One 240W Cable for MacBook, iPad and Phone: What 4-in-1 Means — Capes

Most desks and bags end up with three cables: a USB-C cable for the laptop, a Lightning cable for an older iPhone or AirPods case, and an old USB-A cable for the car or a wall plug that never got replaced. A 4-in-1 cable folds those into one.

Here is what the "4-in-1" and the "240W" on the box actually mean, what they don't, and which end to use for each device.

What does 4-in-1 mean on a charging cable?

It means one cable that can connect four ways. On the MagLock 4-in-1, the charger end can be USB-C or USB-A, and the device end can be USB-C or Lightning.

The cable itself is flat and braided, 1 meter long, with magnets built into it so it folds into a neat coil and stays tangle-free in a bag.

What does 240W actually mean?

240W is the highest power the USB Power Delivery standard allows over a USB-C cable, and the most this cable is built to carry. It is a ceiling, not the speed you get.

Until 2021, USB Power Delivery topped out at 100W: 20 volts through a cable rated for 5 amps. In May 2021 the USB Promoter Group released USB Power Delivery 3.1, which added higher voltages of 28, 36 and 48 volts and raised the limit to 240W, mainly so larger laptops could charge over USB-C instead of a barrel plug. It also defined stricter rules for cables and for how the charger and device agree on power (source: USB Promoter Group announcement, 26 May 2021).

A cable rated for 240W carries an E-Marker chip, a small chip in the plug that tells the charger what the cable can safely handle. Both MagLock cables have one.

Will a 240W cable charge my MacBook, iPad or iPhone faster?

Only if the old cable was the bottleneck. Charging speed is the lowest of three numbers: what the charger can supply, what the cable can carry, and what the device asks for.

The practical benefit is that one cable is never the weak link, whichever charger or device you plug in next. For a laptop, check the wattage of your laptop's own charger and use a USB-C charger at least that powerful.

Is a 240W cable safe for an iPhone or other small devices?

Yes. A cable doesn't push power into a device. With USB Power Delivery, the charger and the device agree on a voltage and current before charging starts, and the device only takes what it is designed for.

So an iPhone on a 240W-rated cable charges exactly as it would on any good USB-C cable with the same charger. A 20W charger stays a 20W charger.

Which end should I use for a MacBook, an iPad and a phone?

Use USB-C to USB-C whenever both the charger and the device have USB-C. It is the fastest and the only route to high-power laptop charging.

• MacBook or USB-C laptop: USB-C to USB-C, from a USB-C charger with enough watts for the laptop.
• iPad, iPhone 15 or later, Android phone: USB-C to USB-C.
• iPhone 14 or earlier, Lightning AirPods case: USB-C to Lightning, from a USB-C charger.
• Car, old wall plug or a computer's USB-A port: the USB-A options. They work, just more slowly.

If everything you own is USB-C, the simpler MagLock Type C to C 240W cable does the same job with one dedicated connection.

What doesn't a 4-in-1 cable do?

It charges one device at a time, and it is a charging and syncing cable, not a high-speed data or display cable.

• One device at a time: it is one cable with one device end. To charge two devices at once, you need two cables and a charger with two ports.
• Data up to 480 Mbps: fine for syncing a phone or moving photos, slower than a dedicated high-speed cable for external SSDs.
• No external monitors: use a USB-C video or Thunderbolt cable for a display.

Both MagLock cables carry a 6-month warranty.

Get one cable for everything

See the MagLock 4-in-1 240W cable, or compare both in Charging Cables. Questions about shipping to your country are answered in our FAQ.

In India? Shop on capesindia.com.

Written by Capes. Last checked: 9 October 2026.