Kuo: Apple working on a 30W GaN charger with new design

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USB-C charger
USB-C charger (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple is reportedly working on a new charger.
  • The charger will be 30 watts and feature a new design.
  • The charger could be released this year.

Apple may be making its foray into the GaN technology world for the first time this year.

In a tweet from a new account owned by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Kuo says that the company is working on a redesigned charger that will use GaN charging technology. According to the analyst, the charger will supposedly support charging up to 30 watts and may release at some point this year.

Apple may release its next GaN charger in 2022, which supports about 30W and has a new form factor design.

GaN chargers have been growing in popularity for years now. The new technology is much more power-efficient than the silicon-based chargers that we've known from Apple up to this point. Gallium nitrate charging technology allows chargers to put out the same charging speeds at a lower heat which enables them to come in a much smaller package.

Many other charging brands have already made the switch to GaN chargers for their benefits, including popular charging companies like Belkin, Anker, Satechi, and more. Some people have even started to ditch the chargers that come with Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in favor of a third-party charger using the technology.

66w Satechi Gan

66w Satechi Gan (Image credit: Satechi)

The smaller size (at the same charging power) enables you to either choose between a small charger with the power you need or a larger charger with ports for even more devices when compared to the comparatively giant, single-use Apple charger.

If the new charger is expected to feature 30 watts of power, a good candidate for it would be the expected redesign of the MacBook Air. The Air currently features a 30W charger, so it would make sense that the new charger would be the same wattage.

Joe Wituschek
Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.