The latest rumors from China suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will see improvements in their charging rates. While the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can reach up to 27W using a cable and up to 15W with MagSafe wireless charging, the new models are expected to go further. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will reportedly support 40W wired charging and 20W MagSafe wireless charging. These are peak rates and will not be maintained for extended periods during the charging process.
It remains to be seen how increasing the peak charging rates will impact actual charging times for both wired and wireless technologies on these phones, as that's what users care about the most. If this rumor is accurate, it's good to see Apple making progress in its charging capabilities, although it still lags behind Chinese companies' mainstream 120W wired and 50W wireless charging peaks.
The source of this rumor suggests that the higher peak charging rates are intended to compensate for the expected increase in battery capacity in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. Essentially, Apple aims for these models to charge at least as fast as their predecessors, despite having larger batteries.
A rumor from about a year ago already predicted that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max would receive these exact improvements in charging, along with stacked battery technology that allows for higher capacities and longer lifespans.
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to be unveiled by Apple in September, alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.