Apple Slashes Prices On USB-C Adapters Following MacBook Pro Backlash

by Brandon Hill — Friday, November 04, 2016, 04:14 PM EDT

Apple has caught a lot of flak for its all-new MacBook Pro family for various reasons. After Mac fans waited a year and a half for a meaningful update, many were upset over the decisions to cap maximum memory at 16GB, employ relatively “weak” AMD Polaris GPUs in the range-topping 15-inch model, and ditch all USB-A ports in favor of USB-C.

The fact that the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro only can accept USB-C connections -- like the 12-inch MacBook that debuted last year -- means that most professionals have to use USB-C adapters, USB-C hubs or Thunderbolt 3 docks to attach their peripherals. And given the traditionally high prices of Apple adapters, the backlash from customers was palpable.

As a result, Apple is trimming the price of its USB-C accessories by up to 50 percent. Apple released the following statement today when announcing the price cuts:

We recognize that many users, especially pros, rely on legacy connectors to get work done today and they face a transition. We want to help them move to the latest technology and peripherals, as well as accelerate the growth of this new ecosystem. Through the end of the year, we are reducing prices on all USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals we sell, as well as the prices on Apple's USB-C adapters and cables.

Here are the old and new prices for Apple’s USB-C and Thunderbolt accessories:

USB-C Digital AV Multiport adapter drops from $69 to $49
USB-C VGA Multiport adapter drops from $69 to $49
USB-C to USB adapter drops from $19 to $9
USB-C to Lightning cable (1M) drops from $25 to $19
USB-C to Lightning cable (2M) drops from $35 to $29
Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter drops from $49 to $29

The discounted pricing will be available at Apple’s brick and mortar retail stores and through its online store. We should also note that Apple says that it won’t be including any USB-C adapters in the box with future MacBook Pro (or MacBook) shipments.

Apple’s Phil Schiller acknowledged the MacBook Pro backlash in an interview earlier this week, stating, “There has certainly been a lot of passionate dialogue and debate about the new MacBook Pro! Many things have impressed people about it, and some have caused some controversy.

“We know we made good decisions about what to build into the new MacBook Pro and that the result is the best notebook ever made, but it might not be right for everyone on day one. That’s okay, some people felt that way about the first iMac and that turned out pretty good."

Tags: Apple, MacBook Pro, (NASDAQ:AAPL), usb-c

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.

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