Rumor: Apple's 'iPhone 7' to offer improved fast-charge support
One way Apple will aim to keep the "iPhone 7" competitive is the addition of new fast-charge technology, according to one rumor.
The device will use improved circuitry supporting "at least" 5-volt, 2-amp charging, said @the_malignant, a Twitter user specializing in phone leaks. Current iPhone chargers are rated at one amp.
Many Android devices now offer some form of fast-charging, allowing them to hit a practical battery reserve in minutes instead of hours. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, for example, can each go from 0 to 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes.
In fact current iPhones already use comparable technology, but nothing Apple has chosen to market as a feature. The company could be hoping to match or surpass rivals with the "iPhone 7."
That device is expected to ship next month, in standard and "Plus"-sized models much like the iPhone 6 and 6s. The Plus should have a dual-lens camera, and possibly 3 gigabytes of RAM and/or a Smart Connector.
The device will use improved circuitry supporting "at least" 5-volt, 2-amp charging, said @the_malignant, a Twitter user specializing in phone leaks. Current iPhone chargers are rated at one amp.
Many Android devices now offer some form of fast-charging, allowing them to hit a practical battery reserve in minutes instead of hours. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, for example, can each go from 0 to 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes.
In fact current iPhones already use comparable technology, but nothing Apple has chosen to market as a feature. The company could be hoping to match or surpass rivals with the "iPhone 7."
That device is expected to ship next month, in standard and "Plus"-sized models much like the iPhone 6 and 6s. The Plus should have a dual-lens camera, and possibly 3 gigabytes of RAM and/or a Smart Connector.
Comments
If rumor is true, I would hate/love to see Drake on stage rapping the popular lyric.
I wonder why this article says "In fact current iPhones already use comparable technology" but then doesn't explain the logic of deliberately supplying a less than optimal charger with every iPhone if the company is supposedly focused on the 'user experience'. Could it be that there actually isn't any intentional fast charging capability in an iPhone other than the lucky happenstance of an engineer factoring in a safety margin?
Note that the S6 Edge has a 2600 Mah batter vs a 2750 mah battery in the 6S Plus, so that is a considerably faster charging rate.
It would be nice to see that graph next to another showing how long each device lasts on the charge too rather than just the numbers.
I prefer GSM Arena's battery test as it comprises a standard suite of a varity of tasks that I think would more closely reflect user experience.
Their battery life comparrison table is too long to post here: http://www.gsmarena.com/battery-test.php3
They rate the S6 Edge at 73 Hrs and the 6S Plus at 85 Hrs, however, the S7 Edge is 98 Hrs and the 6S is 62 Hrs.
It is also a very rare thing that this "speed" even matters to me. My iPhone lasts all day...some days ending around 50% battery, others around 20% depending on usage. So it gets charged once per day...at night.
Its just one of those things where it sounds good on paper, but in the real world under real use will simply not improve the experience for users in a measurable way. Is faster charging better than slower charging? Sure. Does it matter? Not really.
With the S6, a 10 minute charge will give it an extra 4 hrs of run-time. You might not think that useful but I have read opinions from others who say it is very useful to them.
While Samsung's fast charging is a decent improvement, the Chinese phone maker Oppo have really put some effort into this tech, with a 5A (25W) charger, which makes Apple's 1A 5W charger look like last century tech.
http://www.gsmarena.com/charge_test-review-1239p3.php
Also, I've had the port wear out on several phones. So substantially longer battery life could mean fewer insertions (although not if that also becomes the earphone jack). (Or wireless charging could achieve the same objective.)
In NYC, they've put up a bunch of these "stations" which provide free WiFi and you can charge your phone. But without super-fast charging, I don't see how charging one's phone makes any sense. Are you going to stand there for a half hour or longer? It would only make sense to me if the battery was about to die. I've never yet seen anyone charging their phone at these things.