While a Chinese regulatory filing showed that all iPhone 16 models are rated for up to 45W charging speeds, tests have since shown that the devices do not actually charge this fast. However, there are still improvements.
ChargerLAB last week tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a variety of Apple and third-party chargers, and it found that the device achieved maximum sustained charging speeds of around 30W. In one image, the website showed the iPhone 16 Pro Max reaching a peak charging speed of 37W with Apple's 140W USB-C power adapter, but it is unclear how long the device kept charging at that speed. Overall, this seems to be an improvement over the reported 27W peak charging speed for iPhone 15 Pro models, but it is clear that iPhone 16 models are not actually reaching the theoretical 45W ceiling that was rumored.
PhoneArena saw similar results with the standard iPhone 16. In its review last week, it said the device reached a peak charging speed of 38W only when it was "under extremely heavy loads such as benchmark testing or playing games." The website said the iPhone 16 achieved a sustained charging speed of closer to 20W.
Apple merely says that all iPhone 16 models can achieve up to a 50% charge in around 30 minutes with a 20W or higher USB-C charger, which is exactly the same claim that it advertised for all iPhone 15 models.
All in all, just because all iPhone 16 models safely support the USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 protocol of 15V/3A = 45W, it has been proven that the devices do not actually charge at 45W speeds. The rumor was wrong, or at least misinterpreted. However, modestly faster charging speeds still seem to occur in certain scenarios.
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Past Launch Dates
Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
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Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
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Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
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2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop.
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Tuesday December 2, 2025 3:30 pm PST by Juli Clover
OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic.
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Wasn’t it first a rumor and then supposedly later “confirmed” and “official” or whatever? So why are we back to calling it a rumor and not just false advertising?
you can't call "false advertising" on something that wasn't and still isn't advertised at all.
TL;DR: Some rumor sites found the real Apple.com page showing that iPhone 16s support the 15V3A (45W max) USB-IF profile. They immediately assumed that the iPhone would max out the profile.
No, it's simply because even just 28W (+1W only!) is not possible with the lower profile (9V3A = 27W): Apple did slightly increase charging speeds over 27W → thus, Apple was forced to enable the 15V*3A profile. But Apple supporting the 15V*3A profile does not mean iPhones must use all 3A.
The profile is just named "15V3A" to indicate the maximum:
9V@3A profile: >15W to 27W max (3A) 15V@3A profile: >27W to 45W max (3A)
Apple had to move to 15V to increase charging speeds beyond 27W.
ELI5: imagine if Apple.com store suddenly showed 200-lb-rated caster wheels for the Mac Pro, vs the older 100-lb-rated casters. Does that mean the next Mac Pro WILL weigh 200 pounds?! No. It may just be 105-lb, but even those +5lb would not be allowed on the 100-lb-rated casters.
