Apple slashes adapter prices to ease MacBook Pro port pain
The MacBook Pro dropped from five connections down to two.
Following complaints about the new MacBook Pro's switch to USB-C ports, Apple has dropped the price of several USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 adapters.
The new style USB-C ports replace Apple's familiar MagSafe charger, an SD card slot, HDMI and older USB ports in previous MacBook Pro models. The new design left some MacBook fans outraged over the number of adapters they'd need if they wanted existing peripherals to work. The higher end MacBook Pro comes with four USB-C ports, while the lower end features just two.
Apple has heard those complaints and on Friday cut the price of its USB-C adapters by as much as half until the end of 2016.
The company also cut the price of its new LG UltraFine 5K Display from $1,300 to $974, while the LG UltraFine 4K Display will see a drop from $700 to $524. LG and Apple teamed up to build the displays for the new MacBook Pro.
Apple USB-to-USB Adapter now costs $9, down from $19. Its Thunderbolt 3-to-Thunderbolt 2 Adapter now costs $29, down from $49. The USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter and the USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter have both dropped from $69 to $49 each. The 1m and 2m USB-C to Lighting Cables have been discounted by $6 each, and now cost $19 and $29, respectively.
"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," Apple said in a statement to The Verge.
The temporary discounts may appease some who've baulked at upgrading to the new MacBook Pro, but it doesn't solve the bigger problem in creating a notebook that isn't powerful enough for many pro users. Many see the latest MacBook Pro as evidence that Apple has forgotten who the MacBook Pro is intended for -- namely, creatives and developers who now may be turning their backs on Apple's hardware.