Apple said the new iPhone 18 Pro models are capable of faster USB-C charging than the iPhone 17 Pro models, and a new video shared by YouTube channel Xiaobai’s Tech Reviews offers a closer look at the year-over-year improvement.
As spotted by the Ice Universe account, the video reveals that the iPhone 18 Pro Max can go from 0% to 100% battery life in as little as 55 minutes with a powerful charger, compared to 81 minutes for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. In other words, the iPhone 18 Pro Max can be “fully” charged 26 minutes faster than the previous generation (iPhones continue to receive a slow flow of power even after showing 100% battery life).
In line with Apple’s reported claim, the video shows that the iPhone 18 Pro Max can achieve 50% battery life in just 15 minutes, compared to 20 minutes for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
The smaller iPhone 18 Pro should have similar charging speeds.
In the video test, the iPhone 18 Pro Max achieved a maximum charging speed of 52W during the first 12 minutes of the charging session. Last year, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and device achieved a maximum charging speed of 36W in a separate test conducted by ChargerLAB. As always, charging slows down later in a session to prevent overheating.
Exactly how useful these improvements are will depend on your charging habits. If you primarily charge your iPhone overnight, faster charging obviously isn’t very beneficial. But if you charge your iPhone throughout the day, saving almost half an hour on a 0-100% charge may prove useful for you.
Apple’s tech specs state that to achieve the fastest charging speeds on iPhone 18 Pro models, you should use a power adapter capable of 60W or more with adjustable voltage power supply (AVS). Apple sells a charger that fits this description: its 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, for $39 on its US online store.
The referenced video is in Chinese.
