Can I use my 85W power brick on the MBP 16?

[Super Spartan]

I live in Dubai but I order my MBPs from the US. When my 15 inch MBP (late 2019) arrived, obviously it came with a US Charger so I bought a UK 85W charger from Apple to use it here in Dubai.

I returned the MBP 15 to Apple and ordered the MBP 16 but I see they are using a 96W power adapter.

Do I really need to buy the 96W UK version again to use it with the new MBP or would the 85W adapter be enough? I am concerned it might not be able to provice enough juice and perhaps cause some throttling.

If I did have to buy the new power adapter, can I use the 85W power adapter for even faster charging for my iPhone rather than the 30W I am using now or would that not be a good idea?

 

[nickf1]

Yes you can use your 87W charger, no problem. It won't be as fast as the 96W one but it will work just fine. You can also just change the head of the 96W to use the UK head you have, they're the same.

 

[Honza1]

If I did have to buy the new power adapter, can I use the 85W power adapter for even faster charging for my iPhone rather than the 30W I am using now or would that not be a good idea?

You can use any reasonable USB-C charger for any device, device and charger will negotiate what power to deliver. Let's say "any reliable brand", I am sure there is junk which will not work or even worse...

Your iPhone will not charge faster with more powerful charger since it cannot accept more than its max charging current, it will limit what it gets from the source. But it will not overcharge or be damaged by the more powerful charger.

Your MBP does not need 96W all the time - actually, probably most of the time (if ever). If needed, at high load, MBP will use battery to make up any lack of power from charger (MBP is designed to do that). I use all the time 60W chargers for 15inch MBP and it works just fine. It takes slightly longer to recharge battery while being used, but most of the time it does not matter at all.

One of the main advantages of USB-C charging system is that you can connect anything to anything and it should work (again, anything reliable, not real junk). Using 15-20W USB-C phone charger for 16inch MBP is probably not that useful, but should work anyway.

 

[Murgatroyd314]

One of the main advantages of USB-C charging system is that you can connect anything to anything and it should work (again, anything reliable, not real junk). Using 15-20W USB-C phone charger for 16inch MBP is probably not that useful, but should work anyway.

I use a 29W Macbook charger that I picked up cheap as my travel adapter, and leave the one that came with the (late 2016 15") MBP permanently plugged into the wall at home. Under my normal usage, it provides barely enough power to charge while working, so a 15-20W phone charger would probably extend battery life enough to work all day, or charge the battery overnight while sleeping.