Apple has done the unthinkable with the new iPhone 12: It stopped including a charger in the box. The change was made with the aim of being better for the environment, but of course it has caused some inconvenience to users.
To make matters worse, the cable that comes with the iPhone 12 is a Lightning to USB-C. In other words, the part that plugs into your phone is the same as always, but the other end won't plug into your old "USB charging brick." You'll inevitably have to find a new solution, so let's see what your options are.
Old charging bricks
The easiest, cheapest, and simplest solution to this problem that Apple arbitrarily created is to simply buy a “USB-C charging brick.” That is, a small piece of plastic that you plug into a USB-C port for that special Lightning to USB-C cable that you get with your new iPhone 12.
It's not hard to get, as you might imagine. Apple sells one on its online store for $19. This is the first choice of most users.
Portable chargers
For iPhone 12 users who like to be out and about all the time (as much as we can under current circumstances), a portable charger is a must. Portable chargers come in many different sizes, shapes, and capabilities. But for our purposes, we’ll obviously focus on the iPhone-friendly USB-C models.
Anker and Aukey will offer decent options at very affordable prices. Anker's PowerCore Slim has a capacity of 10,000 mAh along with USB-C and regular USB ports and costs $30. For the same price, you can get an 8,000mAh charger from Aukey with a USB-C port and two of the older USB ports.
“Power towers”
This category is for people who care about managing their cables. If you're willing to spend some money and rearrange a few cables, a USB-C tower could change your life.
NVEESHOX's $30 option, for example, has nine outlets, three regular USB ports, and one USB-C port. Aukey has a $50 model with 12 outlets, three USB ports, and two full USB-C ports.
MagSafe
To coincide with the launch of the iPhone 12, Apple has brought back the “MagSafe” branding that was previously used on MacBook before the switch to USB-C. MagSafe is being revived, this time as a means of providing fast wireless charging for the iPhone 12, since AirPower never launched. It will be priced at $39.
Third-party wireless chargers
Don't be fooled by Apple's MagSafe branding for the iPhone 12: Any Qi-based wireless charger will work. In other words, if you've already used a wireless charging pad, it's going to work with the iPhone 12. It just can't charge as fast as MagSafe. For example, Anker sells a basic wireless charger for $11.95.
