iPhone Air Limited to 20W MagSafe Charging - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPhone Air Limited to 20W MagSafe Charging

The iPhone Air can charge with MagSafe at up to 20W, according to Apple's technical specifications page for the new device.

magsafe battery
20W is 5W slower than the 25W that the other iPhone 17 models (and iPhone 16 models) can charge at using one of Apple's updated ‌MagSafe‌ adapters. It is also limited to 20W Qi2 speeds instead of the 25W enabled by Qi2.2.

To fast charge wirelessly, the ‌iPhone Air‌ needs a ‌MagSafe‌ charger paired with a 30W adapter or higher, but for charging over USB-C, 20W is sufficient for fast charge. Fast charging provides a 50 percent charge in a 30 minute period.

With the ‌MagSafe‌ Battery that Apple designed for the ‌iPhone Air‌, wireless charging is limited to 12W unless the ‌MagSafe‌ Battery is plugged in and providing passthrough charging capabilities.

The ‌iPhone Air‌ has the smallest battery of the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup, which could explain why it is not able to charge at the same speed. It uses high density battery technology, and that may also be a factor.

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in September With These 10 New Features

Saturday May 9, 2026 6:03 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black Touch ID

Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: What to Expect Later This Year

Friday May 8, 2026 2:07 pm PDT by
While not too much has been reported about the next Apple Watch models, there are a few rumors about potential design changes and watchOS 27 features. Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 models are expected to be released in September, and we have outlined some of the key rumored hardware and software changes below. A new Apple Watch SE is not expected this year, as that model was...

Top Rated Comments

9 months ago
Good to know. But don't think it will make a huge difference. Heat build up will quickly reduce the charging speeds. Faster charging will probably be limited for the first few minutes before it slows down.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9 months ago
I'm waiting for reviews. I wonder how efficient the A19 Pro chip is going to be. The new A19 chips have neural accelerators built into the GPU cores. Reading up on na's. It sounds like they'll do a good job with efficiency. Could make for a great phone.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
9 months ago
They're really pushing this thing to the edge, but I think they're mainly doing it this thin so they can ramp things up for the iPhone Fold next year. Scale production of really thin components and such and work out any engineering issues now with the beta testers buying this thing.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9 months ago
nobody needs fast charging when MagSafe batteries are a thing.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9 months ago
You charge it at the full 30W wirelessly and it’s gonna explode like a Samsung Galaxy
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)