MagSafe reportedly charges old iPhones at ridiculously slow speeds

Apple launched its new iPhones today but the new MagSafe Charger is the must-have accessory for new buyers. The charger has actually been around for a week or so now and that means some people have been able to put it through its paces. And it isn't all good news with one YouTube test showing that a MagSafe Charger isn't so great at charging older devices.

While MagSafe will charge anything so long as it's Qi-compatible, the speeds vary wildly. The new iPhones charge at 15W, sure. But other iPhones? Not so much.

When you put a Qi-compatible iPhone onto a normal wireless charger it should max out at around 7.5W. But when YouTube channel Max Tech put an iPhone SE onto a MagSafe Charger he got less than 2W. That's horrifically slow.

In this video I test out Apple's new Magsafe charger with iPhone SE, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS and show how many watts and how fast it can charge those iPhones that accept 7.5W when wireless charging. This charging speed will be the same for iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, and other Apple devices like Airpods and Airpods pro with wireless charging case.

Apple doesn't say how quickly other devices will charge when placed onto a MagSafe Charger – it just says that it will work.

The MagSafe Charger maintains compatibility with Qi charging, so it can be used to wirelessly charge your iPhone 8 or later, as well as AirPods models with a wireless charging case, as you would with any Qi-certified charger.

But 1.83W? Surely something isn't right there.

Be sure to check out the full video, embedded above, to see how poorly some other devices performed when placed on Apple's new magnetic wireless charger.