Device · iPhone 16 · 16 Plus · 16 Pro
iPhone 16: 30W is the ceiling worth paying for.
The 2024 lineup sits in the same 20–27W band as the two generations before it. Apple quotes 50% in around 30 minutes from a 20W adapter or higher; the small gain above that arrives by 30W and then stops flat. Here is the honest spend.
What this phone actually accepts
Peak draw sits in the 20–27W band, with the larger Plus and Pro Max bodies holding the higher end of it for longer because they have more cell to fill and more surface area to shed heat. The port is USB-C, the protocol is plain USB-C Power Delivery — no PPS, no PD 3.1, no proprietary handshake. That makes this one of the easiest devices on the site to shop for: any certified 30W adapter is a complete answer.
| Adapter | What you get |
|---|---|
| 5W USB-A | 2–3 hours to full. Fine on a nightstand, painful before leaving the house. |
| 12W USB-A (old iPad brick) | Better, but still no PD handshake — no fast charge. |
| 20W USB-C PD | Apple's stated fast-charge floor: about 50% in 30 minutes. |
| 30W USB-C PD | The practical ceiling. Slightly quicker than 20W, and enables 25W MagSafe. |
| 45W and above | No difference at the phone. Worth it only for other devices on the same brick. |
Three picks at 20–30W
- 20W
Amazon Basics 20W USB-C
Budget pick. Meets the fast-charge floor exactly, with nothing else on the spec sheet to pay for. A sensible second charger for a bag or a car adapter.
- Output
- 20W USB-C PD
- Ports
- 1× USB-C
- Best for
- Spare / travel
- 30W
Anker 511 Nano 3 30W
Best overall. Reaches the phone's real ceiling, folds flat, and has enough headroom left to charge an iPad mini at full speed on the same brick.
- Output
- 30W USB-C PD
- Ports
- 1× USB-C
- Tech
- GaN
- 35W
Apple 35W Dual USB-C Compact
Multi-port pick. Two USB-C ports that share 35W — phone plus watch or phone plus AirPods overnight, from one outlet.
- Output
- 35W shared
- Ports
- 2× USB-C
- Form
- Flat / compact
Don't waste money on
A 65W or 100W brick bought for the phone alone. Those watts are only unlocked by a laptop asking for them. If a laptop is in the picture, buy a multi-port unit and let the phone take its 27W from the side — see the 65W class.
PPS-branded chargers at a premium. PPS is a Samsung requirement, not an Apple one; it does nothing here. That story is on the Galaxy S25 page.
Replacement cables above 3A. The phone never asks for more current than a basic USB-C to C cable carries.
Comparing generations before you upgrade? The iPhone 17 raised the ceiling to the 40W class, while the iPhone 15 shares this phone's numbers exactly. Deeper background: how iPhone fast charging works, or the ranked list at best iPhone chargers.
FAQ
Does the iPhone 16 come with a charger?
No. The box holds a USB-C to USB-C cable only — Apple stopped including adapters in 2020. Any certified 20W or 30W USB-C adapter completes the set.
Is 30W better than 20W in practice?
Slightly, over the first half of the charge, and it unlocks the 25W MagSafe rate on models that support it. It is not a dramatic difference — buy 30W because it is barely more expensive, not because it is twice as fast.
Can I use my iPad's 20W charger?
Yes, that is exactly the same adapter class Apple recommends for this phone. The reverse also works: the phone's brick charges an iPad, just more slowly than a 30W unit.
Will a cheap unbranded charger hurt the battery?
The risk with uncertified units is electrical, not battery chemistry: poor isolation and missing protection circuits. Look for a UL or ETL mark and a published PD profile list.