USB-C

The connector changed and the cable drawer did not

What it promises: A physical connector that fits the port, in one orientation or the other.
What it does not: Any particular speed, data rate, or that the other end of the cable is the one you need.

A connector is a shape. That is the beginning and the end of what a connector guarantees. USB-C fits a USB-C port; Lightning fits a Lightning port; a 3.5 mm plug fits a socket that most current phones no longer have. Everything else about the experience is decided by what is inside the cable and what the two devices agree to do.

The dividing line on iPhones is well known by now. The iPhone 15 generation and everything after it uses USB-C. The iPhone 14 and older use Lightning. This is why a set of chargers bundled with USB-C to Lightning cables is a purchase for one household and a return for another, and it is worth reading the cable ends in a listing rather than the wattage.

The detail people miss on older iPhones is that fast charging needed a USB-C charger with a USB-C to Lightning cable. The old USB-A to Lightning cable in the drawer will charge the phone, and it will do so slowly, forever, without ever telling you why. The connector at the wall end is the one doing the damage.

On the Android side USB-C has been standard for years, which removes the connector question and replaces it with the protocol question covered on the Power Delivery page. Tablets are the same story with bigger batteries: the connector fits, and whether anything fast happens depends on the charger and cable behind it.

MFi is Apple's accessory certification program, and it applies to Lightning and to some other Apple connections. A cable being MFi certified is a claim about the program, not a claim about wattage. Where a listing does not state MFi, this site does not assume it.

On the box → what it means

The box says	Which actually means
"USB-C charger"	The port on the charger is USB-C. The cable ends are a separate question the listing may not answer.
"USB-C to Lightning"	For an iPhone 14 or older, paired with a USB-C charger. Wrong end for an iPhone 15 or newer.
"USB-C to USB-C"	The modern pairing. Both ends known, which is more than many listings state.
"MFi certified"	A claim about Apple's accessory program. It is not a wattage or a speed claim.
"Compatible with all phones"	Almost never true across the Lightning and USB-C divide. Check the connector drawing, not the sentence.

Where this number misleads

A charger set is bought on wattage alone and arrives with the wrong cable ends for the phone in the house.
An old USB-A to Lightning cable is used with a new fast charger, and the fast charger never gets the chance to be fast.
"USB-C" is read as a speed. It is a connector shape, and a USB-C cable can be anything from a slow charging-only lead to a fully rated one.
MFi is treated as a performance rating. It is a certification program, and its presence or absence in a listing says nothing about watts.

Listings where this number shows up

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Anker Nano 45W Smart Display Charger
The listing states: 45W max, GaN, a 180 degree foldable plug, a single USB-C port, and no cable in the box.
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Anker 20W USB-C Charger Block, 2-pack
The listing states: 20W USB-C, two blocks with two cables.
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Anker 167.5W 3-Port Car Charger
The listing states: 167.5W max across three ports, ultra-compact.
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Related specs

Where it applies

Wall ChargersThe job: turning house current into the protocol your phone speaks.
Headphones & EarbudsThe job: audio that pairs, lasts, and survives a pocket.
Car ChargersThe job: charging two devices from one socket without heat.