iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo faster charging comes with an adapter catch

Apple has long been lambasted for the slow charging speeds of its phones. With Chinese handsets featuring ultrafast 100W+ charging speeds to fill up their humongous silicon-carbon batteries, Apple was still languishing at not even half of those.

The new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, however, finally sport faster charging speeds that can shorten the time to hit 50% battery capacity by a quarter compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. This upgraded iPhone 18 Pro series specification, however, comes with a caveat that favors Apple's revenue numbers.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro charging speeds

According to Apple, hitting the phone's peak charging rate requires its 40W Dynamic Power Adapter that is currently discounted on Amazon. It can output up to 60W when paired with a USB-C cable, and with that specific combo, the iPhone 18 Pro reportedly goes from empty to 50% in about 15 minutes, faster than the iPhone 17 Pro for the same top-up on the same charger. Apple also claims a 5-minute charging session would be enough for around six hours of video playback, but that is not the most challenging of scenarios when it comes to power draw.

The catch, and there seems to always be one with Apple, is that the phone needs a charger supporting peak 60W output, USB PD 3.1, and adjustable voltage supply. Right now, Apple's own adapter is essentially the only retail charger ticking every box available in the US. Even MacBook chargers, which push 96W or 140W, don't qualify since they lack that adjustable voltage feature.

Popular chargers above 40W, such as Anker's new 45W brick, will still work fine but cap out at the older iPhone 17 Pro speeds, or around 20 minutes to reach 50%. While not too bad for regular use, in an emergency this would mean that the fastest charging tier is effectively gated behind Apple's own adapter gear. Apple still doesn't include a charger in the box, only a USB-C cable, so if iPhone 18 Pro buyers want the full charging experience this new phone is capable of, they'd have to budget for that 40W/60W peak adapter separately.

Wireless iPhone 18 Pro series charging gets a boost too, though. When paired with a MagSafe charger and any 35W power adapter, the iPhone 18 Pro reaches 50% in 30 minutes. The iPhone 18 Pro goes up for pre-order this Saturday, with the foldable iPhone Duo following next month and supporting the same charging speeds under identical conditions that ask for Apple's own adapter, too.