Malcolm Owen
Apple's new 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter has a special design that makes it easy to change prongs during mass production, a teardown of the accessory has revealed.
First introduced during WWDC 2022, the latest power adapter from Apple is a unique addition to the lineup due to its inclusion of two USB-C ports. A teardown of the device has revealed how Apple designed the adapter to enable two devices to recharge from the same small charger.
The adapter uses clips to attach the PCB module, as well as a custom section on the top to hold it into position, ChargerLab's reveals after cutting it in half. A thermal pad is also hidden away, helping to cool the adapter under load.
Inside, the adapter's components are largely symmetrical in their placement, complete with identical switching power supply circuits for each port. If one device is connected, both the circuits are connected in parallel to provide up to 35W, though power can be distributed unevenly depending on the devices connected to it.
The AC input socket uses a pair of metal plates in its design, allowing for the prongs attached to the adapter to be replaced quickly and easily during mass production. The plates are soldered directly to the PCB, and act as the connection to the prongs.
In its analysis, ChargerLab says the design of the dual port adapter is "completely different from the traditional Apple charger," both externally and internally.
Apple sells the 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter for $59.
William Gallagher
Andrew Orr
2 Comments
It’s great to see Appleinsider paying this much attention to a critical but often overlooked component that we use daily. There’s no way a Consumer could evaluate a charger as thoroughly as an expert. It’s important for people to know the quality differences between Apple chargers and and cheap versions.
The text was pretty light on what is most important to me– the circuitry. Then I watched the video. Wow there's a lot of detail in that. No wonder it's not done in text!
Looking at the vid, it's hard to be sure, but the 49mmx49mm size looks like it might block a neighboring AC socket. That would be disappointing. The square size with the prongs mounted near/at the center are probably to facilitate the more easily swapped prongs for different countries. There are workarounds but they tend to be kludges.