Apple announced many improvements to its iPhone line Tuesday with its latest iPhone 11 lineup of phones. One less-heralded one, however, was finally adding fast charging in the box. Well, at least for its more expensive premium Pro phones.
While Android phones have shipped with fast chargers for years, Apple has stubbornly shipped slow 5-watt chargers with its phones despite the iPhones' premium pricing. That finally is changing with the iPhone 11, at least on the Pro and Pro Max models where Apple has upped its game to include an 18W USB-C fast charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box. However this perk, which is also included in Apple's latest iPad Pro line, is relegated to the Pro phones that start at $999, £1,049 and AU$1,749.
Apple says the new charger and cable will allow the iPhone 11 Pro to reach up to a 50% charge in around 30 minutes.
The iPhone 11 Pro will finally include a fast charger in the box.
Screenshot by Eli Blumenthal/CNETThe perk, however, seems to be limited to the Pro. The regular iPhone 11, which starts at $699 (£729, AU$1,199), still is shipping with Apple's slow 5W charger and traditional USB-A to Lightning cable.
iPhones as recent as 2017's iPhone X and iPhone 8 have supported faster charging through USB-C when paired with the proper charging box and cable, so the feature itself isn't new. Given that an Apple-branded USB-C to Lightning cable runs a separate $19 for a 1 meter (roughly 3 feet) cable and the 18W USB-C power adapter is another $29, adding faster charging isn't cheap.
As with the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS and XS Max, plugging an iPhone 11 into a USB-C charger should charge it significantly faster. But again, you'll need to buy both a USB-C adapter and Lightning cable separately.
Hopefully next year the feature will be included in the box for all iPhone models.
