Apple confirms its 140W charging brick, bundled with the 16-inch MacBook Pro, uses the USB-C PD 3.1 standard and is its first gallium nitride (GaN) charger
The charging brick is USB-C PD 3.1 compliant — Apple's new 140W charging brick, which works with a new MagSafe charging cable …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s charging strategy had already moved toward USB-C compatibility, including support for third-party MacBook chargers and battery packs, while its MagSafe Duo accessory was sold with no charging brick included. The 140W adapter brings that approach to a higher-power MacBook bundle and ties Apple’s implementation to USB-C PD 3.1.
The GaN designation matters because it makes this Apple’s first charger using that technology, rather than merely another connector or cable update.
First-order effects
- 16-inch MacBook Pro buyers receive Apple’s first GaN charger, with USB-C PD 3.1 compliance defining the adapter’s charging standard.
- Accessory makers now have a clear Apple-supported high-power USB-C PD target for chargers and cables intended to serve the new MacBook Pro.
Second-order effects
- Apple’s use of USB-C PD 3.1 gives third-party charger and power-bank vendors a standards-based route into high-power MacBook charging, extending the opening signaled by Apple’s earlier third-party charging support.
- MagSafe remains part of Apple’s charging experience, but the adapter’s USB-C PD 3.1 compliance makes the power source itself less proprietary than the magnetic cable connection.
Third-order effects
- If Apple applies GaN and USB-C PD 3.1 across more adapters, differentiation in its charging accessories shifts toward port mix, cable design, and bundled hardware rather than a proprietary power specification.
- The later disclosure of a 35W dual-USB-C adapter suggests Apple’s charger line is broadening from single-device bricks toward USB-C power accessories designed around multiple devices.
The trend: Apple is pairing its own charging accessories with increasingly standardized USB-C power delivery while using GaN to extend that approach into higher-wattage hardware.