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Apple readying 96W USB-C power adapter for 16-inch MacBook Pro

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A reliable source is saying that Apple is on the cusp of releasing a 96W power adapter, and since no currently shipping Apple product needs that much power, it is likely for the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro.

As pointed out in a Tweet by ChargerLab, Chongdiantou was tipped to the presence of the adapter on Friday morning. The venue says that the adapter is model number A2166, and is about the same size as the 87W adapter used for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

The provenance of the image, and the product it is designed for, cannot be confirmed. However, Chongdiantou has published multiple pictures and accurate diagrams of Apple's charging gear before, most recently the company's 18W USB-C power adapter.

While not confirmation, this is not the first time that we've heard the 96W figure. Apple's Pro Display XDR is capable of 96W through the Thunderbolt 3 ports for a host computer. Obviously, that's not needed on the Mac Pro, but would be for a portable device attached to the display.

At present, Apple isn't saying if the 15-inch MacBook Pro lines currently shipping will drive the Pro Display XDR at maximum resolution and bit-depth.

Production of the 16-inch MacBook Pro has reportedly already begun. Rumors suggest the laptop was designed by Apple's pro product team, the same group that worked on the upcoming Mac Pro. If true, the Pro could benefit from custom hardware specifically designed to handle professional applications.

Rumors also suggest that the 16-inch MacBook Pro will be powered by an refresh of Intel's Coffee Lake-H mobile processor series. Apple currently relies on Coffee Lake-H silicon to power its 15-inch MacBook Pro lineup.



12 Comments

wood1208 10 Years · 2938 comments

Hope to see WiFi 6 replaces WiFi 5 in 16" Mackbook Pro. Moreover, when 10nm Intel chips coming to Mackbook Air/Pro or Apple ARM is the answer.

jdiamond 10 Years · 132 comments

Might have to wait until year 2 for the scissors keyboard, but it's worth the wait. :)

tenthousandthings 17 Years · 1060 comments

This makes me happy.

Also thanks for making it clear that Apple has not said whether the current MBP can drive the XDR display at full resolution and depth. 

hmlongco 9 Years · 586 comments

Damn. Pretty much means that no current docking station or monitor will be able to provide sufficient power to run the computer on a single cable.

wizard69 21 Years · 13358 comments

This s could be a universal solution for all laptops.   There isn’t a lot of advantage in power supplies sized for individual machines.  Apple could save huge buck with a supply that handles most of the laptop line.  

On the flip side you m hoping Apple seriously addresses the thermal throttling issue because 96 watts is a lot of power in a laptop.    Of course this large adapter could be to supply the power budget for more ports.   Shocking as it may seem this pro might have 4 USB-C ports.