Apple Watch owner learns they can’t charge their device with a $42 charger from China
“Annoying.”
Image by blackzheep | Shutterstock
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- A traveler bought a $42 Apple Watch charger in China, but their watch showed it as incompatible.
- China’s wireless charging rules limit which frequencies Apple Watch chargers can use.
- Apple says country-specific chargers can trigger an “Unable to charge” warning on unsupported watches.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
A traveler learned about wireless charging regulations in China the hard way after receiving a notification on their Apple Watch.
While traveling, an Apple Watch owner lost their charger. They went to the Apple Store and bought a new one.
However, they couldn’t use the charger since it was shown as “incompatible” with their device.
China follows wireless power transfer (WPT) regulations that “limit the frequencies that devices, including Apple Watch, can use to charge their batteries,” according to Apple.
Apple has a list of Apple Watch models that come with WPT-compliant chargers. These include Apple Watch Series 2, 3, and their Ultra models, as well as model 10 and later.
Apple said that if a user tries to charge their device with an incompatible charger, they will receive a message: "Unable to charge. This is a country-specific charger. It is incompatible with this Apple Watch."
It was this message that the Reddit user received on their device after spending around $42 for the charger.
Users are trying to figure out the difference
Some users were confused as to why buying a charger abroad could be an issue.
“Trying to prevent a bunch of ultra cheap Apple exports?” wrote one Redditor.
Some blamed Apple for the discrepancy.
“I like how you’re mad at the wrong entity entirely,” wrote one user, hinting that the issue is not related to the company but rather the countries having different wireless charging standards.
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Apple's support page also notes that “WPT-compliant chargers do not support fast charging.”
While some Redditors tried to advise the OP on what to do in the situation, suggesting returning the charger or even offering to get them the right one, others couldn’t resist the temptation to make a joke or two.
“Sorry, the charger only speaks Chinese,” one user said.
