Apple · Phone class · Current model
Apple 20W USB-C: two rails, one job.
Apple's 20W brick (model A2305 in the US) publishes exactly two output profiles. Everything it can and cannot charge follows from those two lines.
The exact output profile
| Fixed PD rail | Current | Delivered |
|---|---|---|
| 5V | 3A | 15W |
| 9V | 2.22A | 20W |
There is no 15V rail, no 20V rail and no PPS. A device whose peak request sits on the 9V rail — every iPhone from the iPhone 8 onward — gets everything the adapter has. A device that wants 15V or 20V negotiates down to 9V and charges at 20W regardless of how big its battery is. That is the whole story of this adapter, and it explains both its reputation and its ceiling. Background on how that negotiation works: USB-C Power Delivery explained.
Which Apple devices this actually fits
| Device | Peak it will draw | Verdict on 20W |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 15 / 16 (all sizes) | 20–27W | Right-sized. Pro Max models finish a few minutes later than on 30W |
| iPhone 17 lineup | 40W sustained, 60W burst | Under-served — see the 40W Dynamic adapter |
| iPad (10th/11th gen) | ~20W | Exact match |
| iPad Air / iPad Pro | 30W+ | Under-served; 30W is the honest floor |
| AirPods case, Apple Watch puck | 5W and under | Wildly over-served, and completely harmless |
| MacBook Air | 30W minimum | Overnight trickle only, at 20W on the 9V rail |
Over-serving costs nothing: the device requests its own profile, so a 5W AirPods case draws 5W from a 20W brick. Under-serving costs minutes, not battery health.
What it does not do
- No PPS. A Galaxy S25 plugged into this falls back to plain PD and never reaches Super Fast Charging.
- No 15V rail. A Nintendo Switch dock wants 15V/2.6A; on 20W it will not run docked TV mode.
- No second port. One USB-C, one device.
- No cable in the box, and no removable AC plug — the US prongs are moulded in and do not fold.
Third-party adapters that match or beat it
- 30W
Anker Nano 30W
50% more power in a smaller folding-plug body. The straightforward upgrade rather than sidegrade.
- Output
- 30W USB-C PD
- Ports
- 1× USB-C
- Plug
- Folds flat
- 30W
UGREEN Nexode 30W
GaN single-port at roughly the Apple 20W price, with the 15V and 20V rails Apple omits.
- Output
- 30W USB-C PD
- Ports
- 1× USB-C
- Tech
- GaN
- 20W
Amazon Basics 20W USB-C
Like-for-like on output profile. The reason to buy Apple's instead is the logo, not the spec sheet.
- Output
- 20W USB-C PD
- Ports
- 1× USB-C
- Class
- Budget certified
- 30W
Belkin BoostCharge 30W
Certified 30W in a compact housing; a sensible one-brick answer for iPhone plus iPad mini.
- Output
- 30W USB-C PD
- Ports
- 1× USB-C
- Tech
- GaN
Head to head with the most common alternative: Apple 20W vs Anker Nano. For the wattage class in general, see 20W power adapters.
Verdict
Buy it if you want the exact brick Apple's own charge-time claims are measured against and you only ever charge an iPhone. Buy a 30W GaN instead — same money, smaller, folding prongs, four rails — if the same adapter has to cover an iPad or travel in a bag. There is no scenario in 2026 where 20W is the maximum you should pay for. More context in the iPhone fast-charging guide.
Related
FAQ
Does the Apple 20W adapter fast-charge an iPhone?
Yes. Fast charging on iPhone means 20W or more over USB-C Power Delivery, and this adapter hits exactly that on its 9V/2.22A rail — roughly 0 to 50% in 30 minutes on recent models.
Can I charge a MacBook Air with the 20W adapter?
It will charge, slowly. The MacBook Air asks for 20V, finds only 5V and 9V on offer, and settles for 20W — enough to gain charge overnight or while asleep, not enough to keep up with a working machine.
Is the Apple 20W adapter worth more than a third-party 20W?
Electrically, no — the output profile is public and easy to match. Apple's advantage is availability and returns, not performance. A certified 30W GaN adapter costs about the same and does strictly more.