How to properly charge your MacBook Pro

There are two ways to connect the power supply to your MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16. You can use the included USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable and the magnetic MagSafe 3 power connector on the left side of the case. Or, use a USB-C to USB-C cable, which is not included in the package, to charge through the Thunderbolt port. Either method works, but the fast charge function is not available in the second case. And this is a very useful feature: it charges your MacBook Pro battery to 50% in just half an hour. The only problem is that on 14-inch MacBook Pros, even with MagSafe 3, this feature is not always available. What needs to be done in order for the laptop to charge correctly, that is, quickly?

The power supply that came with the base 14-inch MacBook Pro (which has an 8-core processor) does not support fast charging. If you purchase a laptop from the Apple online store, you can make it charge faster for an additional $ 1,410. It is necessary to replace the 67-watt power supply with a more powerful, 96-watt one. But, if you buy your MacBook Pro elsewhere, the problem can be solved. Its solution, only, will cost more. The 96-watt power supply can be purchased separately for 7,900 rubles, and you can order it now, in the Apple online store and from its official partners. They will appear in the “serovars” too, if they have not already appeared.

Apple представила MacBook Pro 14″ на M1 Pro и M1 Max. В топе он стоит почти 600к

The reason Apple didn’t include a full 96W charger with the base 14-inch MacBook Pro is purely commercial. Reducing the cost of a laptop and its price. Not out of disinterested motives, of course. Can you imagine what this PSU cost Apple? Development (even if it is a revision of the previous model), production. And all this so that a laptop, which is immeasurably better than its predecessor, costs only 200 dollars (in Russia – 10 thousand rubles) more expensive than it. The new MacBook Pro costs RUR 189,990. For the same purpose, the base MacBook Pro uses chips with only 8 out of 10 cores active in the processor, and 14 out of 16 in the graphics one. But more on that some other time.

MacBook Pro power supply

The most powerful power supply for MacBook Pro 2021 – 140 W, and costs 10 thousand rubles

Modern power supplies (or “power adapters” as they are called on Apple’s website) are complex technical devices. The 2021 MacBook Pro uses three models of these devices. Any of them can be purchased in the Apple online store and from its official partners. The USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable is not included with the power supplies, if needed, it can be purchased there for RUB 5,490. The 67W PSU is bundled with 14-inch MacBook Pros with an 8-core processor, it does not support fast charging, and can be purchased separately for RUR 6,490. 96 watt supports fast charging. Ships with other 14-inch MacBook Pros, or “8-cores” selected at checkout. It can be purchased separately for RUR 7,900.

140W PSU ships with all 16-inch MacBook Pros this year, supports fast charging, sold separately for RUR 9,900. It is one of the first power supplies in the world to use gallium nitride (GaN) instead of silicon, making it smaller than it could be. Actually, this is the largest PSU ever released by Apple – and the most powerful. USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable is the world’s first cable to use the newly adopted USB PD 3.1 Extended Power Range (EPR) standard for power transmission. Fast charging is made possible thanks to the USB PD 3.1 EPR. And the price of this cable, 5 490 rubles, is not at all overpriced. Apple was instrumental in the development of the USB PD 3.1 EPR and is more familiar with it than most companies.

What is MagSafe

The new MagSafe is incompatible with the old one

MagSafe is used to refer to magnetic power connectors in MacBook Pro and magnetic wireless devices for iPhones. In this article, MagSafe stands for Magnetic Power Connectors for Apple Laptops. The MagSafe 3 magnetic power connector uses strong magnets to attract and hold the USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable towards it. Tightly enough so that the connection will not break if accidentally bumped, but will break with strong impact. Falling of the laptop with unpredictable consequences is prevented.

From 2006 to 2016, the MagSafe magnetic power connector was used on all Apple laptops. The exact number of MacBooks that MagSafe rescued from dangerous damage or even death is unknown, but it is huge. In 2012, MagSafe 2 was released. MagSafe in the style of Jonathan Ive – lighter, thinner and sleeker. At the same time, it was no worse than just MagSafe. In 2016, all ports and connectors on the MacBook Pro were replaced with Thunderbolt ports. Depending on the rank of the laptop, there were two or four. Of all the missing ports and connectors, MagSafe was the most regretted. The USB-C version of MagSafe has been developed at Apple two or three times, but to no avail.

by Abdullah Sam
I’m a teacher, researcher and writer. I write about study subjects to improve the learning of college and university students. I write top Quality study notes Mostly, Tech, Games, Education, And Solutions/Tips and Tricks. I am a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

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