After the 16-inch MacBook Pro was updated last month, customers in some countries began to notice that Apple’s 140W USB-C Power Adapter that comes with it has a subtle design change that breaks compatibility with Apple’s Power Adapter Extension Cable.
Specifically, while the charger continues to have a removable plug, Apple has apparently tweaked the design of the underlying male connector with two pins. The connector now has a slimmer pill-like shape, whereas it previously had a small triangular indent in the bottom of it. Due to this change, the new charger does not work with Apple’s Power Adapter Extension Cable, which still has a female connector designed to match the previous male connector.
The redesigned male connector (on the right in the photo)Oddly, Apple’s product page for the Power Adapter Extension Cable says the cable is compatible with its 140W USB-C power adapters, despite this issue.
Apple’s discontinued World Travel Adapter Kit is also incompatible with the version of Apple’s 140W USB-C Power Adapter with the redesigned male connector.
The new design has been spotted in Australia and China, but other customers have said their power adapters are not affected, so it is a hit-or-miss situation. We have yet to confirm exactly which countries are impacted by this issue, or if the 140W USB-C Power Adapter that Apple sells separately is affected by this change anywhere.
We have reached out to Apple for comment.
This article, “Apple’s New 16-Inch MacBook Pro Charger Has a Compatibility Issue” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums