14 DAY TRIAL // Apple launched the new-generation iPhone with much fanfare a few hours ago, and one of the upgrades coming to select models concerns the charger that is included in the box.
After so many years of offering a 5W brick with the iPhone, Apple has finally decided to include a much more powerful 18W USB-C charger in the box, technically providing customers with fast-charging speeds without the need for extra purchases.
This is obviously good news for iPhone users, but on the other hand, there are two things that are worth highlighting here.
The new feature is actually an old feature
First and foremost, the 18W charger will only be offered on the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which are the successors to iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. This means that if you purchase the cheaper iPhone 11, which is the replacement to the iPhone XR, you still get the super-slow, super-outdated, and super-annoying 5W charger.
And second, if you really think this is such a major accomplishment, you probably need to look at the upgrade from a different perspective.
As our reader @Buddahfan cleverly noticed, the 18W charger has been around for many years already, and in fact, was a top feature of the last Windows Phone flagship that saw daylight back in 2015. Lumia 950, which was Microsoft’s own high-end phone that was so ahead of its time, came with fast charging and a 18W in the box, no matter which version you bought.
Of course, Windows Phone as a platform eventually collapsed shortly after that, but this once again shows two things. One, Apple is still slow in adopting new technology that so many people find truly useful, and two, Windows phones were so innovative for their era that it’s really a shame that Microsoft decided to leave this whole project behind.