Apple has quietly modified the duckhead removable plug on its 140W USB-C Power Adapter included with the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
One of the things that didn’t make much noise during Apple’s hardware launch is that the company silently modified the removable duckhead plug on the 140W USB-C Power Adapter sold with the 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max.
Eagle-eyed users in some countries, including Australia and China, noticed that the plug’s shape now resembles a pill, moving away from the modified C7 version Apple has been using for years. Interestingly, the change was spotted last month during ChargerLab’s teardown of the power adapter, but didn’t get much attention.
Besides the modified wall plug, the other aspects of the power adapter, such as its dimensions and specifications, remain largely unchanged, as noted in the teardown. The modular nature of Apple’s power adapter allows it to be used in different parts of the world, where different power outlets exist. Someone traveling from Australia to North America can swap the duckheads instead of buying a whole new power adapter.
Having a different shape means some accessories are incompatible with the new adapter. For instance, the Power Adapter Extension Cable doesn’t work with it anymore, although Apple’s website lists the accessory as compatible. The same is true of the World Travel Adapter Kit, which Apple no longer sells.
What adds to the drama is that, while users question the necessity of such a move, the updated power adapter is not available to all users. Some users have reported getting the original power adapter. Also, it’s not known whether the said change affects the 140W USB-C Power Adapter Apple separately sells for $99.
Time and again, Apple remains in the news for choosing a different path. The Lightning connector kept the iPhone on a different road for years before switching to USB-C. Last year, Apple surprised MacBook Pro users in the EU and the UK by removing the power adapter from the MacBook Pro retail box.
The Cupertino giant celebrated its 50th birthday this week by hosting an exclusive concert at Apple Park and handing out special edition goodies to its employees. You can check out all the recent stories in our latest issue of Apple Rewind.
