The charging brick that came with your Apple device – or the one recommended by Apple, in the case of iPhones – usually won’t get you the fastest charge. It can be worth spending a bit more money on a more powerful charger.
Conversely, every Apple device has its own maximum charging rate, and buying a charger which exceeds this is just a waste of money …
Most new Apple devices come with a charging brick included, iPhones being the notable exception. However, in most cases, the supplied charger isn’t the optimum one for the device. Typically, Apple saves money by supplying a charging brick with a significantly lower output than the maximum charging rate supported by the device itself.
For example, the M4 13-inch iPad Pro ships with a 20-watt charger, but the iPad can accept a charge of up to 35 watts. Switching to a more powerful charger will literally double the charging speed.
Rands in Repose has collated all of the information you need to buy the optimal charger for each Apple device. The comprehensive tables provide the following information:
Power of the charger supplied by Apple
Maximum power the device will accept
The 0 to 50% charging time for the supplied charger
The 0 to 50% charging time for the optimal charger
The percentage increase in charging time
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