Apple is among a number of tech companies with plans to release a GaN-based power adapter this year, claims a new report out today. According to IT Home (via Gizchina), Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung, Oppo, and Apple all have plans for the Gallium Nitride technology, which can provide fast charging solutions through a USB-C interface and support fast-charging up to 65 Watts.
According to Caifa News, in addition to Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung, OPPO, and Apple all have deep accumulation in GaN technology. Xiaomi, a supplier of Xiaomi GaN solutions, said that following Xiaomi, "this year, several manufacturers of the same size as Xiaomi will release GaN power adapters."
GaN technology uses fewer components than standard silicon chargers, and allows them to be manufactured in a smaller casing than a standard power adapter. For example, Choetech's new 61W Wall Charger is half the size of the original 61W MacBook charger.
GizChina notes that Xiaomi recently released a new GaN charger that utilizes the technology. It comes with a USB Type-C interface that supports up to 65W fast-charge and can deliver a full charge of a Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro in 45 minutes.
Thanks to the new semiconductor material GaN (gallium nitride), the size of this charger is about 48% smaller than that of the Xiaomi notebook’s standard adapter. In addition, Xiaomi's GaN charger Type-C 65W's USB-C interface supports intelligent adjustment of output current in multiple gears. It can charge up to 65W for high-power devices such as the new MacBook Pro and Xiaomi notebooks.
The report is unclear on what plans Apple might have for the technology, but it notes that GaN benefits from an ability to adjust output automatically depending on the connected device, so one possibility is that we could see more versatile Apple chargers that support multiple Apple devices like iPhones and Macs.
