Which Charger Do I Need for My Phone and Laptop?

The Problem

When you buy a new smartphone or tablet today, it rarely comes with a charging brick in the box. You walk into an electronics store or search online and find hundreds of chargers: 20W, 30W, 45W, 65W, 100W, and 140W.

Some cost $15, while others cost $90. If you buy one that's too small, your laptop won't charge or your phone charges at a snail's pace. But if you buy a powerful 100W charger, will it fry your iPhone battery?

The “One Charger to Rule Them All” Solution

Instead of carrying three separate charging bricks for your phone, tablet, and laptop, you only need one dual-port 65W GaN charger:

• When charging your laptop alone: It pumps a full 65W through Port 1, charging your MacBook Air or PC laptop at maximum speed.
• When charging your phone and laptop together: Modern multi-port chargers automatically split the power (typically 45W for the laptop + 20W for the phone). Both charge simultaneously from one wall outlet.
• What is “GaN”? GaN stands for Gallium Nitride. It is a modern semiconductor material that runs much cooler than traditional silicon, allowing a 65W or 100W charger to fit in the palm of your hand without overheating.

Watch Out: The Multi-Port Power Splitting Trap

Here is the single most common consumer confusion with multi-port chargers:

When a box says “65W 3-Port Charger,” that 65W is the total shared capacity across all ports combined — NOT 65W on every port at the same time.

If you need to charge a 15-inch or 16-inch laptop (which needs 65W–100W continuously) while also charging two phones, you should step up to a 100W or 140W 3-port charger.

What to Buy: Recommended Models & Brands

Calculate Your Household's Charging Needs

Select your devices in our free interactive calculator to see the exact minimum and recommended charger wattage:

Why Apple & Samsung Stopped Including Chargers

Starting with the iPhone 12 and Galaxy S21, major phone manufacturers stopped bundling charging cubes in retail boxes. While advertised as an environmental initiative to reduce e-waste, it created massive consumer confusion.

Many people continued using old 5W USB-A square cubes with a USB-A to USB-C adapter cable. These 5W cubes take 3.5 to 4 hours to charge a modern smartphone, leading people to believe their new phone has battery problems. Upgrading to an inexpensive 20W–30W USB-C PD brick drops charging time from 4 hours to roughly 70 minutes.

Technical Details: PPS (Programmable Power Supply)

If you own a recent Samsung phone (Galaxy S20 through S24 Ultra), look for the letters PPS on the charger box.

PPS allows the phone to micro-adjust voltage in 20-millivolt increments as the battery heats up. Without PPS, a 65W charger will still charge your Samsung phone, but it will cap out at 15W instead of the phone's full 25W or 45W “Super Fast Charging 2.0” capability. Most modern Anker and Ugreen GaN chargers now include PPS by default.

Canadian Note: Certification Marks & Warranty

Before buying any charger on Amazon.ca or at retail in Canada, flip the charger over to ensure it has a recognized Canadian certification mark (cULus, CSA, or cETLus).

Cheap grey-market imports that only feature a CE stamp have not been tested to Canadian electrical safety codes and can void your home insurance coverage in the event of an electrical fire.