How Apple’s new 35W power adapter shares power between its two USB-C ports

Apple’s 35W charger is its first power adapter featuring two USB-C ports. Here’s how power is shared when charging two devices at once.

The standard-sized version of Apple's 35-watt power adapter can be paired with the company's World Travel Adapter Kit for use anywhere in the world
The ports share power when used simultaneously | Image: Christian Zibreg / iDB
  • Apple’s 35-watt power adapter is equipped with two USB-C ports allowing you to charge two devices at the same time. However, some caveats apply.
  • You get 35 watts of total power output across the two USB-C ports rather than 35 watts per each port. Yes, power is shared when both ports are in use.
  • There’s more fine print to consider when using power adapters equipped with multiple ports, and Apple has listed some of them in a support document.

How power sharing on Apple’s 35W charger works

Apple on June 17, 2022, launched its 35-watt power adapter with two USB-C ports. It comes in a compact and standard size, and the compact version is bundled with the M2 MacBook Air when configured with an M2 chip with a ten-core GPU and 512GB of storage. Both versions are priced at $59 in the United States and are available standalone as well. Apple has now published a support document that provides further information about the accessory, including how power is shared between its two USB-C ports. Read: How to turn an old MacBook into a glowing light

When a single device is connected to either USB-C port on the power adapter, it charges at full speed (35W). With simultaneous charging, however, the output is shared between the two ports for a total of 35 watts of power. Apple’s charger uses the USB Power Delivery protocol, meaning that power is automatically distributed between the connected devices based on their power requirements.

Apple provides examples of power sharing with the 35-watt power adapter:

  • Mac + iPhone/iPad: If you connect a Mac notebook along with your iPhone or iPad, each device receives up to 17.5 watts of power.
  • iPhone + iPad: Similarly, if you connect an iPhone and an iPad, each device receives up to 17.5 watts of power.
  • Mac/iPhone + Apple Watch/AirPods: If you connect your MacBook or iPhone to one USB-C port and your Apple Watch or AirPods into another, the notebook/phone will receive up to 27.5 watts of power while your watch/earbuds will get up to 7.5 watts of power.

“If either device needs more power, unplug the other device and its charging cable from your power adapter,” reads Apple’s support document.

This has some real-life consequences. Imagine you’ve connected both your iPhone and iPad to this charger. In that scenario, the phone won’t be able to use its fast-charge capabilities. As Apple spells out, you need a 20-watt or higher power adapter to fast charge your iPhone 12 or newer. For those wondering, fast charging gets the battery from zero to fifty percent in 30 minutes. So if you’re in a hurry and your iPhone is low on battery, plug only it into the charge to avoid slower charging.

How to purchase an Apple 35W dual USB-C charger

The compact version of Apple's 35-watt power adapter comes with two USB-C ports but cannot be paired with the company's World Travel Adapter Kit
The compact version is limited to a few markets | Image: Christian Zibreg / iDB

You can purchase Apple’s new 35W Dual USB-C Port charger or any of the company’s other chargers in several ways. The first and the most obvious choice is the company’s online store at apple.com.

Alternatively, shop for your charger in the Apple Store app [App Store link] on your iPhone and iPad. Authorized resellers also offer Apple’s chargers, as do Amazon and other sellers. Read: How to find out your Mac notebook’s battery cycle count