The rules behind the answers. These are the details that cause most wrong purchases.
Apple Watch band, large group (OLD 42mm/44/45/46/49mm)
Fits Apple Watch cases of 44mm, 45mm, 46mm and 49mm (Ultra), plus the 42mm case of Series 1-3.
- GOTCHA: the Series 10 and later 42mm case is NOT in this group; it takes small-group bands.
- Apple: bands for 46mm cases fit 44/45/46mm; 49mm (Ultra) bands fit 44/45/46mm, and 44/45/46mm bands fit 49mm.
- Apple’s current band pages list 44/45/46/49mm and say they are for SE and Series 4 and later; fitting a current 46mm/49mm band to an old Series 1-3 42mm case is not explicitly confirmed by Apple.
- Apple: Solo Loop / Braided Solo Loop wearers may need a smaller size on Apple Watch Ultra because of its larger case.
Source: Apple Support: Change your Apple Watch band (Compatibility section)
Apple Watch band, small group (38/40/41mm and NEW 42mm)
Fits Apple Watch cases of 38mm, 40mm, 41mm, and the 42mm case of Series 10 and later.
- GOTCHA: "42mm" means two different things. The 42mm case of Series 10/11/12 takes SMALL-group bands (Apple sells current 42mm bands as fitting 38/40/41/42mm). The 42mm case of Series 1-3 takes LARGE-group bands (Apple: bands for 42mm, 44mm and 45mm cases are compatible with each other).
- A "42mm band" bought new from Apple today is a small-group band: it will NOT fit a Series 3 (or earlier) 42mm watch.
- Small-group and large-group bands are not interchangeable.
Source: Apple Store: 42mm Sport Band compatibility (38mm, 40mm, 41mm, 42mm)
Google Pixel Watch 41mm band (proprietary)
Google’s proprietary twist/click band attachment for 41mm Pixel Watch cases; standard spring-bar watch straps do not attach.
- Pixel Watch bands use a proprietary band-release-button mechanism, not standard lug widths.
- Google: third-party bands may not fit properly; use Google or Google-authorized bands for best results.
- Google: Metal Mesh and Metal Slim bands are incompatible with ECG on the original Pixel Watch.
Source: Google Pixel Watch Help: How to size and attach Google Pixel Watch bands
Google Pixel Watch 45mm band (proprietary)
Band attachment for the 45mm Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5; 41mm bands do not fit.
- Google: 45mm accessories are only compatible with the 45mm Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5.
- Metal Slim bands are only available for 41mm.
Source: Google Pixel Watch Help: How to size and attach Google Pixel Watch bands
Samsung Galaxy Watch 20mm quick-release band
Standard 20mm quick-release (spring-bar) straps used by recent round Galaxy Watch models such as Galaxy Watch7.
- UNVERIFIED width: Samsung’s Galaxy Watch7 page confirms one-click band swapping but the 20mm width was not confirmed on a Samsung page read for this dataset.
- Galaxy Watch8 uses Samsung "Dynamic Lug" bands; whether standard 20mm straps fit it was not confirmed, so it is not listed here.
- Galaxy Watch Ultra uses its own band connection and is not part of this group.
- Unlike Pixel Watch, standard watch straps of the right width generally fit; check lug curvature for a flush look.
Source: Samsung US: Galaxy Watch7 product page
Lightning port (iPhone 14 and earlier)
Older iPhones (iPhone 14 and earlier) charge through Apple’s Lightning port, not USB-C.
- A USB-C PD wall charger still fast-charges a Lightning iPhone using a USB-C to Lightning cable (Apple: 50% in about 30 minutes with a 20W adapter).
- Lightning accessories (cables, docks, wired headphones) do not plug into iPhone 15 or later; they need a USB-C to Lightning adapter, and docks may not fit physically.
Source: Apple iPhone 14 Tech Specs
USB-C charging port (phone/tablet)
The device charges through a USB-C port; any USB-C charger works, and USB Power Delivery chargers charge fastest.
- iPhone 15 and later (including iPhone 16e, 17e and iPhone Air) use USB-C; Lightning cables, docks and Lightning-plug accessories do not fit them without an adapter.
- Fast-charge speed depends on charger wattage and protocol (USB PD; Google Pixel fast charging uses USB PD PPS).
- iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max only reach their fastest wired speed with a 60W-capable adapter that supports USB PD Adjustable Voltage Supply (AVS), per Apple.
- Samsung 45W charging (S23+/S23 Ultra) is quoted by Samsung with a 5A USB-C cable; a standard 3A cable limits it.
Source: Apple iPhone 15 Tech Specs
Apple MagSafe for iPhone
iPhone 12 and later (except iPhone 16e) have Apple MagSafe magnets and charge faster on Apple MagSafe chargers.
- MagSafe speed depends on charger generation: MagSafe Charger A2140 tops out at 15W; A3502/A3503/A2580/A3250 support up to 25W.
- Up to 25W needs a 30W or greater (15V/2.0A+) adapter; with a 20W adapter MagSafe is limited to 15W.
- iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini are limited to 12W on MagSafe.
- iPhone 16e has no MagSafe (Qi only); iPhone 17e does have MagSafe (up to 15W).
Source: Apple Support: How to use your MagSafe Charger with iPhone
Qi wireless charging (baseline)
The phone charges on standard Qi wireless pads, typically at modest speed (Apple iPhones: up to 7.5W on plain Qi).
- Qi2 and MagSafe chargers also charge Qi-only phones, but at reduced (baseline Qi) speed and without guaranteed magnetic hold on phones lacking magnets.
- Apple: non-MagSafe Qi-compatible devices charge at reduced speeds on the MagSafe Charger.
- Thick or metal cases, PopSockets and card wallets can block wireless charging.
Source: Apple Support: How to use your MagSafe Charger with iPhone
Qi2 magnetic wireless charging (15W MPP)
The phone supports Qi2: magnetic alignment with charging up to about 15W on Qi2-certified chargers.
- Qi2 25W (Qi2.2) chargers work on Qi2 15W phones at the phone’s lower maximum.
- Qi2 Ready phones (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S25 series) have NO built-in magnets: they need a Qi2 magnetic case to snap onto a Qi2 charger, and are not listed as accepting this interface here.
- iPhone 13 and later gained Qi2 via software; iPhone 12 is not listed by Apple as Qi2-capable and charges on Qi2 pads at plain Qi speed.
- Pixel 9 and earlier have no Qi2 support (Google: Pixel 10 and later, excluding Pixel 10a, support Qi2).
Source: Wireless Power Consortium logo guidelines (Qi2, Qi2 25W = Qi v2.2 MPP, Qi2 Ready = v2.1 MCP-E)
Qi2 25W (Qi v2.2) magnetic wireless charging
The phone supports Qi2 25W, the faster magnetic Qi2 tier (Qi specification v2.2 MPP).
- Reaching 25W needs a Qi2 25W-certified charger AND a strong enough wall adapter (Apple MagSafe Charger: 30W or higher; Belkin UltraCharge Pro ships with a 45W supply).
- Manufacturers often write "Qi2 up to 25W" rather than "Qi2.2"; WPC ties the Qi2 25W logo to Qi spec v2.2.
- Peak power varies by phone: Apple says iPhone Air peaks at 20W and iPhone 16 / 16 Pro at 22.5W even on 25W MagSafe.
Source: Wireless Power Consortium logo guidelines (Qi2, Qi2 25W = Qi v2.2 MPP, Qi2 Ready = v2.1 MCP-E)