Before the iPhone 11 Pro was released, all iPhones shipped with slow 5W chargers. However, now that the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max come bundled with 18W fast chargers, it makes sense to have computers support the technology as well.
To add fast charging support for iPhones, the upcoming Linux Kernel 5.7 will add support for the latest fast charging technology. To be more specific, it’s not only for iPhones but also iPads which use 24W chargers.
The Linux kernel with support for fast charging for Apple mobile devices is expected to be released in late spring. At present, when an Apple device is connected to a machine running a Linux based OS will only be able to draw 500mA of power which is very low compared to what is required for fast charging.
iOS devices which support fast charging require a higher amount of power than 500mA. With the upcoming update to the Linux kernel, Apple devices will be able to draw power upto 2500mA which falls in line with Apple’s fast charging protocols.
The Linux kernel will pack a new “apple-mfi-fastcharge” driver which will enable fast charging for Apple iOS devices. Users will have the option to set the driver to enable fast charging using sysfs. The practice is very similar to that of Apple Made For iPhone (MFi) certified chargers.
The upcoming update to the Linux kernel has been written by Bastien Nocera. Phoronix notes that the update was created without any support from Apple. This update will be a major one for Linux based operating system users who also use iPhones and iPads; they will benefit greatly with reduced charging times.
We expect Apple to pack fast chargers with all of its September lineup of iPhones this year and not only with the priciest phone.