones boxes per pallet, which also increases the benefits reduding the transportation costs.

Thanks a lot again Lawrence! Really appreciated! ➕

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 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.

Sep 28, 2017 6:29 AM in response to torakaru

Charging my 7 Plus with a 40 W Anker USB adapter. Initial current was 1.93 amps. The temperature on the back of the phone rose from an ambient temperature of 34ºC to 38ºC. So not much change.

diodes123

Level 2

432 points

Oct 3, 2017 12:05 PM in response to torakaru

It is perfectly safe, that is how I charge my iPhone 6s and iPhone 5. It is a lot easier to just have one charger for your iPad an iPhone to share. It is all fine.

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