Power supply conflict: Did Apple have to cancel the MacBook power supply in the EU?

Most users are now used to Apple no longer including a power adapter with new iPhones. This alone is not without controversy, as you may have to dig deep into your pocket. But the fact that the MacBook Pro M5, which costs at least 1800 euros, no longer comes with a power supply is really annoying. Because the 70-watt power adapter required for charging at normal speed will not be available to every user. Apple is only implementing this so radically in Europe. 65 euros additional must pay the manufacturer if you want to purchase the power supply that was previously included free of charge. Apple is acting this way because there will be changes to the EU requirements from next year. However, this would not have had to be implemented in this way – it could also have been done in a more customer-friendly way.

Apple would have had a choice

Because: From spring 2026, the EU directive for uniform chargers will also take effect for notebooks and laptops for the first time. But this does not force Apple to omit it. Instead, in addition to the standard USB-C port, customers will be given the option of whether they need a power adapter or not. The emphasis is on “option”: Apple would have had a choice. A small catch – and the customer could have determined when ordering whether he needed the power supply or not.

Apple, which has yet to officially comment on the change, could argue that it would be a logistical issue. But this is not the case. Even before, devices had to be supplied with suitable plugs for the power supplies depending on the market, and there are also countless configuration options. For example, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max: Here you can choose from three colors alone – little for Apple – with four different memory sizes, which can be easily kept and delivered by Apple. It would also have been conceivable that the omitted power adapter could have simply been reordered and picked up free of charge at an Apple store or an authorized retailer. This is also by no means new: With the “Antennagate”, Apple subsequently distributed hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of cases and “bumpers” free of charge.

Charger no longer available in Great Britain either

Interesting: Apple no longer includes a power adapter with the MacBook Pro M5 in the UK either, even though the country has long since ceased to be part of the European Union. It is therefore conceivable that the procedure is only a foretaste of a worldwide rollout. The packaging currently includes a MagSafe to USB-C cable. This could also be on the hit list one day.

However, as a buyer, you may be stupid: If you don’t have a power adapter and cable ready, you can only use your Mac as long as Apple has pre-charged it from the factory. It is still unclear whether Apple will also omit the power adapter from its more expensive MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max – these are not expected until spring.