The wattage a phone charger needs for the newest iPhone, Galaxy and Pixel models runs from 20W to 60W. The wattage you need to charge a laptop spans a wider range, from 20W to 140W across Apple’s MacBooks. So buy for the biggest device you own, and match or beat the figure its maker gives. Going bigger is fine, because USB-IF’s Power Delivery standard lets each device draw only the power it asks for.
| Product | Top speed | Charges, top speed not confirmed | Charges, below top speed | Under the maker’s minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker 45W USB-C Charger (2-Pack) | iPhone 17e, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max | Pixel 11 models, 45W Galaxy phones, Steam Deck, original Switch | iPhone 18 Pro, Galaxy S26 Ultra, iPad Pro (M5), MacBook Air (2022 or later), every MacBook Pro | Switch 2 (54W minimum for third-party adapters) |
| Anker 100W USB-C Laptop Charger | iPhone 17e, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, Pixel 11 models, iPad Pro (M5), Steam Deck | iPhone 18 Pro, Galaxy phones, both Switch models, MacBook Air (2022 or later), 14-inch MacBook Pro | 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021 or later) | None of these |
What wattage phone charger do you need?
You need a phone charger with at least the wattage your phone’s maker lists. For the models below, that’s 20W to 60W. A phone charger with more wattage than that is fine. The phone still tops out at its own figure.
- iPhone. Apple puts the iPhone 17e and iPhone Air at 50 percent in around 30 minutes on 20W or higher. The iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max need 40W or more for Apple’s 50 percent in around 20 minutes. The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max get there in around 15 minutes by Apple’s figure, but only on a 60W-capable adapter with Adjustable Voltage Supply (AVS) and USB-PD 3.2, plus the USB-C cable from the box. An iPhone 15 or 16 fast charges on any 18W or greater USB-C adapter that supports USB-PD.
- Samsung Galaxy. The S22+ and S22 Ultra through the S25+ and S25 Ultra, plus the S26+, top out at 45W. That’s Super Fast Charging 2.0, and Samsung says to use its 5A cable for the best results. The S26 Ultra steps up to Super Fast Charging 3.0 at up to 60W.
- Google Pixel. The Pixel 11 Pro XL needs a 45W USB-C PPS charger or higher, and Google rates it at up to 75% in about 30 minutes on its own 45W charger. The Pixel 11 and 11 Pro call for 30W PPS or higher.
What wattage do you need to charge your laptop?
To charge a laptop properly, your charger needs at least the wattage its maker recommends. Apple’s MacBooks span 20W to 140W. On the fast-charge adapters, a MacBook Air from 2022 on or a 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro reaches 50 percent in around 30 minutes, by Apple’s own chart.
- MacBook Neo. It takes Apple’s 20W USB-C adapter.
- MacBook Air (2022 or later). It’s matched with 30W (13-inch only), 35W dual-port, 67W or 70W adapters. It fast charges on 70W, 96W or 140W, or on 67W for the 13.6-inch model.
- 14-inch MacBook Pro. It’s matched with 67W, 70W or 96W, and fast charging needs 96W or 140W.
- 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021 or later). It takes 140W, and only 140W fast charges it.
- Windows laptops. Each maker sets its own figure. Go by the laptop’s own charger, as the first question below explains. A Surface also has a catch on smaller chargers, covered further down.
Need more ports as well? Read up on a USB-C hub vs docking station before you buy a charger and a dock separately.
Tablets, handhelds and earbuds
The iPad Pro (M5) is the odd one out. It comes with a 20W adapter, but its fast charging needs a charger with at least three times that wattage. Apple rates it at 50 percent in around 30 minutes on a USB-C adapter of 60W or higher, with the box’s USB-C cable or one like it. Apple also warns that fast charging might not work when it’s too cold or too hot.
Handhelds need less than a big laptop. The Steam Deck’s own power supply is a 45W USB-C PD 3.0 unit. The original Nintendo Switch adapter tops out at 39W, or 15V at 2.6A, and the Switch 2 asks more of a third-party charger, as the last question below explains.
Earbuds need far less. The Soundcore V20i asks only for a charger and cable rated 5V/1A or above, and its earbuds don’t support fast charging. If its case ever won’t charge, Soundcore’s fix list says to “avoid using high-powered fast chargers.”
Two Anker chargers, device by device
The two chargers here are the Anker 45W USB-C Charger (2-Pack) and the Anker 100W USB-C Laptop Charger, which Anker calls the Anker 317 Charger (100W). Side by side, the makers’ charging figures sort these devices into four groups on each one. Top speed means the charger meets the device maker’s figure for its fastest charging. Find your biggest device, then pick the charger with the wattage that gets it there by checking our compatibility groups mapped out in the table near the top.
- Pick the Anker 45W pack if your biggest device is any iPhone before the 18 Pro. Each charger has one USB-C port, so the pair covers a bedside and a bag. Skip it for a MacBook Pro or a Switch 2, or for full speed on an iPhone 18 Pro or iPad Pro (M5).
- Choose the Anker 317 for a laptop, a Pixel 11, an iPad Pro (M5) or a Steam Deck. It’s the closest thing here to one charger for everything. Skip it if you own a OnePlus or Honor phone, or want full speed on an iPhone 18 Pro or 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Cables, PPS and AVS: when charger watts aren’t enough
The charger, the cable and the device all have to agree. Certified USB-C cables carry a logo showing their power rating, 60W or 240W. A 60W cable is rated for 3A at 20V, so 100W, which is 20V at 5A, needs a cable rated for 5A. Both Anker chargers come with one. The 45W pack’s two 5 ft cables handle up to 100W, while the 317’s 5 ft cable carries up to 5A and hides behind the plastic tray in the box.
A phone can ask its charger for more than wattage, too. Samsung’s own 45W adapter delivers Super Fast Charging 2.0 over PPS, short for Programmable Power Supply. Samsung says PPS “adjusts voltage and current in real-time based on device charging status.” Pixel 11 phones ask for PPS as well, and the 317’s PPS range, 3.3V to 21V at up to 5A, clears Google’s call for the Pixel 11 Pro XL.
The 45W pack supports PPS too. Anker says it takes a Galaxy S24 Ultra to 50% in 20 minutes, but Anker doesn’t publish its PPS range, so there’s no way to check it against Samsung’s or Google’s figures. The iPhone 18 Pro asks for AVS instead, and Anker doesn’t list AVS for either charger. The 317 also “does not support fast charging” for OnePlus and Honor phones, Anker says, because those brands use their own protocols.
Why a bigger charger is fine: watts, volts and amps
Watts measure power, and they’re volts multiplied by amps. The 317’s top output is 20V at 5A, and 20 times 5 gives the 100W on its label. Below that it offers 15V, 12V, 9V and 5V, each at 3A, and the device picks the one it needs.
That choice comes from USB Power Delivery (USB PD). USB-IF, which runs the standard, says it works by “allowing each device to take only the power it requires.” So the charger offers, and the device chooses. Under USB-IF’s standard, a 100W charger supplies only what a phone requests. Line up the makers’ pages, and Apple, Google and Nintendo all give their figures as a floor, with “or higher” or “or more” attached. Apple goes further for Macs: one that charges over USB-C can use any USB-C adapter “even if it provides higher or lower wattage than the adapter recommended for your Mac.”
What happens with a charger below your device’s wattage?
A charger below your device’s wattage charges it more slowly, if it charges at all, and some devices lose a feature. Microsoft says exactly that about a Surface on a smaller charger, which “may charge slowly or not at all.” With a drained battery, a Surface turns on the moment you plug in only on 60W or more. On anything smaller, it has to charge to 10% first.
Handhelds can lose a mode too. The original Switch adapter still charges a Switch 2 directly, but it can’t power the console in TV mode on the dock.
Charger wattage questions
How do you find out what wattage you need to charge your laptop?
The wattage you need to charge your laptop is on the label of the charger that came with it. That label shows watts, or volts and amps to multiply, such as 20V at 5A for 100W. If it’s lost, Apple lists the adapter for every Mac, and Microsoft lists each Surface’s wattage.
Can you use a third-party charger with a Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes, a third-party charger can be used with a Nintendo Switch 2 if it’s strong enough. Nintendo says “an AC adapter with an output of 54W or more can be used,” so the 100W Anker 317 qualifies. Unlicensed adapters skip Nintendo’s testing, though, and Nintendo warns they “may have compatibility problems.”