Introduction

As Apple’s top flagship product, the iPhone Pro Max models have always boasted the best camera, processor, display, and of course, the fastest charging speeds in the series. But does this hold true for the latest iPhone 16 series? Let’s take a closer look.

Charging Compatibility Test

Next, ChargerLAB will conduct a comprehensive test on the compatibility of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, evaluating its performance with a selection of more than 100 charging devices. These devices include Apple chargers, third-party chargers, and power banks, aiming to cover the majority of users' charging scenarios.

Apple Chargers

Let’s start by testing the compatibility of Apple’s original braided charging cables with their chargers. Additionally, to ensure sustained high power output, we activated the phone's camera during the testing.

Then, let's use the powerful 140W (model: A2452) charger to do the test, ChargerLAB POWER-Z KM003C measure that it can output 14.61V 2.07A 30.19W of power.

Before we begin testing wireless charging, it's important to note that the phone used in this test is the Chinese version, which only supports up to 15W charging. When charging with the MagSafe charger, the power output at the charger's end was 8.81V, 2.07A, and 18.21W. Due to energy loss during wireless transmission, the actual power received by the phone is roughly 15W.

We tested various Apple chargers at different power levels, as shown in the table above. From this, we can observe that the iPhone 16 Pro Max maintains a charging power of around 30W. The exception was the 87W charger, which provided slightly lower power output due to the lack of a 15V setting. However, most of the other chargers rated above 29W were able to trigger the 15V PDO successfully.

A bar chart was created to visualize the charging power from different chargers. Aside from variations in the maximum output capacity of the chargers, the iPhone 16 Pro Max maintained a charging power of around 30W, fully utilizing the maximum power supported.

Third-Party Chargers

Due to the high price of Apple’s official chargers, many consumers turn to third-party options. So the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s compatibility with third-party chargers becomes an important factor.

First, let’s check the performance of the Anker 120W charger. It provided the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 14.61V, 2.12A, and 31.05W of power.

Summarizing the compatibility test results for third-party chargers paired with Apple's original dual USB-C charging cable, the charging power of the third-party chargers showed little difference from that of Apple’s official chargers.

Visualizing the data in a bar chart, we can see that most chargers rated above 30W provided the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 28-31W of power. Chargers in the 20-25W range delivered 18-24W, demonstrating impressive compatibility.

Power Banks

For power banks, the CUKTECH No.30 charged the iPhone 16 Pro Max at 14.55V, 2.15A, 31.34W.

Compiling the test data into a table, we found that the power banks charged the iPhone 16 Pro Max at 19-32W. Overall, there were no compatibility issues.

A bar chart of the data clearly shows the power distribution across the tested power banks, with the CUKTECH No.30 providing the highest output at 31.34W.

Summary of ChargerLAB

As Apple's latest flagship, the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers excellent charging compatibility, whether with original or third-party chargers. The official 140W charger can deliver 30W of charging power, while third-party chargers and power banks with output over 30W can provide 28-31W of power, performing impressively.

In summary, iPhone 16 Pro Max users have flexible options when choosing a charger. For a good fast-charging experience, it is recommended to choose a charger with at least 35W output. Whether you prioritize original quality or cost-effectiveness, both options can meet your fast-charging needs.