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Old Charger:New (iPhone 13) - Long-term Impact on iPhone Battery Health

A apologize up front if this question has already been answered, but I have not yet seen an answer to this specific question.


While it has been made clear that it is possible to charge an iPhone 13 with an older (USB-A) charging block (5V or 10V), I would like to know if it is true that doing so will degrade the life of the battery over the longer term.


I bought a new iPhone 13 at a corporate Verizon store yesterday and the sales rep told me that I should use older charging cords/blocks sparingly, as doing so will degrade the life of the batery faster. Is this true?


Thanks in advance to all who respond!

Posted on Mar 5, 2023 6:08 AM

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Posted on Mar 5, 2023 6:22 AM

I'd assume that you're mentioning the wattage, which is mainly the difference between an old and the new charging brick.


Battery degrades overtime and what you use to charge it does not make a huge impact, as long as you charge using a genuine Apple charging adapter and the cable. If you charge using a 5 watts adapter (the old one), your phone will take longer to charge and from my experience, the adapter gets really hot when charging newer iPhone.


Ultimately, it doesn't really make sense to prevent this by charging with an old adapter.


iPhone Battery and Performance - Apple Support


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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 5, 2023 6:22 AM in response to cmaccormac

I'd assume that you're mentioning the wattage, which is mainly the difference between an old and the new charging brick.


Battery degrades overtime and what you use to charge it does not make a huge impact, as long as you charge using a genuine Apple charging adapter and the cable. If you charge using a 5 watts adapter (the old one), your phone will take longer to charge and from my experience, the adapter gets really hot when charging newer iPhone.


Ultimately, it doesn't really make sense to prevent this by charging with an old adapter.


iPhone Battery and Performance - Apple Support


Mar 5, 2023 6:53 AM in response to cmaccormac

Thanks for the quick responses! I'm planning to purchase/use a 20W charger when home, but plan to continue using older chargers in my car and elsewhere when necessary.


BTW, the Verizon Rep also added the "Verizon Mobile Protect" insurance (@ $17/month) too, but did not ask me or disclose this at any point. I discovered this when I looked more closely at the invoice at home and called back / told them to remove it from my order.



Mar 5, 2023 6:58 AM in response to cmaccormac

I'm happy to help. And its good you noticed the protection plan. I would NEVER buy one from a carrier. But I DO highly recommend an AppleCare+ Plan, which you can buy on your phone directly. Should you accidentally damage your Phone, AppleCare+ (there are two levels - AppleCare+ and AppleCare+ Theft & Loss) can really save you.


If you want the coverage from Apple, open Settings App on your iPhone > General > About and you'll see options for AppleCare+ Plans.

Mar 5, 2023 10:06 AM in response to cmaccormac

100% support for everything @lobsterghost1 has said, both for the charger choices and for the comments about AppleCare+ as a good option.


There is no way a lower rated charger will cause problems, except it may take a little longer to charge the battery. Slow charging (within reason) is theoretically better than fast charging which may generate higher battery temperatures.

Old Charger:New (iPhone 13) - Long-term Impact on iPhone Battery Health

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