New MacBook Pro Does Not Include a Charger in the Box in Europe

[JSRinUK]

Until last year, I was a Windows user and my first foray into Macs was a MacBook Pro. The only USB chargers I had were phone chargers - USB-A (nothing more than 10W). All previous laptops had power adapters, and the idea than a USB brick could power a laptop wouldn’t have crossed my mind.

I know many people who think that plugging a power hungry device like this into a common old phone charger that they may have lying around will be a scary prospect. And if they find it doesn’t supply enough power to charge, they’ll think they have a faulty laptop.

In the end, I just wonder how many new potential Apple customers will be put off by this. But I’m sure they know what they’re doing.

 

[mrochester]

Until last year, I was a Windows user and my first foray into Macs was a MacBook Pro. The only USB chargers I had were phone chargers - USB-A (nothing more than 10W). All previous laptops had power adapters, and the idea than a USB brick could power a laptop wouldn’t have crossed my mind.

I know many people who think that plugging a power hungry device like this into a common old phone charger that they may have lying around will be a scary prospect. And if they find it doesn’t supply enough power to charge, they’ll think they have a faulty laptop.

In the end, I just wonder how many new potential Apple customers will be put off by this. But I’m sure they know what they’re doing.

Potential new customers will have to get used to it as when shopping for a laptop from April 2026 in the EU this will likely be the new normal - charging bricks will be an optional extra. Although I can’t imagine there are many people left buying their first laptop in 2025! Once you’ve bought a laptop and a charging brick you now have one to keep using when you buy your next laptop without a charging brick, and so on and so on.

 

[JSRinUK]

Potential new customers will have to get used to it as when shopping for a laptop from April 2026 in the EU this will likely be the new normal - charging bricks will be an optional extra.

As soon as companies like Apple realise they can get away with it in the EU, they’ll do it everywhere.

My last laptop was a Surface Pro 6 (didn’t even have a USB-C port), and my phone is the 12 mini. The advances in USB-C had pretty much passed me by, and I’m fairly tech-savvy on most things. I just think there are a lot of people who don’t even know this much who won’t “just get used to it” - they’ll think they have a faulty laptop.

But Apple didn’t become this rich by not knowing what they’re doing were doing.

 

[mrochester]

As soon as companies like Apple realise they can get away with it in the EU, they’ll do it everywhere.

My last laptop was a Surface Pro 6 (didn’t even have a USB-C port), and my phone is the 12 mini. The advances in USB-C had pretty much passed me by, and I’m fairly tech-savvy on most things. I just think there are a lot of people who don’t even know this much who won’t “just get used to it” - they’ll think they have a faulty laptop.

But Apple didn’t become this rich by not knowing what they’re doing were doing.

Absolutely it’ll spread to everywhere. But that’s the idea as that means maximum environmental benefit.

Even if 90% of people choose to buy a charger with their new laptop that’s still 10% fewer chargers having to be manufactured. And I suspect the number of people who won’t buy a charger with a new laptop will be much higher than that. And we get maximum benefit when it’s global.

 

[JSRinUK]

Absolutely it’ll spread to everywhere. But that’s the idea as that means maximum environmental benefit.

Even if 90% of people choose to buy a charger with their new laptop that’s still 10% fewer chargers having to be manufactured. And I suspect the number of people who won’t buy a charger with a new laptop will be much higher than that. And we get maximum benefit when it’s global.

In ten years time, we won’t even talk about it, you’re right.

However, it does seem a little ironic that it often appears that Apple had to be dragged kicking and screaming into USB-C (especially with phones and their lightning connection), yet now they seem to think everyone has USB-C chargers that can output 100W just lying around unused.

Personally, since understanding a little more about USB-C charging due to my MacBook Pro (the revelation of being able to charge from the supplied brick into a USB port and not just the MagSafe was the threshold moment for me), I now have a couple of Anker multi-port chargers that’s do the job. But, without that MBP and its supplied brick, I’d still be pretty clueless.

Maybe most will choose to buy a charger with the purchase but, for new buyers, if it appears the charger is “optional” and not required, they won’t pay £79 for something they don’t think it needs. I just hope that this is all made abundantly clear on the website.

 

[Abazigal]

However, it does seem a little ironic that it often appears that Apple had to be dragged kicking and screaming into USB-C (especially with phones and their lightning connection), yet now they seem to think everyone has USB-C chargers that can output 100W just lying around unused.

People seem to forget that the 2016 MacBook Pro came with only usb c ports, and Apple was accused of trying to profit from the sales of adaptors.

There’s something very weird about the mindset of people who frequent MacRumours. Everybody wants change, yet nobody wants to change.

 

[mrochester]

In ten years time, we won’t even talk about it, you’re right.

However, it does seem a little ironic that it often appears that Apple had to be dragged kicking and screaming into USB-C (especially with phones and their lightning connection), yet now they seem to think everyone has USB-C chargers that can output 100W just lying around unused.

Personally, since understanding a little more about USB-C charging due to my MacBook Pro (the revelation of being able to charge from the supplied brick into a USB port and not just the MagSafe was the threshold moment for me), I now have a couple of Anker multi-port chargers that’s do the job. But, without that MBP and its supplied brick, I’d still be pretty clueless.

Maybe most will choose to buy a charger with the purchase but, for new buyers, if it appears the charger is “optional” and not required, they won’t pay £79 for something they don’t think it needs. I just hope that this is all made abundantly clear on the website.

Apple came out with all USB-C laptops in 2016 and people screamed bloody murder (personally I was delighted as every port could do everything). It was consumers who held back on USB-C adoption, not Apple.

 

[mrochester]

People seem to forget that the 2016 MacBook Pro came with only usb c ports, and Apple was accused of trying to profit from the sales of adaptors.

There’s something very weird about the mindset of people who frequent MacRumours. Everybody wants change, yet nobody wants to change.

Spot on!

 

[jlc1978]

Maybe most will choose to buy a charger with the purchase but, for new buyers, if it appears the charger is “optional” and not required, they won’t pay £79 for something they don’t think it needs. I just hope that this is all made abundantly clear on the website.

Any Apple sales person worth their salt will ask if the buyer has an appropriate PS and if not offer one.

I’ve seen that with iPhones and not push one if the person says they do.

 

[jlc1978]

Yes agree and if you’re in the EU the decreased price negates the lack of charger, however my issue is in the UK the Mac’s price is the same so by adding a charger there’s effectively a price increase.

Looking at the pound/dollar historical exchange rates and volatility is why I suspect that is the driver of the unchanged price.

It is what it is and Apple are free to do what they want but I’m personally not happy about it.

Fair enough. I would not like it either even if I understand why.

 

[Spectrum]

This is just fine.

My only qualm is them not offering a complimentary basic charger if you purposely select it at checkout.

Yep, it should be a complementary add-on.

This is runs on the premise that you have more operational macbook chargers then operational MacBooks. Otherwise you still need one charger per Macbook.

From my experience, my Apple laptops generally last longer than the chargers!

 

[Spectrum]

The trouble with not charging extra for the charger is that it would negate the intended benefit of them being removed in the first place, which is to reduce the environmental impact. Users won’t hesitate the take the box with the included charger regardless of whether they needed one or not. It has to be financially disadvantageous to get the charger. You make things bad for the environment more expensive and things good for the environment cheaper.

It also has the side benefit of increasing Apple’s profits.

In that case, they should give you a voucher for a free charger should you need a replacement in the future (say, within 3 years). This encourages reuse and suppresses disposability, without any financial penalty.

 

[jlc1978]

Yep, it should be a complementary add-on.

In that case, they should give you a voucher for a free charger should you need a replacement in the future (say, within 3 years). This encourages reuse and suppresses disposability, without any financial penalty.

And Apple price it in the base price to cover their anticipated costs, just like they do with warranties and other liabilities.

I suspect if Apple offered it for free with purchase they'd run afoul of the spirit of the EU regulations and face regulatory scrutinity.

 

[mrochester]

And Apple price it in the base price to cover their anticipated costs, just like they do with warranties and other liabilities.

I suspect if Apple offered it for free with purchase they'd run afoul of the spirit of the EU regulations and face regulatory scrutinity.

The law allows Apple to include a charger free of charge if it wants, but it isn’t required to do so.

 

[hgfjhbvytjdnb]

If you BTO, you can get a box with a charger in it. If it is a stock SKU, you can add a charger to the order (out of box) for the same cost on the next screen. Arguably, they should have not had a BTO option with the charger in-box in Europe.

They could still include the charger as a selectable option on the stock SKU's and deliver in a separate box, rather than it being completely greyed out.

 

[mrochester]

They could still include the charger as a selectable option on the stock SKU's and deliver in a separate box, rather than it being completely greyed out.

They could, although to be fair they explain exactly how to get one right underneath the options.

 

[jlc1978]

The law allows Apple to include a charger free of charge if it wants, but it isn’t required to do so.

The rule states:

Possibility for consumers and other end-users to acquire certain categories or classes of radio equipment without a charging device

1.

Where an economic operator offers to consumers and other end-users the possibility to acquire the radio equipment referred to in Article 3(4) together with a charging device, the economic operator shall also offer the consumers and other end-users the possibility of acquiring that radio equipment without any charging device.

So the question will be how will EU regulators react to operators providing it for free? Will they have to let them refuse it in order to for "end-users the possibility of acquiring that radio equipment without any charging device."

While we may think a free one is OK, that's not what the rule actually says and who knows how regulators will react.

 

[macbookj0e]

This will just be the new normal. The EU price decrease almost certainly won’t be related to the charger but changes in the currency as evidenced by the UK price having not changed when the charger was removed from the box. Likewise, I don’t believe any other product has gone down in price when the charger was removed from the box.

The cost of the charger to Apple is tiny so even if they did reduce the price it wouldn’t be anywhere near the retail price of the charger - maybe £5-£10 at the most.

Yes you’re probably right.

While the cost of the charger is likely minimal for Apple, it’s not so much for consumers. These higher wattage MacBook chargers aren’t as prevalent in households as phone chargers, at least not in my house anyway.

 

[mrochester]

Yes you’re probably right.

While the cost of the charger is likely minimal for Apple, it’s not so much for consumers. These higher wattage MacBook chargers aren’t as prevalent in households as phone chargers, at least not in my house anyway.

Then buy one and now you have it for many years worth of laptops 👍

 

[mrochester]

The rule states:

Possibility for consumers and other end-users to acquire certain categories or classes of radio equipment without a charging device

1.

Where an economic operator offers to consumers and other end-users the possibility to acquire the radio equipment referred to in Article 3(4) together with a charging device, the economic operator shall also offer the consumers and other end-users the possibility of acquiring that radio equipment without any charging device.

So the question will be how will EU regulators react to operators providing it for free? Will they have to let them refuse it in order to for "end-users the possibility of acquiring that radio equipment without any charging device."

While we may think a free one is OK, that's not what the rule actually says and who knows how regulators will react.

This is why I think I’ve heard rumours that they will make the ability to include a charger illegal in the future, rather than an option as it will be for the time being.

 

[technole]

As linked to earlier, the EU haven’t forced this decision…

No, the EU didn't ban Apple from including a charger with the M5 MacBook Pro

There was quite a lot of discussion yesterday – and not a little confusion – when it was revealed that...

9to5mac.com

This isn't an "uh actually" revelation, and yes they did. It's more waste and cost to offer the options, and there is no point in offering another SKU, therefore remove.

 

[hgfjhbvytjdnb]

They could, although to be fair they explain exactly how to get one right underneath the options.

Yeah, that's not very userfriendly though - they built their whole schtick on the front end user-friendliness.

 

[mrochester]

Yeah, that's not very userfriendly though - they built their whole schtick on the front end user-friendliness.

It’s no more user-unfriendly than adding any other accessory.

 

[Nuno Lopes]

No one is saying that, the EU simply requires a non charger version be offered. Manufacturers will decide if they want to offer one with a charger as well. Apple decided not to and let consumers buy one separately if they want.

The EU regulation authorizes unbundling chargers and cables from the product packaging, but it does not require either bundling or unbundling. Either practice is compliant. Regulations were previously silent about unbundling chargers and related cables.

This unbundling is an Apple decision that has little to do with EU regulations compliance. The company is compliant either way.

PS: Go find the regulation that support your opinion and paste it here. I can easily find the one that clearly states mine.

 

[Dirk Pieters]

You can add one even if you select the base model, just not within the device configurator screen. There’s no restriction on adding a charger to any device order. Notice my basket contains 1 item, which is an M5 base model MBP. I can still add a charger to the order.

Exactly.

Must be hard to understand for some.