Power adapter conflict: Did Apple have to drop MacBook power supply in the EU?
Anyone who wants to charge their 1800 Euro MacBook Pro M5 needs to get a power adapter. But Apple didn't force anyone to do so.
Crossed-out Apple power adapter: The omission was not necessary.
(Image: Apple / Bearbeitung heise medien)
Most users are now used to Apple no longer including a power adapter with new iPhones. Even that is not undisputed, as you may have to dig deep into your pockets for the fast charging function. But that now the MacBook Pro M5, which costs at least 1800 euros, no longer comes with a power supply is really annoying. Because not every user will have the necessary 70-watt power adapter for normal charging speed in their drawer. Apple is implementing this only in Europe so radically. You have to pay 65 euros extra to the manufacturer if you want to purchase the previously included power supply. Apple is acting this way because of upcoming changes in EU regulations starting next year. However, it didn't have to be implemented this way; it could have been done more customer-friendly.
Apple could have had a choice
Because: Although the EU directive for uniform chargers will apply to notebooks and laptops for the first time from spring 2026. However, this does not force Apple to omit it. Instead, customers should be given the option, in addition to the standard USB-C port, whether they need a power adapter or not. The emphasis is on “option”: So Apple could have had a choice. A small catch—and the customer could have decided when ordering whether they required the power supply or not.
Videos by heise
Apple, which has not yet officially commented on the change, could argue that this is a logistical problem. But that is not the case. Previously, devices had to be supplied with suitable plugs for the power adapters depending on the market, and there are countless configuration options. For example, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max: Here you can choose from three colors—little for Apple—with four different storage sizes, which can be easily kept and delivered by Apple. It would also have been conceivable to simply reorder the omitted power adapter and pick it up, for example, free of charge in an Apple Store or an authorized retailer. This is also by no means new: with “Antennagate,” Apple distributed hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of cases and “bumpers” free of charge afterward.
Charger no longer included in Great Britain either
Interesting: Apple no longer includes a power adapter with the MacBook Pro M5 in Great Britain either, even though the country has long since ceased to be part of the European Union. So it is conceivable that the approach is just a preview of a worldwide rollout. Currently, a MagSafe to USB-C cable is still included in the packaging. This could also be on the hit list one day.
However, as a buyer, you may then be in a bind: Anyone who doesn't have a power adapter and cable cell phone can only use their Mac for as long as Apple has pre-charged it from the factory. It is still unclear whether Apple will also omit the power adapter for its more expensive MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max—these are expected in spring.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
