The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and redesigned iPhone X have arrived, bringing a host of new features. One of the most awaited improvements that Apple revealed at its event was a fast-charging feature – its new iPhones finally deliver fast charging. Apple claims that the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus can recharge up to 50 % of their battery life in just a 30-minute charge.
But there’s a catch: this won’t happen out the box. In order to make fast charging work, you will have to separately purchase Apple’s (or a third party’s) 29-watt USB-C charger and USB-C to lightning cable; neither will come packaged with the iPhone 8, 8 Plus or X. Apple will continue to bundle the Lightning to USB-A charger.
Yes, despite Apple pricing its new iPhones as high as $1,149, not a single one of the new iPhones will come with a fast charger as standard.
Apple currently sells three different Lighting to USB Type-C chargers, the 29W A1540 ($49), 61W A1718 ($69) and 87W A1719 ($79), but none of them come with a cable. And you will need one because the bundled Lightning to USB-A cable won’t fit. Of course, Apple sells individual Lighting to USB-C cables in 1 meter and 2-metre variants and they cost $25 and $35 respectively. So this means users will need to pay a minimum of $74 to benefit from fast charging to a new iPhone.
There appears to be some good news for MacBook owners, though. If you own a 2016 or later edition of the MacBook Pro that comes with a USB-C charger, it looks as though you can use your 87W or 61W USB charger to fast charge your new iPhone 8 or X too, regardless of the difference in wattage. However, you will need to buy the $35 USB-C-to-Lightning cable to plug your new iPhones to MacBook laptop power adapters.
Another biggest improvements that Apple revealed at its event was the addition of wireless charging for the iPhone. The new iPhones will allow for Qi inductive wireless charging, which means that you can charge them using ubiquitous third-party surfaces.
It’s welcome news that Apple has introduced a fast-charge capability for the iPhone, but seems not worth as we have to shell out an extra $25 to $75 to make full use of the new iPhones’ fast charging feature on top of their already elevated price tags. Meanwhile, Android phones have had fast charging for several years now, and they often come included with the fast-charging adapters and cables necessary for fast charging, not having to buy separate accessories.
