Apple Watch SE Now Comes With a USB-C Charging Cable

[iSayuSay]

How about the Magsafe Duo? It comes with an Apple Watch charger which plugged in through Lightning, but requires USB-C on the other end.

Will it fast charge the Watch? It’s pretty confusing what works and and whatnot.

 

[Zdigital2015]

You somehow sponsor them to buy a new device with USB-C port? Wow.

No, this isn’t about buying a device to get USB-C. Just buy a damn charger. Good grief, why is this so hard for this crowd. Again, this is a forum full of people that considers themselves tech savvy and forward thinking, yet there is a constant stream of caterwauling about buying a damn cable or a charger. Stay in the dark ages, clinging to USB-A for all eternity. Good grief! I’ve had to buy so many cables to get stuff working over the past 42 years, none of this USB-C transition phases me in the least. Black SCSI terminators, yeah, sure, that was a pain. Serial cables could be a pain. ADC to DVI, or MiniDVI to whatever. Well, that was a waste of money since I knew Apple wouldn’t keep using it, but I digress. But jeez, I’ve listened to people bitch about USB-A this and USB-A that for 6-1/2 years. I bought my 2016 MacBook Pro, $50 worth of cables NOT dongles, and I was done. Moved on with my life and my time. Figure it out people!

 

[Zdigital2015]

My printer came with a cable. But it prints wirelessly, anyway.

I have a one-month old Windows desktop that doesn’t have USB-C.

Apple will gladly charge a cool $1000 for a damn iPhone but think they’re being fleeced including a charging block. As between Apple and me, one of us is worth way north of $1,000,000,000,000 and it isn‘t me

You bought a Windows desktop without USB-C or Thunderbolt 3/4 in the year 2021? Seriously? Sorry, but that’s just short sighted as hell. USB-A is going away, it may take another 5 years, but eventually it’s gone.

Is it a cult I’m not aware of? The cult of cling to USB-A until the Second Coming? Seriously, people seem proud they have only USB-A cables, like you’re defying Apple. It’s silly, stop it.

 

[technole]

I don't think some people understand the business case on why things are the way they are.

Doubtful lightning goes away from iPhone even if it was part of the 10-year plan, they collect too much of a premium from 3rd-party attachments to let that go to USB-C for free.

Apple Watch always was USB from the get-go, which was appropriate because its not like your attaching some 3rd party devices to it, it's just for the charging puck. Naturally they had been getting rid of any USB-A in the product line and so that makes sense, along with the benefits of faster charging.

 

[citysnaps]

You bought a Windows desktop without USB-C or Thunderbolt 3/4 in the year 2021? Seriously? Sorry, but that’s just short sighted as hell. USB-A is going away, it may take another 5 years, but eventually it’s gone.

Is it a cult I’m not aware of? The cult of cling to USB-A until the Second Coming? Seriously, people seem proud they have only USB-A cables, like you’re defying Apple. It’s silly, stop it.

I don't know. But I've noticed the same thing. It's like people enjoy being helpless and feeling aggrieved. Moaning about it is a badge of honor.

First thing I did purchasing my 2017 MacBook Pro with USB-C ports was purchase a couple of USB-C cables for around $6 each. While everyone else was getting a case of the vapours and having a fainting spell about so-called dongle-mania. Jeeeez. Just buy the proper cables and move forward.

It's bewildering.

 

[oldmacs]

What about the Series 3?

 

[coolfactor]

Fast is relative. What about when they increase the charging rate even further? Will the current fast charger suddenly become a slow charger? 🤣

 

[coolfactor]

Now I've just spend almost $2K on a phone and watch...and I have nothing to charge them with! Why can't Apple at least offer the adapters at a reduced price when ordered along side their products? Greedy buggers!

Do the math: At $19 per adapter (that Apple no longer puts in the box) it profits in extra $19 million for every million devices sold.

I highly doubt you have _nothing_. And it's not about profits, it's about environment. Just look around yourself for one minute to see why manufacturers MUST take responsibility for what they are putting out into the world.

 

[coolfactor]

My printer came with a cable. But it prints wirelessly, anyway.

I have a one-month old Windows desktop that doesn’t have USB-C.

Apple will gladly charge a cool $1000 for a damn iPhone but think they’re being fleeced including a charging block. As between Apple and me, one of us is worth way north of $1,000,000,000,000 and it isn‘t me.

You bought a Windows desktop and you're whining on MacRumors? Hmmm, let's see where this is going. 🤣

 

[bgillander]

Apple intended have the Watch pair with AirPower, and any slight curvature in the caseback was not enough to discourage that scenario, or be seen as a problem.

The Watches use tiny 1.1Wh cells and charge at very low rates. Not a demanding requirement, in either technical or practical terms.

Sorry, but using AirPower as a justification made me laugh, because even its name feels like somehow citing the Hindenburg as a positive reason for airships.

 

[bgillander]

My printer came with a cable. But it prints wirelessly, anyway.

I have a one-month old Windows desktop that doesn’t have USB-C.

Apple will gladly charge a cool $1000 for a damn iPhone but think they’re being fleeced including a charging block. As between Apple and me, one of us is worth way north of $1,000,000,000,000 and it isn‘t me.

Good lord. How did you find a Windows desktop without any USB-C? Can I ask the model, is it Windows 10 or vintage?

 

[bgillander]

I don't understand how we don't have Type-C multi-port charging solutions. At most I have seen two port units for my nightstand. Right now I have a six port type A charger and I don't want to be constantly switching cables on two ports.

Where are you looking? I just searched Amazon Canada and there is at least one UGREEN model with 3 USB-C ports and 1 USB-A for around $50 CAD. I assume that more ports aren’t common because the potential output on each individual USB-C port is multiple times that of USB-A, so the total wattage becomes quite high. Even with that UGREEN, it’s 65 Watt total, but you only get that with one port in use and it splits the wattage with more devices plugged in. I think I saw a KickStarter project with a 4 port charger and they mentioned something about concerns about the total wattage.

 

[1rottenapple]

Now I've just spend almost $2K on a phone and watch...and I have nothing to charge them with! Why can't Apple at least offer the adapters at a reduced price when ordered along side their products? Greedy buggers!

Do the math: At $19 per adapter (that Apple no longer puts in the box) it profits in extra $19 million for every million devices sold.

Just buy an alternative brand. They’re the same and you often get a smaller charger.

 

[mrochester]

I don't know. But I've noticed the same thing. It's like people enjoy being helpless and feeling aggrieved. Moaning about it is a badge of honor.

First thing I did purchasing my 2017 MacBook Pro with USB-C ports was purchase a couple of USB-C cables for around $6 each. While everyone else was getting a case of the vapours and having a fainting spell about so-called dongle-mania. Jeeeez. Just buy the proper cables and move forward.

It's bewildering.

same, agree 100%.

 

[ImaginaryNerve]

I will say I wish they went two years with including a USB-C brick on the iPhones instead of just one, considering how my partner and I stagger our iPhone purchases. Luckily, I've had a few USB-C bricks hanging around from my Surface Pro (I absolutely HATED the surface connect charger) and our new MBPs have USB-C adapters that we barely use because of the fantastic battery life. I actually use my laptop's adapter for my iPad Pro more than I do for my MBP now since I keep the two together. All in all, I'd say I've only purchased...two USB-C adapters---one from Apple for my partner's iPhone 11 so he'd be able to charge in his office as well as overnight by the bed---and one from Anker for my Surface Pro that I now...have no idea where it is, actually. Probably somewhere near the Surface Pro which is probably in a closet somewhere.

Between the MBP, the Mac Mini's USB-C ports, the neat trash-can mac looking power strip thing I bought ages ago, the USB-C Adapter that came with my previous iPhone, the two USB-C ports on the back of my gaming PC, I really don't have an issues with them not including a charging brick anymore.

Adapters and cables have always been hit-or-miss in the tech world for years unless its proprietary. Remember the Nintendo DS? Or the old printer cables before printers went wireless? Hell, HDMI cables aren't even always in with TVs! I've purchased way more HDMI cables than I have any other adapter/cable right now.

 

[0924487]

Does USB-C really cost more than USB-A?

 

[Sir Ruben]

This has no benefit to SE owners, this is just Apple simplifying their production line to save themselves even more pennies. Along with the pennies they are saving by not including a plastic wrap around the boxes anymore, or including EarPods or a charging bricks with iPhones.

They claim its about the environment, but its just microscopic cost cutting actions. If Apple were so concerned about the environment they would allow their staff to work from home rather than forcing their staff to commute into the office.

 

[votdfak]

I have simple setup, ugreen 65w pd charger (3 usb-c, 1 usb-a), inCharge X cable (long version and little one too), and I will need to upgrade to this one if it's gonna charge my 6 faster.

 

[ian87w]

Does USB-C really cost more than USB-A?

Yes, for a proper one that supports USB-C standards like USB-PD and USB3 data transfer. It requires a chip in the cable.

Many cheap USB-C cables are basically just USB2.0 cables with USB-C connector at the end. It charges slowly and data transfer is USB2 speed.

 

[bgillander]

This has no benefit to SE owners, this is just Apple simplifying their production line to save themselves even more pennies. Along with the pennies they are saving by not including a plastic wrap around the boxes anymore, or including EarPods or a charging bricks with iPhones.

They claim its about the environment, but its just microscopic cost cutting actions. If Apple were so concerned about the environment they would allow their staff to work from home rather than forcing their staff to commute into the office.

Did Apple claim this was about the environment? I don’t recall that and it wouldn’t make sense, as they just swapped the newer cable for the old cable and didn’t reduce the number of parts. It does have a benefit for SE owners if they prefer the newer cable and want to plug it into their newer Mac that doesn’t include USB-A, while it doesn’t benefit an SE owner if they want to use an old USB charger. I’m truly surprised so many MacRumors readers are so attached to keeping old legacy chargers. If you are truly that concerned about the environment, you shouldn’t be upgrading to a new watch/phone/iPad that includes the new cable, and just stick with the old one that goes with its charger you want to keep and save the environment even further.

As for the cost savings for Apple, well, duh. Of course they are trying to up profit. And if you don’t think they would bump the price up equivalently if they put the charger back in the package, I’ve got a bridge to sell you that would look great with that new Apple Watch SE you bought.

 

[ian87w]

Did Apple claim this was about the environment? I don’t recall that and it wouldn’t make sense, as they just swapped the newer cable for the old cable and didn’t reduce the number of parts. It does have a benefit for SE owners if they prefer the newer cable and want to plug it into their newer Mac that doesn’t include USB-A, while it doesn’t benefit an SE owner if they want to use an old USB charger. I’m truly surprised so many MacRumors readers are so attached to keeping old legacy chargers. If you are truly that concerned about the environment, you shouldn’t be upgrading to a new watch/phone/iPad that includes the new cable, and just stick with the old one that goes with its charger you want to keep and save the environment even further.

As for the cost savings for Apple, well, duh. Of course they are trying to up profit. And if you don’t think they would bump the price up equivalently if they put the charger back in the package, I’ve got a bridge to sell you that would look great with that new Apple Watch SE you bought.

It's annoying since Apple has shipped USB-C only Macbooks for years, but stuck with USB-A lightning cables on iPhones and Apple Watches for years. Apple should've done this way sooner (and bundled USB-C chargers with iPhones) when they decided to go USB-C only on Macs, so when they decided to dump the charger, people won't be as surprised with the USB-C cable.

Now, It's as if Apple simply want to sell extra USB-C chargers.

 

[chetzar]

Everything is going to USBC, except for the freaking iPhone.

 

[svish]

Bundling with a USB C cable is a good move.

 

[Deguello]

You bought a Windows desktop without USB-C or Thunderbolt 3/4 in the year 2021? Seriously? Sorry, but that’s just short sighted as hell. USB-A is going away, it may take another 5 years, but eventually it’s gone.

Is it a cult I’m not aware of? The cult of cling to USB-A until the Second Coming? Seriously, people seem proud they have only USB-A cables, like you’re defying Apple. It’s silly, stop it.

I have no use for either one. My gaming mice and keyboards are USB-A. My monitors are DisplayPort into the graphics card. I transfer large files over Ethernet. I have an m.2 SSD is a case if I need to transport large files and the USB 3.x port pumps out the data plenty fast for what I need. My printer is wireless.

Since you know so much about my needs, why do I need USB-C on this machine, which will probably be retired to a file server or backup machine within the five year window you mention?

 

[Deguello]

You bought a Windows desktop and you're whining on MacRumors? Hmmm, let's see where this is going. 🤣

Where did I whine?

I play games on it that I can’t play well on my iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, AppleTV, or Apple Watch.

Where it’s going is that I buy what works best for the task at hand for me and, for gaming, that’s a Windows PC.