You’ll need adapters for existing video and peripherals. No doubt better selections will become apparent soon. Since there is a limited assortment of accessories available for the late-2016 MacBook Pro, I thought I would outline the necessities to order along with your new Mac. This is especially true if you bought the 15″ MacBook Pro, which requires 87 Watts and a cable rated for that much, which is more than typical for USB-C cables. It doesn’t matter which of the USB-C ports you use for power. Pick whichever one is convenient. But many third-party USB-C power adapters and docking stations won’t be compatible with your Mac.Unlike the 2015 12″ Retina MacBook, which has USB-only ports, your late-2016 MacBook Pro has Thunderbolt 3 ports which can do a whole lot more! They’re eight times faster, for one thing, and support higher video resolution.“USB-C” is a port and cable spec, but those ports are capable of a lot more than just USB! They’re where you connect power, video, peripherals, and docking stations. You have two to four USB Type-C ports on your MacBook Pro.

Here’s the TL DR on those USB Type-C ports on the side of your new MacBook Pro: For more information, read Total Nightmare: USB-C and Thunderbolt 3! These things can do quite a lot but you must be careful about what cables and accessories you buy! Revisiting USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 I wrote a very popular article on this topic. If that's you, get the 15-inch MacBook Pro (2015) before Apple stops selling it, and enjoy it until Apple makes another MacBook Pro that really is for everyone again.So you bought a late-2016 MacBook Pro? Congratulations! So did I! But how will you connect your favorite monitor, hard drives, and other accessories to those pesky new USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports? Read on for my “survival guide”, listing the essential cables and accessories you should (and shouldn’t) buy to go with your new MacBook Pro! Your new MacBook Pro includes up to 4 Thunderbolt 3-capable USB Type-C ports. If I need a faster and more modern port, though, I can't retrofit it on.īut I understand that, for many people, the new keyboard is as much a dealbreaker as the lack of old ports. When I stop needing them, I can get rid of them. Dongles have been part of my life for years, from FireWire to VGA and DVI, to Ethernet and now USB-A. From USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 to Touch ID, they're by far the best laptops I've ever used. ConclusionĬonfession: I love the latest MacBooks Pro models. One more thing: Both come in silver and space gray. It offers 14 ports of connectivity: USB 3.1 Gen 2 / Gen 1 + Thunderbolt 3 + microSD Reader + SD Reader + mini DisplayPort + Gigabit Ethernet + S/PDIF + Combo Audio I/O.īottom-line: If you want all the tech in the new but also need all the ports of the old, yo, ho, ho, it's a $$$ #DongleLife you go. For that, I'd recommend the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock. And, yeah, this one is the absolute best of the previous generation.īut you'll also need a hub to add back all those legacy ports. It's barely heavier or thicker, and I got to remove so many accessories from my travel bag that I think I'm actually coming out ahead.īecause I travel so much, I've switched to a 13-inch MacBook Pro, but I've used and reviewed all the 15-inch models over the last few years. It feels as delightful as when I first got one in 2012. I expected it to just look impossibly old. I feared that it would feel thick, heavy, and cumbersome. I thought it would feel like a downgrade, or like going back in time. I recently returned to the 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro after a year away.Īpple still sells this model, brand new, just limited to the integrated-only GPU option (which I prefer as a non-gamer for its battery, heat, and longevity advantages), but I got mine lightly used for over $1000 less. It's hard to make a better case for the 15-inch MacBook Pro (2015) than the one made by Marco Arment, who called it the best laptop ever made:

2015 macbook pro thunderbolt port