You’re Not Actually Fast Charging Your iPhone without These Two Devices?

Iphone X Charging Port Lightning Credit: A. Aleksandravicius / Shutterstock
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Newer iPhones support fast charging, which lets you juice up your device in a really short amount of time.

But, unfortunately, iPhones don’t come with fast charging hardware in the box. That means that there can be some confusion as to whether or not you’re using the proper charging hardware to access it.

Apple defines fast charging as charging at least 50 percent of a smartphone’s battery in about half an hour.

It’s a handy feature for sure and pretty much an expectation for modern flagships. (The iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XS Max and XR all support fast charging.)

Luckily, there are only two “special ingredients” that you need to take advantage of wired fast charging: a power adapter and a Lightning to USB-C cable. We’ve listed a few great options below.

USB-C Power Adapter

Fast charging is a specification of the USB-C standard, which means you’ll need a USB-C compatible power adapter or brick to take advantage of it.

Both options support Quick Charge and also sport a standard USB-A port if you need it. More importantly, both chargers are made by trustworthy brands and are highly rated on Amazon.

Essentially, you have some options when it comes to the power adapter. Just make sure you buy an adapter from a reputable brand that you trust so that you don’t end up damaging your iPhone.

High-power AC adapters are also required to fast charge your iPhone wirelessly, although some wireless chargers include one in the box.

USB-C Cable

Because wired fast charging is a USB-C specification, you’ll also need a USB-C cable to take advantage of it. iPhones use Lightning as their primary port, which means that the cable specifically needs to be a Lightning to USB-C cable.

  • Currently, the only Lightning to USB-C cable that we can recommend is Apple’s first-party option. It’s the only safe option available at the moment and your iPhone isn’t worth risking to save a few bucks.

But at CES 2019, a slew of third-party manufacturers announced that they would be debuting Apple-approved Lightning to USB-C cables. Expect options from Anker, Griffin and Belkin to show up within the next few months.


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