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My Lenovo Thinkpad laptop came with a Type-C charger that has multiple output specs. The output specification of the Lenovo charger is: 20V/3.25A, 15V/3A, 9V/2A, 5V/2A. Can I use this charger to charge my Macbook Pro 2019?

The output specification of the Apple Type-C charger that came with my Macbook is: 20.3V/3A, 15V/3A, 9V/3A and 5.2V/3A

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It should be fine. Worst case scenario is it won't work.

I'm pretty convinced both chargers are USB-PD compliant because 20V, 15V, 9V and 5V are voltages USB-PD spec defines. The device will negotiate charging voltage with the adapter.

Voltage variations on Apple's charger are within 5%, that's perfectly fine. Higher current ratings (20V/3.25A vs 20V/3.0A) are okay. Lower ratings (5V/2A vs 5V/3A) aren't a problem, but the device would be charging slower at that voltage (but it's going to switch to 20V anyway, so it doesn't matter).

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  • So, it worked! Thank you for giving me confidence. The Macbook also shows in System Report under the Power section that it is receiving 65W AC power input. It could mean that Macbooks are (or had to be?) compatible with the USB-PD specifications (the standard voltages). I am still curious about why Apple used 20.3V (they chose something unique within the programmable voltage of 21V per the spec). Maybe a logical voltage for the way their components are designed. Or just an attempt to make their accessory stand out & still secretively compatible with the very standards (would have been tested). Sep 29, 2020 at 9:19

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