Apple Power Connector 2 travel plug compatibility explained

Apple has redesigned the removable AC plug on its 70W and 140W USB-C power adapters, and the new pill-shaped fitting does not accept older C7-style duckheads or the previous extension cable. That creates a compatibility problem for travelers who want to reuse Apple's older plugs or extension cables with the newly revised chargers (heise online, yesterday; MacRumors, two days ago).

This is not a USB-C change. iPhone 15 and later models still charge with a compliant USB-C cable and power adapter, including USB Power Delivery chargers like the one bundled with a Mac laptop (Apple Support, last week). What changed sits entirely on the wall-plug side of the adapter, not the end that plugs into your device. The people who need to pay attention are buyers of the newly revised 70W and 140W bricks and the matching extension cable, now selling in the U.S. and EU after an earlier rollout in China and Australia (MacRumors; heise online).

What is Apple Power Connector 2?

Apple's new detachable AC plug interface is called "AC Connector 2," also referred to as "Power Connector 2." It's a pill-shaped fitting that replaces the notched design Apple has used for years; Apple now calls that older design "AC Connector 1" (MacRumors, two days ago).

The connector itself isn't new this week. It first appeared on adapters sold in China and Australia earlier in 2026, and the EU is only now seeing the same shift, with the old C7-style connector being phased out there too (heise online, yesterday). In a support document, Apple said the pill-shaped design exists to comply with "updated regulations," though neither Apple's statement nor the reporting around it names the specific regulation or jurisdiction behind it (MacRumors, two days ago). Until Apple or a regulator spells that out, treat the stated rationale as a company claim, not a confirmed legal requirement.

Pricing moved along with the hardware. In the EU, the 70W USB-C Power Adapter with Connector 2 now costs €65, and the 140W version costs €119 (heise online, yesterday).

Are old Apple duckhead plugs compatible with Power Connector 2?

No. Power Connector 2 works only with Power Connector 2 accessories, so older C7/Power Connector 1 duckheads and the previous extension cable won't physically attach to the new 70W and 140W adapters (heise online, yesterday).

The two designs are easy to tell apart on sight: Connector 1 has a visibly notched edge where the plug meets the adapter body, while Connector 2 is smooth and pill-shaped. That said, check the product listing before buying rather than relying on appearance alone, since Apple doesn't always spell out the connector generation in the product title.

MacRumors reported that Apple's earlier Connector 2 rollout in China and Australia led to customer complaints about older extension cables and World Travel Adapter Kits no longer fitting the revised chargers, and that this week's release of updated accessories follows those complaints (MacRumors, two days ago). That history matters for anyone buying today: the fit issue already surfaced for real owners months before Apple shipped matching accessories in the U.S. and EU.

If you own an older-generation 70W or 140W adapter with the notched Connector 1 fitting, you can keep using it with your current duckheads and extension cable. What changes is what you buy next: any new extension cable, travel plug, or replacement adapter has to match the connector generation already on your charger, so a Connector 2 accessory won't help an older Connector 1 brick and vice versa. The reported change concerns the adapter's detachable AC side; the cited reporting doesn't describe any change to USB-C charging for iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Apple Power Connector 1 vs Power Connector 2: which adapters are affected

Three products are confirmed to have moved to Connector 2 so far, all now sold in their new form on Apple's online store in the U.S. and many other countries (MacRumors, two days ago):

• 70W USB-C Power Adapter
• 140W USB-C Power Adapter
• Power Adapter Extension Cable

What's not confirmed is whether Apple's lower-wattage adapters, the 20W, 30W, 35W, 67W, and 96W models, have moved or will move to Connector 2. Current reporting doesn't establish their status either way. Don't assume they're unaffected; just confirm the connector shape on the specific listing before buying or pairing an accessory with one.

The extension cable deserves its own note, because Apple changed more than its shape. It's priced at €25 in the EU, which heise reports as unchanged from before, and gives 1.8 meters of reach (heise online, yesterday). Whether that length itself carried over from the previous cable isn't something the reporting confirms directly, so treat the 1.8-meter figure as the current spec rather than a stated continuation. What is clear: Apple no longer includes this cable with Macs or power adapters, so it's now a standalone purchase that has to match whichever connector generation your adapter uses.

Does the Apple travel adapter kit support Power Connector 2?

Apple's World Travel Adapter Kit had disappeared from its online store at some point in 2025, and it's now back, built entirely around the new connector. It's priced at $39 in the U.S. and €45 in the EU (MacRumors; heise online).

The kit ships with five interchangeable plugs, and all five use the Connector 2 fitting: North America and Japan, continental Europe and Brazil combined, India, the UK/UAE/Saudi Arabia/Singapore group, and Australia/New Zealand (MacRumors, two days ago). None of them will attach to an older Connector 1 adapter, so the kit only makes sense once you've confirmed your charger is already the revised version.

That five-plug lineup is also smaller than what Apple used to offer. The previous kit included separate, dedicated plugs for Korea, Brazil, and mainland China; the new kit folds Brazil into the Europe plug and drops standalone Korea and mainland China plugs entirely (heise online, yesterday). If a trip to either country is on the calendar, Apple's kit alone won't cover the outlet shape you'll need there, and that's a gap worth checking before you pack rather than after you land.

What to do now

Check the connector shape on whatever adapter you already own before buying anything new: a notched fitting means Connector 1, and your existing duckheads and old travel kit still work with it. A smooth, pill-shaped fitting means Connector 2, which requires the matching accessories Apple just released.

If you're buying a new 70W or 140W adapter, don't assume an old extension cable or duckhead from a drawer will fit; confirm the connector generation on the product listing first. And if South Korea or mainland China is on your itinerary, Apple's current travel kit won't cover you, so plan on sourcing a plug for those outlets independently rather than counting on the box to handle it.