What’s this «40W with 60W Max» all about? Does it only work with certain products? We break it down.
When Apple introduced the new iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro/Max, it highlighted their even faster fast-charging abilities. With an appropriate USB-C charger that can deliver at least 40 watts, it can charge up to 50 percent in just 20 minutes, where prior iPhones took 30 minutes (50 percent longer).
It also introduced an intriguing new power adapter. The 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max is nothing if not confusing. It’s small—surprisingly so for an Apple charger with this capacity—and seemingly made for iPhones. But what does “60W max” even mean? If it can go up to 60 watts, shouldn’t it just be called a 60-watt power adapter? And what is it even for, if none of the new phones need it to charge as quickly as possible?
Let’s break down this new power adapter and what it can do.Dynamic Power Explained
Apple’s new USB-C power adapter can sustain continuous power of up to 40 watts using the USB-PD (USB Power Delivery) standard. That’s up to 20 volts at 2 amps or 15 volts at 2.67 amps, if you want to get technical.
But the adapter supports a new USB-C charging standard called AVS (Adjustable Voltage supply) that allows it to boost the power up to 3 amps without renegotiating the voltage delivery, going up to a possible 3 amps at 20 volts, or 60 watts.
