Introduction
At Apple’s “Awe Dropping” launch event on September 10, the company unveiled seven new products, including new headphones, watches, and iPhones.
This year’s iPhone lineup includes the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Among them, the iPhone 17 introduces ProMotion technology to the standard model for the first time, while the iPhone Air stands out as one of Apple’s thinnest and lightest flagships ever.
As Apple’s top-tier flagship, the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers comprehensive upgrades in both performance and user experience. It houses a large 4823mAh battery and retains the USB-C port. The peak wired charging power reaches 39W, with a sustained charging power of around 36W in our tests. Wireless charging supports up to 32W. Now, let’s take a closer look at its detailed charging compatibility.
Charging Protocols
We summarized the supported charging protocols of all the iPhone models, as shown below.
As you can see, the iPhone 17 Pro Max supports PD, DCP, and MagSafe charging protocols.
When charging with the Apple 140W charger, the ChargerLAB POWER-Z KM003C tester detected that the phone triggered the PD protocol.
When pairing MagSafe charger with Apple’s 70W adapter, the KM003C recorded a charging power of 32W, confirming that the MagSafe protocol was triggered.
Original Charger
When connected to the Apple 20W charger, the iPhone 17 Pro Max drew 8.65V 2.18A, equating to roughly 18.85W of input power.
Upgrading to the Apple 40W charger resulted in a noticeable boost, reaching 14.46V 2.52A, or 36.42W.
Using the Apple 70W adapter, the KM003C recorded a steady 14.71V 2.54A, translating to 36.11W—nearly identical to the 40W model, indicating that the phone’s peak charging limit sits around 36W.
Across Apple’s entire charger lineup, all models were tested using the original USB-C to USB-C cable. The measured power output consistently hovered near 36W, showcasing excellent compatibility.
Visualizing the results in a bar chart reveals that the Apple 40W charger achieved the highest reading at 36.42W, while the MagSafe charger reached 32.83W, marking a clear improvement over its predecessor. Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro Max demonstrates strong compatibility with Apple’s original chargers, fully utilizing their available output power.
Third-Party Charger
After confirming performance with Apple’s original adapters, we proceeded to test the iPhone 17 Pro Max with over 100 third-party chargers from different brands.
With the Anker 150W charger, the phone reached 14.63V 2.47A, equivalent to 36.14W.
The Google 67W charger delivered 14.78V 2.47A, or 36.46W, maintaining excellent consistency.
Meanwhile, the Samsung GaN 45W charger pushed the phone slightly further, measuring 14.41V 2.61A, or 37.73W—the highest among all tested adapters.
When summarized, third-party chargers consistently negotiated 15V or 9V voltage levels, with charging currents ranging from 1A to 3A. No incompatibility issues were observed, and charging remained stable throughout.
A closer look at the bar chart highlights the Samsung GaN 45W charger as the top performer at 37.79W, followed closely by the Samsung 65W charger at 37.34W. Both relied on the PD protocol, confirming wide compatibility. Overall, most third-party adapters were able to maximize the iPhone’s charging capability, while lower-wattage models naturally stayed within their rated power limits.
Power Bank
Moving on to portable charging, the CUKTECH P Series 10000mAh 150W power bank supplied 14.47V 2.58A, or 37.36W, when charging the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Likewise, the Lenovo FLUXO 20000mAh 140W power bank output 14.43V 2.56A, or 36.93W, showing similar results.
After compiling all data, it’s clear that power banks perform on par with third-party chargers, typically negotiating 15V or 9V voltage levels and delivering 1A to 3A of current.
The power chart illustrates minimal variation among models—the CUKTECH P Series reached around 37W, confirming support for the PD protocol and full compatibility with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Summary of ChargerLAB
In summary, the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers stable and consistent charging compatibility across all categories. Most tested chargers, whether from Apple or third-party brands, successfully triggered the PD protocol, ensuring seamless operation.
In terms of charging power:
- Original Apple chargers ranged from 18W to 37W, peaking around 36.4W.
- Third-party chargers reached similar levels, mostly between 18W and 36W, stabilizing at the 15V voltage range with 1–3A current.
- Power banks mirrored these results, averaging around 36W and using the same PD protocol.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro Max exhibits excellent charging adaptability, maintaining steady performance with original, third-party, and portable power sources alike. Users can confidently pair the device with any PD 40W (or higher) charger to achieve efficient, high-speed, and reliable charging—without worrying about brand compatibility.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max successfully passed the ChargerLAB Compatibility 100 Test. Below is the compatibility 100 test report issued by us.
Related Articles：
1. Apple iPhone 16 Charging Test - ChargerLAB Compatibility 100
2. Slower than 16? | Charging Compatibility Test of iPhone Air
3. Under 30W | Charging Compatibility Test of iPhone 17 Pro
