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Charging speeds for various 100+ watt power adapters.
Charging speeds of various power adapters over 100 watts when connected to iPhone 13.
Meanwhile, as one of the rare 140-watt power adapters on the market, Apple’s brick worked very quickly and did a predictably great job of charging my MacBook Pro. However, it is worth mentioning that it is the only power brick in this segment with a single port. This feels like a missed opportunity for the Apple ecosystem. If you need more flexibility, wireless charging options are worth considering, although they may not offer the same speeds as wired connectors.
So for people who want a charger that can quickly charge an ultraportable laptop while still having power to spare, Razer’s 130-watt GaN adapter is a better choice. This is the best charger in this category, as well as the smallest and most expensive at $180. In addition to that, it comes with two international wall adapters (for UK and EU outlets) and a 100-watt braided USB-C cable, all of which are not available with other products in this category. If you need a reliable power bank or fast charger on the go, this could be a good investment.
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Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Obviously, there are many more chargers than the 14 super fast chargers on the market, and unfortunately we don’t have time to test them all. These days, it can take more than 15 hours to fully discharge a cell phone battery from 100%, so depending on your device, you can only test one USB phone charger per day. It took nearly two months just to collect all this data. And unfortunately, while I was performing this test, Anker announced a new generation of power adapters, but I haven’t had a chance to evaluate them yet.
However, there are still some important points. First, to ensure optimal charging speed, you should pay attention to the charging standards of your device and fast charger. Make sure your charger can provide the right amount of power. Manufacturers usually list the maximum charging speed for their devices, and power adapters clearly indicate the USB type and output. If in doubt, you can look at the fine print on the charger itself, which may require some math. Remember that watts are equal to volts times amps. Additionally, for adapters with multiple ports, check how the total wattage is divided when connected to multiple devices.
Next, you should also consider other factors such as size and weight. Newer gallium nitride adapters (GaN) often feature more compact designs and better power efficiency. If you’re really in doubt, just choose a fast charger made by the same company as your Android smartphone, iPhone, laptop, or other gadget. This is especially true for devices like the OnePlus 10T, which has its own fast charging feature. protocol.
How we tested fast chargers
My fast charging experiment methodology aims to be as simple as possible. We drained each device’s battery to 10%, connected it to a power brick, and recorded the amount of charge added every 10 minutes over an hour. Each adapter was plugged directly into a standard 120-volt outlet (no power strips or extension cords), using the cable provided with the battery charger or from the same manufacturer as the charger where possible. . device. Failing that, I used a certified 100 watt USB-C cable from Anker, Apple, etc.
Since the charging speed of a device depends on the amount of juice, we wanted to measure how well each adapter can match each gadget’s optimal charging speed. Generally, charging slows down between 0 and 20 percent, and then the charging rate increases until the battery reaches 80 percent. Once it reaches 80 percent, it will slow down again to protect the health and lifespan of the power cell. For charging stations with multiple ports, we always chose the port with the highest output without connecting multiple devices.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
As for the devices themselves, we chose the Apple iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Nintendo Switch (2017 model), 2021 Dell XPS 13, and 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro. This assortment was chosen to cover a wide range of specifications and power consumption, from 20 Watts (iPhone 13) up to 140 Watts (M1 Max MBP). Additionally, all systems were tested in an idle state (i.e., with no additional apps or games running) to ensure consistent results.
One important thing to note is that while the USB Implementers Forum has approved support for USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) charging at up to 240 watts, there are still adapters that actually support that power output. That means they haven’t. Additionally, there are some cables that can handle more than 100 watts, but they are somewhat rare or difficult to obtain.
What is GaN?
When looking for a charger, you may notice that some are marked GaN, which stands for gallium nitride. Compared to older adapters that use silicon switches, GaN-based devices support increased power efficiency and output, allowing manufacturers to create more compact chargers that run cooler and support higher wattages. This is an important difference. Depending on the specific power output, GaN chargers are 30-50% smaller and lighter than silicon-based alternatives. It may not sound like a big deal, but when you’re carrying it in your bag with your laptop, cell phone, and other accessories, cutting down on extra bulk and weight can go a long way.
Fast chargers tested
Since I need to test different chargers with different outputs, I have divided things into three categories. There are chargers that are 30 watts or less and are primarily designed for smartphones and other small mobile devices. Then move up to a 45-65 watt max charger (1-2 watt increase or decrease) that can handle phones and many thin and light laptops. Finally, there are chargers with outputs of 100 watts or more. This is suitable for pretty much anything other than the largest and most power-hungry gaming laptops. Many of these high wattage adapters also have multiple ports, so you can charge additional devices at full speed. However, not all power bricks support multi-device charging, so we didn’t include it as a testing metric.
You can see the full list of chargers we tested below.
