Hands on: If you have a USB-C Mac you need the RavPower GaN charger

iOS_Guy80

apple2c said:

noraa1138 said:

mld53a said:

What does this mean?

”At $45, it is also costs more than 30-percent less than Apple's as well.”

Apple's 60W charger costs $69, this one is $45 - i.e. ~30% less than Apple's

Mld, re-read the quote!  Nora is right on target.  As written, it means something quite different.

If the new device cost $100 vs. Apple's $69, it would cost more than 30% less than Apple's!  

30% less than $69 = $48.30.  So, in fact, at $45, it costs less than 30% less than Apple's charger!

Really. This adds jibberish to the jibberish quote..

MplsP

mobird said:

”At $45, it is also costs more than 30-percent less than Apple's as well.”

How about -
The RAVPower is 30% cheaper than Apple's...

Or just "Apple's 61W charger is $69. The RAVPower charger costs $45" Let people do their own math.

appledapple

Can't see any need to get one of these for my new MacBook Air. I rarely have to even charge it because it gets such damn good battery life!

I do have the Anker one though...which has both PD and regular USB so one charger charges my MacBook Air and Apple Watch, or my iPhone XS and my Apple Watch or....well you get the idea. And super fast. 

appledapple

Was also gonna say that these third party chargers do have something valuable to me...and that is a light that indicates power is getting to it. Makes troubleshooting a bit easier (is it the cable?)

ireland

If the scale of those images are correct, it looks less than half the size. A good bit less.

swimboy

mld53a said:

What does this mean?

”At $45, it is also costs more than 30-percent less than Apple's as well.”

Using "more" and "less" in the same phrase is ambiguous and poor form. I'd rephrase it to something like:
"At $45, it's less than 70% of the price of Apple's as well."

djeilers

noraa1138 said:

I'd love to see an 80W charger for my 15" MBP. As far as safety is concerned, theoretically this charger should be safer than a standard charger (should be the optimal word here). The main reason GaN chargers can be so much smaller than a standard charger is because it produces significantly less heat than a silicon based charger. Heat is one of the main culprits in the cause of chargers failing and shorting out (heat causes the various components to expand, which could lead to a short circuit). Plus, RavPower has a pretty good track record. Time will tell however.

I have a Ravpower 45 w GaN power adapter.  It is very small. I also have a 15" MacBook Pro 2016.  To my surprise, it will charge my MBP even while I am using it.  It is a bit slower, but not bad.  I was told by someone at an Apple store that you would likely need the 80 w adapter to charge a 15" MBP because, while the others would charge it, they could not keep up with the power demands and the MBP would slowly discharge if you were using it while you were attempting to charge it with a lesser powered adapter.  This is not the case.  It charges fine even while in use.  I've never tested the exact speed, but when I plug the 45 w adapter into my MBP, it will charge from maybe 30% to 100 % before I'm finished with my work at a coffee shop.  The Ravpower 45 w never seems to be hot or even very warm.

pscooter63

Andrew_OSU said:

RAVPower is well-established company that focuses almost entirely on charging technology. This isn't a no-name brand we found in an ally but a highly reputable brand that takes this very seriously. I am always very skeptical of poor chargers but I trust this one with my own gear.

Any links to teardowns, electrical analysis of the quality of its delivered power, etc.? 

crowley

"need" ?

spheric

Now will somebody bring on a full-power supply for the 15” machine, please? 

I’d love to carry a single charger for everything, but the machine does need full power when I’m onstage or in rehearsal.