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In reading up on the electricity that is offered in the Philippines, I see that I should expect 220V, 60HZ, type A,B,C.

I have an authentic Apple World Travel Adapter Kit. On my trip I'm thinking of taking the following pieces from the kit:

Type A plug, labelled on-unit "2.5A 250V" and Type C plug, labelled on-unit "2.5A 250V 50HZ" (thin-rounded)

The kit also provides:

Type C plug, labelled on-unit "2.5A 250V" (thick-rounded)

My primary concern is the 50HZ vs unlabelled HZ between the Type C plugs. While I also can bring both, I'm wondering is there is a definitive answer to which of the Type C plugs is more appropriate and safer for my device (whether the hertz difference is a concern)?

Specifically, I am using a 2015 Macbook Pro with the authentic power supply.

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The MacBook Pro's power adapter, like that for most electronic devices, does not care; it accepts anything in a range of 50-60Hz. You can see this on the label of the power adapter itself.

The pieces in the World Travel Adapter Kit are just plug adapters; they don't do anything to adjust the electricity coming in, but just fit different types of outlets used around the world. It's the MacBook Pro's power adapter that cares about the voltage and frequency of the input electricity. Fortunately, the adapter is a universal one, so it accepts a wide range (100-240V, 50-60Hz for the one I have right here).

So the short answer is that you should use whatever plug adapter physically fits in the outlet you're dealing with. In the Philippines, you should find both American-style two-blade outlets (though they are 220V, not the 110V found in the US) and Central European-style two-prong outlets, also ~220V. It's hard for me to tell what you're describing as "thick-rounded" and "thin-rounded" without a picture, but only one of them will physically be the right size.

If this picture is accurate, you'll want the type C ungrounded "round thin pins" used in most parts of Continental Europe (along with the North American "flat parallel blades with holes"), not the "round thick pins."

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  • Based on your answer, it seems like it would have been much more prudent for Apple to have left off all the Voltage/Hertz text from the adapter pieces themselves, as they are not only irrelevant (don't adjust the electricity coming in) but also partially misleading (the 50hz labelling on the thin round adapter does not actually limit or apply). I'll be going to the Philippines with the confidence of the right adapters, thanks!
    – hexparrot
    Apr 18 '16 at 16:19
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    @hexparrot I think they just label it that way because those are the most common plug sizes for places with the labeled power phase and most people would have no clue what they meant if they labeled it with the actual name of the standard for the mechanical specifications of the plug. However, Zach is correct that the plug itself doesn't affect the power phase at all. The power supply brick does that. Note, however, that while most phones, computers, etc. have auto-switching supplies these days, other devices like hairdryers, electric razors, etc. might not, in which case input phase matters.
    – reirab
    May 27 '16 at 20:01

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