MacBook Pro 16 adapter is Apple’s first to use gallium nitride – MacGeneration

If there’s one area where Apple is (wisely, in general) being cautious, it’s with its AC adapters. The manufacturer is never the first to adopt new technologies and prefers to ensure their safety above all else. This explains why there was still no Apple Gallium Nitride Adapter, or GaN for close friends.

This is now the case, however, since the model supplied with the 16-inch MacBook Pro is based on this technology. Apple in person has confirmed it near The Verge, coming to end a rumor that dates back to early 2020, and more than two and a half years after the onset of first models on the market. It must be said that GaN makes it possible to create much smaller adapters for the same power, an essential point to keep a 140 W brick at an acceptable size.

Apple does not give the exact dimensions of the device, but it is a priori bigger than the other models and in particular the 96 W which was until then the most powerful of the power adapters designed in Cupertino. We move away from the square which was the shape of predilection until then and we approach a rectangle which will not be without recalling some memories to the users of the old AirPort Express kiosks.

The Verge has obtained confirmation from Apple that this accessory is based on a new standard of USB-C PD (for Power Delivery), the standard 3.1 which was validated earlier in the year. It’s so recent that the Thunderbolt 4 used by newer MacBook Pros doesn’t even support it. Result: Fast charging at 140W is not possible using the USB-C sockets on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, only the MagSafe 3 connector is able to achieve this value. With a USB-C cable, you will be limited to 100W, which means slow charging or even slowing down in battery level, as the computer may need all the watts during heavy use.

Regarding the MagSafe 3, Apple slipped to the site that the magnets have been modified to be stronger than on the older generation. The connector should no longer go away so quickly, but we hope that the Mac will still not move from a desk to avoid accidents, it was after all one of the strengths of this connection invented by the company and denied with the range. 2016.

The 16-inch MacBook Pros come with a power adapter and MagSafe cable, but you can also order more from the store: