iPhone XS Max and iPhone XS: Charging Issues and Solution

If you’re looking to purchase or upgrade your device, you need to be aware that some owners have reported issues with charging when plugged into a power supply via a Lightning cable. This news follows complaints given by customers on platforms such as Apple Support Communities, Reddit, Social Media, and YouTube.

Typically, you may be aware that when you plug the phone with a cable, the screen lights up automatically and it starts charging right away. You will also see the battery indicator on the lock screen. The famous UnboxTherapy channel on YouTube has tested a handful of different iPhone XS and the problem was visible. A large majority of them have proved people’s complaints.
So, what are the problems?

Freeze

If the phone is left idle for a period of time, it will become unresponsive to the charger being plugged in, this is unusual for iPhones or even Samsung phones. Then, if you unplug it and plug it in again, it will recognize the Lightning charger. This is something we have seen for one of the phones in the video. It can be clearly seen that one iPhone was completely unresponsive after the charger was plugged in. The shocking factor is the fact that it has stayed like that for a while.

Hardware issue

Some users have found that the iPhone will only start charging once they have flipped the Lightning cable. This will suggest a hardware flaw in the port. Nonetheless, it has been argued that the best solution for this is to use the wireless charger. However, this isn’t ideal as prolonged wireless charging will degrade battery life. Imagine buying a new device only to find out that it only charges a certain way or in a certain angle.

Software Bug

Others have noticed that if this iOS device is not charging, the best solution is to pick it up and tap it on the screen to wake up the device. Then, the battery indicator will show up. Just like Lou has suggested, this is a clear indication that the software plays a major fault in this issue. Does the idle mode get in the way of the device charging?

The Solution: iOS 12.0.1 

As Apple has proven ever so often, the solution to the problem came quickly. Due to the fact that numerous people have complained and people have used their platform to raise the issue, Apple has responded with a software update. In the description, it has been clearly stated “...Fixes an issue where some iPhone XS devices did not immediately charge when connected to a Lightning cable”. This shows that Apple has owned up to the problem, and people were right. Devices weren't as affected by this to our knowledge.