iPhone 13 could finally catch Samsung with this rumored upgrade

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro
(Image credit: EverythingApplePro)

The iPhone 13 would definitely benefit from having a faster charging speed, so a new rumor claiming it'll be capable of 25W fast charging sounds like good news. It's just a shame that the source really doesn't inspire confidence. 

The rumor comes from Chinese site MyDrivers, via 9to5 Mac, citing unnamed "foreign media." Not even being able to name the outlet rings alarm bells about how reliable this source is. However having upped its phones' charging speeds for two years running already, it doesn't seem unreasonable for Apple to make a modest increase to charging wattage for the third year in a row.

iPhones are some of the slowest charging phones on the market, something that only changed with 18W charging support for the iPhone 11 series and most recently 20W charging support on all iPhone 12 models. 

A bump to 25W isn't going to make the iPhone 13 a contender among the fastest charging phones. But it would bring the new iPhone in line with main rival Samsung's charging speed for most of its Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy S21.

Faster charging may also be a fair exchange for users losing out on bundled-in chargers with iPhones as of last year. You would still need to use a separate charging block if you want to power-up your iPhone, but buying a new one would make sure you receive the best speeds possible.

It's also been rumored that the iPhone 13 line will receive larger batteries, which would pair nicely with faster charging. All models are said to be receiving a small bump in capacity, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max will supposedly be getting the largest increase.

Outside of charging and batteries, the iPhone 13 range of phones are rumored to be relatively similar to their equivalent iPhone 12 models, although we might still expect a new chipset, some small camera upgrades and boosted display refresh rates on the Pro models. One way or another, we'll likely find out in early September, when the next iPhone is expected to make its debut.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.