I Built an iPhone that Charges in 9 Minutes

Have you ever wondered how fast you could charge an iPhone if you threw caution to the wind and tried some pretty unconventional methods? I did, and the results were nothing short of electrifying. This story is about my journey to achieve the fastest iPhone charge time, involving some wild experiments, multiple iPhones, and a lot of technical tinkering.

## The Experiment Begins

The first step in my quest was to start with a baseline. I chose an iPhone 8, primarily because it was the first iPhone to support fast charging, and I knew I would be breaking a lot of phones during my experiments. I didn’t want to spend big bucks on the latest model just to see it fry under the pressure. Using the fastest charger I had, the iPhone 8 charged from empty to full in about an hour and 57 minutes. That was my benchmark to beat.

### More Chargers, More Power?

Inspired by a fellow tech enthusiast, TechRax, I decided to go all out and connect 100 chargers to the iPhone. It sounds crazy, but I had to try it. After spending what felt like an eternity stripping wires and setting up, I connected the iPhone to this forest of chargers. To my disappointment, it didn’t speed up the charging process. In fact, it was significantly slower. Despite my calculations that each charger should provide one amp, which in theory should charge the 1821 mAh battery in just over a minute, the results didn’t match up.

### Understanding the Limitation

To figure out why this approach failed, I hooked up a second iPhone to my benchtop power supply. Even though the power supply could deliver up to 10 amps, the iPhone only drew around 9.6 amps. The culprit? The Battery Management System (BMS) inside the iPhone’s battery. The BMS regulates the charging process to prevent overcharging, overheating, and other potential hazards. It became clear that I needed to bypass this system if I wanted to achieve faster charging times.

## Going Around the BMS

By disassembling the iPhone and its battery, I soldered wires directly to the battery cells, effectively bypassing the BMS. This was risky as overheating the battery could lead to dangerous situations, but it was a necessary step for the experiment. Using a heavy-duty power supply, I charged the battery at 90 amps. Surprisingly, the battery handled it well, charging faster than before but still not as quickly as I hoped.

### Lithium Titanate Batteries

Traditional lithium polymer batteries have their limitations, so I switched to lithium titanate batteries, known for their fast-charging capabilities. I built a small battery pack from these batteries and connected it to the iPhone, removing the standard battery and BMS. This setup allowed the iPhone to charge at 10 amps, significantly faster than with the stock battery. The iPhone went from empty to full in about 22 minutes.

## The Final Challenge: Super Capacitors

Determined to push the boundaries even further, I turned to super capacitors, which can charge and discharge much more quickly than traditional batteries. I used a 5000 Farad lithium carbon super capacitor, capable of handling a maximum charge current of 47 amps. After connecting it with robust wiring and a powerful charger, the super capacitor charged the iPhone in just 9 minutes. This was 13 times faster than the stock iPhone charging time.

### Trade-offs and Real-world Applications

While super capacitors achieved the fastest charge time, they come with significant trade-offs. Super capacitors are less energy-dense than lithium batteries, meaning they need to be larger to store the same amount of energy. This poses a question: would you prefer an iPhone that charges in 9 minutes but lasts half as long, or one that charges quickly but is twice as bulky?

## Lessons Learned and Future Prospects

This experiment highlighted the importance of understanding the underlying technology and limitations. The BMS, while seemingly a hurdle, is essential for safety and battery longevity. By exploring alternatives like lithium titanate batteries and super capacitors, I uncovered potential paths for future innovation in battery technology.

### Dive Deeper with Gadget Kings

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### Continuous Learning with Brilliant

Throughout this project, I had to learn new concepts in physics and chemistry. This constant learning is crucial for any engineer or creator. Brilliant.org, a sponsor of this experiment, is an excellent resource for learning math, science, and computer science through active problem-solving. Their interactive courses helped me brush up on my chemistry knowledge, which was instrumental for this project.

If you want to enhance your problem-solving skills and dive into subjects like chemistry, physics, or computer science, check out Brilliant. They offer a free trial, and if you sign up using the link brilliant.org/strangeparts, you’ll get 20% off your annual premium subscription.

## Conclusion

In the end, the experiment was a mix of success and learning. Charging an iPhone in 9 minutes was a thrilling achievement, but it also underscored the practical limitations and apple ipad cons trade-offs involved in pushing technology to its limits. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just curious about how things work, there’s always more to explore and learn. And if you need professional phone repair services, remember Gadget Kings has got you covered.