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   Responding to Complaints, Apple Drops Adapter and Monitor Prices

   Josh Centers

   Many Apple fans have been irked by how the new line of MacBook Pro
   laptops offer only Thunderbolt 3 ports (which are backward compatible
   with USB-C). To connect to nearly any existing peripheral, users will
   require one or more adapters, such as those for USB-A, DisplayPort,
   HDMI, Ethernet, and even older implementations of Thunderbolt. See
   '[1]Explaining Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, and Everything In Between' (3
   November 2016) for a thorough explanation.

   Apple doesn't get any points for thinking ahead, but happily, the
   company does appear to be responding to the waves of criticism.
   [2]According to the Loop, Apple is dropping prices on many of its
   adapters through the end of 2016. Affected products include:
     * USB-C to USB Adapter: from $19 to $9
     * Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter: from $49 to $29
     * USB-C to Lightning Cable (1m): 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

   Apple is also discounting other USB-C products sold in the Apple online
   store, such as the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD UHS-II Card USB-C Reader,
   which drops from $49 to $29.

   If you've purchased any of these adapters in the past 14 days ' Apple's
   return window ' I recommend calling them and asking for a partial
   refund. I did so earlier today and obtained a $38 refund for my USB-C
   to USB Adapter and my Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter.

   [3]Macrumors reports that Apple has also cut the price of the LG
   UltraFine 5K Display, which it developed with LG, from $1299 to $974.
   Also, Apple slashed the price of the LG UltraFine 4K Display from $699
   to $524. The 5K Display isn't yet available for sale but should launch
   in December 2016.

   Apple could have avoided the entire hullaballoo by including an adapter
   or two in the box with new MacBook Pros or giving customers the option
   to receive the adapter of their choice for free when ordering. Instead,
   Apple came off as trying to nickel-and-dime its most eager customers,
   who were already spending significant sums on the company's latest
   gear. And even still, dropping the prices only through the end of 2016
   seems stingy, given that Apple's adapters and cables are almost always
   the most expensive by far.

References

   1. http://tidbits.com/article/16870
   2. http://www.loopinsight.com/2016/11/04/apple-cuts-prices-on-usb-c-adapters-and-accessories/
   3. http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/04/apple-lg-display-major-price-cut/

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