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every year at apple’s press conference, we see a lot of new features and updates, but when these new features are implemented, there are often some differences due to different local regulations and policies.

the difference is particularly noticeable this year - which is not good news for both the iphone 16 and the new apple watch.

new wireless charging rules make apple's "toothpaste" less and less

it all started with a new regulation issued by the ministry of industry and information technology this year.

the "interim provisions on radio management of wireless charging (power transmission) equipment" (hereinafter referred to as the "interim provisions") issued by the ministry of industry and information technology has been officially implemented since september 1, 2024. article 4 stipulates:

the operating frequency range of mobile and portable wireless charging devices is 100-148.5khz, 6765-6795khz, and 13553-13567khz bands, and the rated transmission power does not exceed 80w.

among them, the frequency actually used for charging peripherals such as smartphones, watches, and headphone boxes is only 100-148.5khz, covering some of the frequencies used by the qi 1.x specification led by the wireless power consortium (wpc). this is also the protocol specification actually used by most wireless charging devices.

the apple magsafe technology, which has been developing rapidly in recent years, and the qi2 mpp specification based on this technology, use a wireless charging center frequency of 360khz, which is not within the frequency range allocated by the "interim provisions".

in response to the message, the ministry of industry and information technology stated that according to the "radio frequency allocation regulations of the people's republic of china", the 325-405khz frequency band is allocated for aviation radio navigation services and cannot be used for wireless charging devices in my country:

▲ the ministry of industry and information technology’s public reply in the minister’s mailbox

although apple has not announced its wireless charging frequency, the c962 wireless charging module it supplies to third parties operates at 326.5khz and 1.778mhz (1778khz), neither of which complies with the frequency bands specified in the interim provisions.

▲ the picture comes from the accessory specification accessory interface specification r43 provided by apple

in the fcc id database issued by the federal communications commission of the united states to apple watch, we can also clearly see that the operating frequency parameter of the apple watch magnetic charging cable is 326.5khz.

if the new apple watch wants to be used normally in china, its charging frequency must be limited to the prescribed range. however, this will lead to a series of problems such as limited charging speed and heating.

▲ related descriptions in the fcc id database

moreover, article 16 of the interim provisions provides that:

this regulation shall come into force on september 1, 2024. from the date of implementation, the production or import of wireless charging devices that do not meet the requirements of this regulation for sale and use in china shall be stopped. wireless charging devices produced or imported before this date may continue to be sold and used until they are scrapped.

this move is obviously to provide a transition period for equipment replacement. but the problem is that the new charger can only be a "customized version" for a specific model. when the old charging equipment can no longer be produced, it is obviously difficult to match the new and old equipment.

▲ comparison of the descriptions of new and old charging cables on apple's official website

in fact, china is not the only country considering regulating wireless charging. with the shortage of radio spectrum resources and the continuous expansion of application scenarios, other countries and regions may follow china's example and introduce similar wireless charging regulations.

at the world radiocommunication conference 2023 (wrc-23) held earlier, a resolution was passed requiring countries to study and regulate the frequency band range of radio equipment to improve the efficiency of spectrum use, reduce potential electromagnetic interference, and avoid affecting other businesses such as aerospace, astronomical research, etc.

but apple's response was a little slow.

the "interim provisions" were officially issued in may 2023. prior to that, the "interim provisions on radio management of wireless charging (power transmission) equipment (draft for comments)" had already begun drafting in february 2021. the draft for comments had already marked the restriction parameters for wireless charging operating frequency.

obviously, apple has enough time to adjust the charging protocol, but it has not made a new compatible solution from a technical point of view. it was not until the launch of a dedicated charger after the press conference that apple solved this problem to a certain extent. but for consumers, it means a decrease in charging speed. there is only one mark between the new and old chargers, and problems such as mixing devices may become inevitable.

▲ according to the description on apple's official website, the new charger will have a specific logo

at the launch event, apple described the new apple watch series 10 as "the thinnest, largest screen, and fastest charging apple watch to date", and for the first time it has a sleep apnea monitoring function - but the charging efficiency of the chinese version is limited, and the sleep apnea detection function is still awaiting approval, which greatly reduces the product's attractiveness.

▲ parameter comparison on apple china's official website, both new apple watch models lose fast charging

iphone 16 gets wireless charging upgrade, but domestic sales are downsized

not only does the apple watch sold in china face the embarrassment of reduced charging power, but the iphone 16 is also subject to new regulations on wireless charging.

unlike the apple watch, the iphone supports magsafe, qi, and qi2 wireless charging at the same time, and can charge wirelessly at frequencies of 127.8 khz and 360khz.

faced with the new regulations, the iphone can choose to block 360khz and use 127.77khz operating frequency for charging. although the charging power is reduced to 7.5w, at least wireless charging is maintained.

▲ the description of operating frequency and transmission power on the official website has been modified

on the official iphone 16 pro technical specifications page, we can also see that the iphone 16 supports both 15w and 7.5w wireless charging powers. however, the iphone 16 pro introduction page on the apple (us) official website shows that when using a 30w or higher power adapter, the magsafe magnetic fast charging power can reach 25w.

▲ comparison of relevant descriptions on apple's official website

this higher-power adapter is the upgraded magsafe charger that apple has launched in other regions, but this product does not appear on the official chinese website.

▲ apple (us) official website

except for apple, other manufacturers will not be affected by too many new regulations because their wireless charging mostly uses private protocols.

for example, the vivo x100s pro released this year, although the wireless charging power has reached 50w, the qi protocol wireless charging version it supports is still 1.3.3, which does not exceed the scope of the "interim provisions".

not only that, many manufacturers previously only offered wireless charging power up to 50w, not because of technical limitations, but because of the old regulations of the ministry of industry and information technology at the time, which artificially controlled the wireless charging power to less than 50w.

▲ the previous 50w wireless charging power limit

this time, the "interim provisions" relax the power limit to 80w. it is foreseeable that these manufacturers using private wireless charging protocols will surely launch a new round of "arms race."

but for users of iphone 16 and apple watch series 10, they may only be able to sigh in despair.