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Last week Apple announced its new lineup of MacBook Pros and revealed they include only new USB-C-style connectors, dropping all legacy ports (other than, oddly enough, the headphone jack.) While the aggressive move means owners can charge their laptop through any of the jacks, and have the new capabilities offered, it also means that simple things like plugging in an iPhone to charge will require an adapter of some kind, which is not included.
As my former podcast partner Ben Drawbaugh noted, stocking up on dongles to go with your new laptop gets pricey fast, and Mac buyers have responded angrily online in our comment sections and elsewhere, However, now Apple says it will help them make the switch by "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."
The new prices in the Apple Store:
- USB-C to USB Adapter drops from $19 to $9
- Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter drops from $49 to $29
- USB-C to Lightning Cable (1m) drops from $25 to $19
- USB-C to Lightning Cable (2m) from $35 to $29
- USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter from $69 to $49
- USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter from $69 to $49
- SanDisk Extreme Pro SD UHS-II Card USB-C Reader drops from $49 to $29
- All other third party USB-C peripherals ~25% off
Will not include Apple USB-C power adaptors or the USB-C Charge Cable (2m)
The only hitch remaining? These price drops are temporary. In a statement provided to Engadget on this lovely Friday afternoon, an Apple spokesperson said they would remain in effect through the end of the year, so even if you're not buying a new laptop immediately, you may want to stock up on new cabling now. The Apple store page confirms this, saying "* Discount reflected in price. Subject to availability and quantity limits apply. Pricing effective October 27 - December 31, 2016."
There's also no word on credits for those who have purchased these products already, however as iMore points out, if you bought them since the announcement they should still be within the return period so you can contact Apple about that.
Update: MacRumors points out that prices on the LG 4K and 5K displays announced last week have dropped by about 25 percent. Apparently, they count as third-party USB-C peripherals? The UltraFine 5K Display is down to $974 from $1,300, while the Ultrafine 4K Display is down to $524, from $700.