Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max reach 50 percent charge in about 15 minutes on a cable and in 30 minutes on a wireless charger. Five minutes plugged in gives the Pro Max about seven hours of video playback.
Those are the only charging figures in Apple’s release, and they matter more this year because Apple rates the phones for up to 36 and 45 hours of video playback, so a short top-up goes a long way. What the release does not include is the charger you need to hit those times.
The charging figures Apple has published
| Method | Apple’s figure | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wired | 50 percent in about 15 minutes | iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max |
| Wireless | 50 percent in 30 minutes | iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max |
| Wired, five minutes | About seven hours of video playback | iPhone 18 Pro Max |
The wired figure is twice as fast as the wireless one for the same 50 percent, which is the usual gap between a cable and a pad. Apple did not give a five-minute figure for the smaller iPhone 18 Pro.
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What Apple has not said about the charger
The release does not specify the power adapter needed for the 15-minute figure, and Apple has not said how much power the phones can draw. Those details usually appear on Apple’s tech specs pages rather than in the announcement itself.
- The adapter wattage assumed for the wired figure
- Whether the wireless figure applies to MagSafe, Qi chargers or both
- Whether a charger or cable comes in the box
- The five-minute top-up figure for the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro
- How long a full charge takes on either method
Until Apple fills those in, assume the fastest times need a higher-wattage adapter than the one you may already own. Our iPhone 18 Pro announcement roundup covers everything else Apple confirmed.
Why Apple quotes 50 percent rather than a full charge
Charging slows as a battery fills, so the first half arrives far faster than the second. A 50 percent figure describes the useful top-up you get in a short stop, not the time from empty to full, which Apple has not published for either phone.
The seven-hours-from-five-minutes claim is the more practical number, since it describes what a quick charge before leaving the house buys you on the Pro Max.
Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12, at 5 a.m. PT, and the phones arrive on Friday, September 18. Check our pre-order guide and the live blog for any charging details Apple adds.
