The iPhone 12 mini will charge the slowest — here's why

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The iPhone 12 mini will be the slowest charging model

iPhone 12
(Image credit: Apple)

The iPhone 12 mini is the infant of Apple's new generation of smartphones. It's the smallest and the cheapest among the four iPhone 12 models, but according Apple's newly updated support page, it's also the slowest.

The iPhone 12 mini will be limited to 12 watts of power delivery via MagSafe while the larger versions — the standard iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max — can support up to 15 watts (via MacRumors).

The iPhone 12 mini is the slowest charging model via MagSafe

The iPhone 12 mini will move at a snail's pace while it's charging on the MagSafe pad, a new wireless charging solution that attaches to the back of your phone magnetically. 

iPhone 12 mini MagSafe

iPhone 12 mini MagSafe (Image credit: Apple)

However, as CNET points out, the 12W power delivery will be faster than the 7.5W limitation that Apple imposes on iPhones while charging on Qi-based charging pads. iPhone 12 mini owners who want to speediest charging experience must ditch MagSafe in favor of the USB-C-to-lightning cable, which ships with the iPhone 12 mini, and a 20W or higher power adapter (sold separately).

If you insist on using MagSafe, Apple recommends pairing the wireless charging pad with a USB-C power adapter (sold separately) that is at or above 9V/2.03A. "The power delivered to the iPhone 12 at any moment will vary depending on various factors, including temperature and system activity," Apple said.

We used the MagSafe charger to power up the standard iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro for our reviews, and both phones took about 30 minutes to achieve a 30% charge. At this rate, it'd take about one hour and 40 minutes to get a full charge. 

The $49 MagSafe charging pad does not ship with any of the iPhone 12 models.

The iPhone 12 mini starts at $729. Alongside the iPhone 12 Pro Max, it will be available for pre-orders on Nov. 6 and it will hit store shelves on Nov. 13.

Kimberly Gedeon
Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!