iOS 13.1 Found Limiting Some Qi Wireless Chargers to 5W: Report

Some Qi wireless chargers seem to be affected by the new limitation imposed by iOS 13.1.

By Harpreet Singh | Updated: 16 October 2019 16:37 IST

iOS 13.1 Found Limiting Some Qi Wireless Chargers to 5W: Report

iOS 13.1 is reportedly causing some Qi wireless chargers to charge slowly

Apple introduced wireless charging on its iPhone 8 series phones from 2017. Since then, all new iPhone models have supported wireless charging. It makes it a little more convenient for some users to simply place their smartphone on a charging mat instead of plugging it in and out for charging. The new iPhone 11 series phones that were launched last year also support the feature. However, it appears that the recent iOS 13.1 update could be limiting the wireless charging performance on some iPhone models.

According to a report by ChargerLab, Apple's iOS 13.1 update seems to have limited the wireless charging capability of iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, and the iPhone XS Max to 5W instead of 7.5W from some Qi-certified chargers. Some wireless chargers are still capable of delivering 7.5W of power though.

[Also see: Best wireless chargers]

The company tested wireless charging performance of the new iPhone 11 series models before iOS 13.1 shipped and then after updating the iPhone models to iOS 13.1. The drop in wireless charging performance with third-party wireless chargers was quite noticeable.

Apple is yet to issue any official explanation for this. AppleInsider claims that a source within Apple has confirmed that vendors who are 'fully compliant' with the Qi charging specifications and Apple's guidance will still be able to support 7.5W wireless charging.

Wireless chargers from Belkin, Mophie, and Anker were still found to be compatible with 7.5W wireless charging, according to ChargerLab. The testing company feels that Apple may have limited 7.5W charging feature for products that use fixed-frequency voltage regulation which is recommended by Apple. As for all other wireless chargers, the software-based limitation will keep them at 5W only.

Apple doesn't make its own wireless charger yet, even though the company did intend to make one called AirPower. The wireless charging stand was indefinitely delayed before being shelved. Consumers must use third-party wireless chargers to charge their iPhone models.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: iOS 13, Apple, Wireless Charging

Harpreet Singh

Email Harpreet

Harpreet is the community manager at Gadgets 360. He loves all things tech, and can be found hunting for good deals when he is not shopping online. He has written about deals and e-commerce in India for many years, as well as covering social media and breaking technology news. More