Fast-charging the 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro at 140 W isn't something most people need to do that often, but it stands out as a kind of horsepower test among charging accessory brands. Entering into this drag race is Hyper, which is touting a new 140 W wall charger the company claims is 24 percent smaller than Apple's own charger while also sporting two more ports.
Hyper, a sub-brand of Targus that has been making hubs, docks, and charging gear for more than seven years, sometimes through crowdfunding, is using gallium nitride (GaN) technology to achieve improved heat, power, and size characteristics. Apple's original 140 W charger was also built on gallium nitride, has one port, measures 3.78×2.95×1.1 inches (96×75×28 millimeters), and weighs 8.01 ounces (277 grams). Hyper's three-port, 140 W charger measures 2.87×2.92×1.14 inches (73×74.1×29 mm) and weighs 9.03 oz (256 g), according to Hyper.
From that smaller package, you can draw 140 W through a USB Type-C Power Delivery (PD) 3.1 port, 100 W at a USB-C PD port, and 30 W from a Type-A Quick Charge (QC) port. Those are not simultaneous limits; Hyper's product page shows that the full-speed MacBook charging port (which requires Apple's USB-C-to-MagSafe cable) requires solitary operation but can provide 100 W when the other ports are in use.
These types of smaller, GaN-based chargers aimed at Apple laptops are becoming more common. Anker's GaNPrime line features a 150 W charger that claims to be 38 percent smaller than Apple's 140 W charger. You can find similarly high-powered, smaller-sized chargers from lesser-known brands aimed specifically at the largest MacBooks—we've seen ones going for as low as $90—though you'd be wise to consider the value of a small discount on something delivering current to your far more expensive device.
Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.
Listing image by Hyper
reader comments
51