Apple’s most-awaited OS update of 2025, iOS 26 has brought with it improvements in the charging department. Ever since Apple announced its new iOS 26 UI at the company’s WWDC event in June, since then there have been various developer and public beta updates. However, the latest iOS 26‘s cycles of beta testing ahead of its expected full release next month have revealed an improvement in charging speeds.
What are the Improvements?
As per a MacRumors report, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max running iOS 26 will be able to charge with any Qi 2.2 charger at up to 25W speeds. The same models until now only supported 25W wireless charging speeds on Apple’s MagSafe charger, while third-party Qi chargers were restricted to 15W.
How can fast charging be enabled?
To get the best charging speeds, you need several different elements to line up: the phone hardware, the charging standard, and the software support. The Qi2 standard was built into the iPhone 16 handsets when they launched last September, and then updated to support 25W back in July.
Right now, though, that 25W upgrade hasn’t been unlocked on the 16 iPhone series – you can only get 25W wireless charging from official Apple MagSafe chargers. When iOS 26 rolls out in full, that will change.
When is iOS 26 releasing?
While Apple hasn’t given a fixed timeline for the iOS 26 rollout, the new OS usually debuts alongside the latest iPhones at the September launch event. The Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to reveal the launch date for these new devices soon, and the iOS 26 rollout should follow a few days after the iPhone 17 series debut.
Last year, Apple launched the iPhone 16 on 9 September, while the iOS 18 update was released on 16 September.
What other changes are in iOS 26?
As for the changes with iOS 26, Apple is bringing a new Liquid Glass UI across the operating system that adds a transparent finish to the iPhone’s Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Centre, apps, and more. Apple will also introduce a number of other features with iOS 26, including real-time call translation, expanded Visual Intelligence, AI-powered battery management, and a redesigned Phone app.
This report could bring smiles to the faces of iPhone 16 series users as Apple may have finally unlocked the full charging speeds on these devices.
