Apple Watch Magnetic charging cable (connected via USB-C)

Regarding the Apple Watch magnetic charging cable (connected via USB-C), what is the maximum power output (in Watts) that the charger can produce?

Posted on Sep 11, 2021 8:15 PM

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Posted on Sep 13, 2021 7:18 PM

Because it is basically a cable, just like the cable for your iPhone, it CARRIES power, it does not PRODUCE power. If you connect the device you pictured to the 20watt power adapter I posted the puck/cable will CARRY 20w to the puck at the end. If you connect it to a MacBook Pro power adapter it will CARRY 85w to the puck. But the Watches power management circuitry controls all charging and it will only ACCEPT 12w.



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Sep 13, 2021 7:18 PM in response to jacob__k

Because it is basically a cable, just like the cable for your iPhone, it CARRIES power, it does not PRODUCE power. If you connect the device you pictured to the 20watt power adapter I posted the puck/cable will CARRY 20w to the puck at the end. If you connect it to a MacBook Pro power adapter it will CARRY 85w to the puck. But the Watches power management circuitry controls all charging and it will only ACCEPT 12w.



Sep 19, 2021 10:12 AM in response to jacob__k

jacob__k wrote:

Ok, that's fine. Does the size of a wireless charging coil affect its charging rate/speed? For instance, does the size of the wireless coil in the MagSafe wireless charging cable (for iPhones) and the Apple Watch Magnetic charging cable (via USB-C) affect each of their charging rates/speeds?

The Apple Watch controls how fast it draws power from the puck. As long as the puck meets the Apple Watch charging standards, then at most the Apple Watch will draw 12 watts. ONLY if the puck does not have 12 watts to offer, will the Apple Watch draw less than its maximum, until the Apple Watch is fully charged, then at most the Apple Watch will trickle charge to maintain the 100% battery while on the charger.


The charging brick, the charging cable, and the charging puck DO NOT control the speed at which the Apple Watch charges. The Apple Watch is in control of that at all times.

Sep 14, 2021 2:34 PM in response to jacob__k

Get a USB-C Power monitor

https://www.amazon.com/usb-power-monitor/s?k=usb+power+monitor


and measure it for yourself.


Watts is voltage times current. You do not control voltage, so the current (amps) is what varies. The Apple Watch only sips 12 watts no matter how much is available.


Using a power meter will report a higher wattage, but only because there is some power inefficiencies and losses in the wire and generating a magnetic field. There will be heat losses as well (another inefficiency).


Put another way, I can put a 100 gallon gas tank on my lawnmower, but it is still going to use the same amount of gas to cut my lawn as it did with the 1 gallon gas tank. It is not how much gas is available, it is how fast the lawnmower consumes it.


The same is true for the Apple Watch charging cable. It is basically going to draw the amount of power accepted by the Apple Watch, plus some extra for inefficiencies.

Sep 13, 2021 5:05 PM in response to deggie

This does not answer my question. To give you an analogy, the Apple Magsafe wireless charger (for iPhones) can produce a maximum power output of 15 Watts (with Apple's recommended 20 Watt power adapter). My question is: what is the maximum power output (in Watts) that the Apple Watch magnetic charger (connected via USB-C) can produce?

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Apple Watch Magnetic charging cable (connected via USB-C)

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