Apple’s 140W USB-C Power Adapter Uses GaN Technology

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 19 Oct 2021

Apple 140W USB-C Power Adapter

Apple bundles a 140W USB-C power adapter with the 16-inch MacBook Pro, while the 14-inch model comes with a 96W USB-C adapter. Apple has now confirmed to The Verge that it is using Gallium Nitride technology for the 16-inch MacBook Pro’s 140W USB-C power adapter.

Additionally, the charger is also USB-C Power Delivery 3.1 compliant. This means other devices that use the same charging standard can be charged using Apple’s 140W power brick.

Apple using GaN tech for its charging brick is notable. Gallium Nitride is a relatively new technology in the world of power adapters that allow them to offer higher power output in a compact form factor. This is also the reason why Apple has used GaN tech on the MacBook Pro’s 140W USB-C power adapter, as it wanted to keep its size manageable.

Third-party GaN chargers for MacBooks and iPhones have become quite popular in the last year or so. If you want to get your hands on Apple’s first GaN charger, you can buy it for $99. It can be used to charge the existing 13-inch and 16-inch Intel-based MacBook Pros without any issues.

Sadly, Apple is not using GaN tech for its 67W and 96W USB-C power adapters, so they are the same size as the previous chargers the company used to sell. Nonetheless, there are plenty of third-party GaN chargers you can buy instead.