It is rumored that Apple is planning smaller and lighter versions of its USB-C wall chargers. The report comes from Digitimes, which states that Navitas Semiconductor should obtain orders for gallium nitride, or GaN, chargers from Apple in 2021.
Apple charger rumors
The report also adds that Apple’s supplier, TSMC, will be included in the process and will supply the GaN chips themselves to Navitas:
Ireland-based Navitas Semiconductor, United States-based Power Integrations and China-based Innoscience are the top three global suppliers of fast charging solutions based on GaN-on-Si chips. Navitas is expected to obtain orders from Apple and other suppliers in 2021 with TSMC to supply GaN-on-Si chips, industry sources noted.
The details here are sparse, but Apple’s need to adopt GaN technology is increasing as third-party accessory manufacturers enter the market. A variety of companies manufacture GaN chargers that are smaller and faster than the USB-C chargers that Apple includes in its MacBook line and sell separately for their iPhones.
In fact, Navitas created the GaNFast solution, which is the gallium nitride technology used by brands like Xiaomi and Aukey. Apple can use Navitas technology to help make its original chargers similar in size and power to what we see at other companies, ranging up to 300W.
This is not the first time we’ve heard about Apple’s plans to launch new chargers in 2021. Apple’s trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported last month that Apple is likely to launch “2 or 3 new chargers in 2021”, and we speculated at the time that these could be more powerful wall chargers with faster loading using GaN technology.
Apple’s line of chargers has become quite complex in recent years, with a variety of oddities, as we report today. The adoption of GaN technology can help Apple optimize its charging line and make it more versatile with dual port designs, faster performance and more.
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