Apple Reportedly Planning Smaller and Lighter GaN-Based Chargers

Navitas Semiconductor is expected to obtain orders from Apple in 2021 for fast charging solutions based on gallium nitride or "GaN" technology, according to Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes. The report claims that Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC will supply Navitas with GaN chips as part of an existing partnership.

gan charger anker
This supply chain news suggests that Apple is planning GaN versions of its USB-C power adapters, allowing them to be smaller and lighter, more power efficient, and less heat conductive compared to its current chargers, which are based on silicon. Many other brands like Anker and Belkin have introduced GaN chargers over the last few years. It's unclear if Apple's first GaN chargers would be ready for release this year.

Navitas is the creator of GaNFast, a gallium nitride solution that the company says is found in some of the most popular fast chargers in the world. GaNFast has been adopted by several brands, such as Aukey, Dell, Lenovo, and Xiaomi. Last year, the company said GaNFast-based solutions include wall chargers ranging from 24W to 300W.

Apple no longer includes power adapters in the box with iPhone and Apple Watch models that it sells, but it continues to sell a variety of power adapters on a standalone basis, including 5W and 12W USB-A options and 20W, 30W, 61W, and 96W USB-C options.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...

Top Rated Comments

coachgq Avatar
67 months ago
It's about time. With smaller chargers they can actually still include them in the box and be environmentally conscious. As we all know that's what the charger removal was about...
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Numbah One Avatar
67 months ago
Hope Apple will switch their laptop chargers over to GaN first and include an extra port or two for simultaneous phone/tablet charging.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
67 months ago
a lot of people don’t realize the quality of Apple chargers far exceed many third party chargers http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-quality.html

considering usb-c type chargers are a much more risky investment, $19 isn’t all that bad for a 20w
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whyamihere Avatar
67 months ago
Half the size, twice the price! :apple:
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
67 months ago

The way the picture of the anker charger shows the plug folding up makes it look broken at first glance. Like one prong is bent or something.



Maybe it’s just me.
Yeah, I don’t see it.

Attachment Image
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apparatchik Avatar
67 months ago
Due to the optimized size, Apple could consolidate the 5W, 12W, 20W & 30W models on a single 30W one, and the 61W & 96W on a single 100W one. Surely having less SKU's can have scale economics and simplify the experience for the user.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)