iPhone charging
Quick and gentle iPhone charging? You can find out here how easy it is and which chargers you can use to optimally charge your iPhone 12, 13 and 14.
6 min read | Nov 17, 2021
At a glance: iPhone charging
- The “Optimised Battery Charging” function intelligently protects the rechargeable battery
- Use short commands to charge the iPhone in good time
- New iPhones are supplied without their own power supply unit
- Compatible power supply units optimally make use of Apple’s charging technology
- Also consider the power supply in the car
iPhone charging: General tips
Even with an iPhone, you can generally still make use of the tips on the correct way to charge any phone. Further questions often also arise concerning the correct way to charge an iPhone. This is why we take a look specifically at iOS below and show you how to best charge your iPhone 12, iPhone 13 or iPhone 14.
Switch on Optimised Battery Charging on the iPhone
To optimally charge the iPhone rechargeable battery, the “Optimised Battery Charging” function is recommended and activated by default. Every iPhone with iOS 13 or newer supports this feature. If “Optimised Charging” is activated, the iPhone learns the times when and for how long it is usually connected to a charger. You can find this function under Settings > Battery > Battery Percentage.
If, for instance, you often charge your iPhone 12 overnight, “Optimised Battery Charging” ensures that the rechargeable battery does not suffer, despite actually being connected to the charger for too long. To start the charging process in good time, you can receive automatic notifications from the “short commands” app when the charge level is low. Ideally set the reminder at around 20 per cent and then charge it up.
Charging an iPhone using third-party power supply units
If you don’t currently have a charger to hand, an iPhone can also be charged with a Macbook power supply unit. Despite its higher power, the charging technology controls the charging process to charge the iPhone optimally. Even Samsung power supply units are suitable for charging an iPhone. These have a USB-C connector, to which you can simply connect the charging cable included with your iPhone. However, pay attention to the power output of power supply units. The iPhone only charges slowly using models with less than 20 watts.
What is Power Delivery?
Power Delivery (PD) is a charging standard for USB-C connections. This standard controls the communication between smartphones, tablets, laptops and the like and the respective connected power supply unit in order to establish the ideal charging speed. Thanks to Power Delivery, the power supply unit therefore always provides the ideal power for the connected device and can optimally charge the iPhone 12, 13 and 14, among others.
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How does “Optimised Battery Charging” work on the iPhone?
“Optimised Battery Charging” works on the iPhone via machine learning. If the function is activated, the iPhone learns when and for how long you usually connect it for charging. According to this, it controls the current flow intelligently and ensures, for example, that the iPhone rechargeable battery is not charged fully overnight, but instead only to 80 per cent. The remaining percentage will only be charged up when you need it. This increases the life and thus the performance of the rechargeable battery.
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Where can I find “Optimised Battery Charging” on the iPhone?
“Optimised Battery Charging” can be found in the settings on your iPhone. In the “Settings” menu, go to “Battery” and then “Battery Percentage”. There you can switch “Optimised Battery Charging” on and off via a slide control.
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Can I charge an iPhone while also using the headphones?
Yes, you can charge your iPhone and use the headphones at the same time. You can do this by only connecting one cable. For example, you can charge your iPhone rechargeable battery via cable while also using Bluetooth headphones. Or you can connect your headphones via cable and use a wireless charging station, if your iPhone supports inductive charging.
Charging an iPhone 12: The right way to do it
Since the release of the iPhone 12, power supply units are not longer supplied with iPhones. So, if you want to charge your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro, you first need a suitable charger. The iPhone 12 charging connection is still Lightning, but Apple includes a USB-C-to-Lightning cable. This is why we recommend a USB-C charger with Power Delivery and 20-watts power output to charge your iPhone quickly. Connect the cable supplied by Apple to charge your iPhone 12 correctly.
If you want to charge your iPhone 12 with an old cable, make sure that the slots match. An old cable used in conjunction with an old power supply unit can mean that your iPhone 12 will not charge up quickly.
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Which charger can be used for the iPhone 12?
For an iPhone 12, you can ideally use a USB-C charger. It should support Power Delivery and have 20-watts power output to optimally support Apple’s charging technologies. Alternatively, you can also charge an iPhone 12 with other USB-C power supply units, but this is often slower; even a higher power output makes no difference to the charging speed.
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What connection does an iPhone 12 have?
An iPhone 12 has a Lightning connection. However, a USB-C-to-Lightning cable is supplied, so, when it comes to chargers and other cable connections, you should ensure a USB-C connector is available if you want to charge or connect your iPhone 12.
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Can an iPhone 12 be charged with an old cable?
Yes, you can charge an iPhone 12 with an old cable or charger. However, it is possible that the iPhone will only charge slowly and will be unable to make use of the latest charging technologies from Apple to optimally charge the rechargeable battery. First of all, it is important that it is a USB-C-to-Lightning cable.
Charging an iPhone 13: Optimum handling of the rechargeable battery
Apple promises up to 19 hours of video playback on the iPhone 13, even up to 28 hours on the iPhone 13 Pro. However, to maintain this performance over a prolonged period of time, the rechargeable battery needs to be handled correctly.
The iPhone 13 has a Lightning connection at the bottom edge of the housing for charging. It can be charged with USB-C chargers using the USB-C-to-Lightning cable provided. If you want to optimally charge the iPhone 13 rechargeable battery, use a power supply unit with 20 watts power output and Power Delivery. A model of this kind makes perfect use of Apple’s charging technologies so that you can maximise the life of the rechargeable battery as well as the time each individual charge lasts. As an alternative to the version with a cable, you can naturally also charge the iPhone 13 wirelessly.
Charging an iPhone 14: Wired and wireless
One way of charging an iPhone 14 is via a Lightning connection. As power supply units have no longer been supplied since the iPhone 12, you need a suitable charger for charging. The cable supplied by Apple is a USB-C-to-Lightning cable. So, make sure you are using a compatible power supply unit for your iPhone 14. For optimal, fast charging, use a power supply unit with 20-watts power output and Power Delivery.
As an alternative to wired charging, you can charge your iPhone 14 wirelessly via MagSafe. Special magnetic rings ensure the iPhone is in the ideal position during inductive charging. This means that models of the iPhone 14, as well as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, can be charged wirelessly with up to 15 watts. The connection is so stable that MagSafe also offers a secure hold in the car with car holders. With corresponding MagSafe phone cases, you also benefit from the advantages of the MagSafe technology in a cover.
Rechargeable battery comparison: iPhone 12, 13 and 14
In a direct comparison, the iPhone 13 rechargeable battery has slight advantages over the iPhone 12. Firstly, according to Apple, the iPhone 13 rechargeable battery capacity is slightly greater than that of the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 also uses a newer chip generation with the A15 Bionic, which promises more power while also working more efficiently.
Overall, the iPhone 13 rechargeable battery gives you a little more time before you need to pay another visit to the charger. Apple claims that the battery charge on the iPhone 13 allows you to watch videos for two hours longer than with the charge of the iPhone 12 rechargeable battery. The increase in battery life from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 14 is only minimal. The iPhone 14 now gives you 20 hours of video playback (one hour more than the iPhone 13).
The charging speed, however, has not changed at all. Like the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 charges with a maximum of 20 watts (wired) and with up to 15 watts (wireless via MagSafe). The iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 and the new iPhone 14 can also all be charged equally fast. A Power Delivery adapter with 20-watts power output can thus charge all three models to up to 50 per cent within 30 minutes.
