Apple just rendered its new 35W MacBook Air charger absolutely useless

Belkin Boost
Belkin Boost (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Apple recently released a new 35W charger.
  • It costs $59 and can charge two devices simultaneously.
  • Apple is now selling a Belkin Boost charger that costs $59.95 and delivers literally double the power.

Apple has just rendered its new 35W charger useless, with the company now offering a Belkin model with double the power output that costs less than a dollar more.

As spotted by MacRumors, Apple now stocks a 70W Belkin BOOST charger on its website. The new Belkin BOOST Pro Dual USB-C wall charger delivers 70W of power for charging devices like a MacBook and an iPhone at the same time. From the listing:

The Belkin BOOST↑Charge Pro Dual USB-C Wall Charger is a great choice for powering up quickly between meetings or on the go. It provides fast charging for USB-C devices in a compact and portable design. Charge a MacBook and fast charge an iPhone 8 or later from 0–50% in 30 minutes simultaneously. It features Dual USB-C Ports that can charge a MacBook up to 50W and iOS device up to 20W at the same time.

Fast charging comes by way of Gallium nitride technology, and the device also supports fast charge for iOS and Apple's best iPhones.

This charger costs $59.95, which may sound like a hefty outlay for a wall charger. However, when you consider that is less than a dollar more than Apple's $59 35W charger, the purchase seems to be a bit of a no-brainer and leaves you wondering why Apple's version even exists in the first place.

According to Apple, if you connect one of its best MacBooks and an iPhone or an iPad, each device receives 17.5W of power. That's the same for two iPhones or iPads but changes if you're charging something like AirPods or an Apple Watch Series 7, which will see 27.5W go to your Mac and 7.5W to your smaller device. Meanwhile, Belkin's BOOST can charge a MacBook a 50W and an iOS device at 20W at the same time.

Belkin's charger, like Apple's, doesn't come with any cables, but that seems like a small tradeoff when you're buying double the charger for the same amount of cash.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9