Apple 30W USB-C Power Adapter on a MacBook Air: Measured
The 30W USB-C adapter that shipped with the M1 MacBook Air, measured on a MacBook Air M5: 28.4 W delivered, its full 30 W offered on two separate voltage rails, and a charger that names itself.
The Apple 30W USB-C power adapter - the brick that shipped in the box with the M1 MacBook Air - tested against a MacBook Air M5 with a low battery, per the methodology.
The numbers
| Rated | 30 W |
| Negotiated | 30 W (20 V up to 1.5 A) |
| Live draw | 28.4 W (19.8 V at 1.43 A) |
| Protocol | USB PD 3.0 |
Profile menu:
| Profile | Rail |
|---|---|
| 15 W | 5 V up to 3 A |
| 27 W | 9 V up to 3 A |
| 30 W | 15 V up to 2 A |
| 30 W | 20 V up to 1.5 A - active |
No PPS.
30 watts on two rails
The last two entries are the same wattage on different voltages: 15 V at 2 A, and 20 V at 1.5 A. Both are 30 W.
That isn’t redundancy. Devices don’t all run their internal power conversion most efficiently at the same voltage, so putting the full rating on two rails lets each device choose whichever suits its converter. The Mac takes the 20 V rung.
Unlike the Anker Nano 30W, which offers the same doubled-up 30 W plus a PPS range, this Apple adapter stops at fixed profiles.
It introduces itself properly
This adapter reports its manufacturer as Apple and its product name as “30W USB-C Power Adapter” - wattage included. None of that is inference; the Mac isn’t guessing.
Apple’s chargers can do this because they use Apple’s own handshake alongside standard Power Delivery. It’s the fullest identification any charger in this series has produced - a third-party charger, even a good one, generally can’t match it, because the channel Apple uses is Apple’s.
Buying one
The Apple 30W USB-C Power Adapter is a sensible travel charger for a MacBook Air, and it is still the charger Apple recommends pairing with one.
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