Why Is iPhone Charging Slow With A Third-Party Wireless Charger?

We’ve had numerous email inquiries from iPhone owners that aren’t satisfied by the charging speed when using third-party wireless chargers. In this article we will try to explain why this happens and what you can do to improve the charging time of your iOS device. First of all, let me remind you that Apple introduced wireless charging back in 2017, together with the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus lineup.

In the first couple of months all iPhones where charging slow because the Cupertino-based tech giant was throttling the speed with the help of iOS restrictions. iOS 11.2 was the update that bumped the wireless charging speeds from 5 watts to 7.5 watts. However, this feature was advertised as available only for wireless chargers that are Qi compatible.

Why iOS 13.1 Downgraded The Speed Of Some Qi Certified Chargers
A couple of months ago, Apple has capped wireless charging speeds once again. A couple of charging pads, have been throttled back to 5 watts charging power, even if they are Qi certified.
It seems that the latest limit is applied to chargers with pulsed-frequency voltage regulation. Voltage is regulated by rapid switching. One can either change the frequency of the switching (pulse frequency modulation) or keep the frequency constant and change the length of each on-switch (pulse width modulation). The second option is more prone to cause interference as it moves through a set of frequencies with changes in load.

Conclusion: If you own an iPhone 8 or later and are using a third-party Qi certified charger like Samsung (or any other that’s not recommended by Apple), you’re highly likely to experience the downgrade. In this case we recommend you to switch back to wired charging or to purchase a charging pad from the ones mentioned below!

What Wireless Charger Should I Buy
A full list of Qi certified wireless chargers is available here. However, if you’re looking for faster charging speeds your best option is to buy an accessory recommended by Apple like the Belkin BOOS Up Special Edition.
Fact: Other Qi chargers that we’ve tested and haven’t been throttled by Apple are manufactured by Belkin, Anker and Mophie.

Do you experience long times when charging your iPhone with a Qi certified charger? Let us know in the comment section available below.

Related: Did you know that the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are the first iPhones that ship with an 18W USB-C fast charger?