The next MacBook Pro may bring back the MagSafe connector
It could lose the touch bar and feature faster processors, multiple sources say.
Apple is planning a new design for the MacBook Pro that will mark the return of the the MagSafe charger, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and analyst Ming-chi Kuo (as reported by 9to5Mac). The laptop will come in 14- and 16-inch sizes and likely be revealed in the third quarter of 2021.
The new laptops will use upgraded versions of Apple’s ARM-based processors with more cores and improved graphics, instead of Intel CPUs. On some or all new models, Apple may also kill the Touch Bar, which has not exactly been embraced by users. It’s also planning to add more I/O ports so that you won’t need to buy additional dongles, according to Kuo.
The biggest change, however, could be the return to MagSafe instead of USB-C charging. The latter made it possible to use third-party chargers and charge from either side, but if you tripped on or forgot to disconnect a cable, it could damage to your laptop. The return of MagSafe would stop that, and reportedly allow for faster charging as well. Plus, it was a feature that was much-loved by a lot of MacBook users.
Apple is also looking at brighter and higher-contrast displays, according to Gurman. Kuo believes that the laptop will receive a substantial redesign with squared edges on both the top and bottom halves. That would better jibe with the design language of the 2020 iPhone 12 series and recent iPad Pro models.
If the changes are accurate (always a big “if” with Apple) and assuming it doesn’t change anything before the new laptops are released, the updates would mark a big shift in philosophy from current models. It would also undo a lot of what Apple introduced in the MacBook Pro over the last five years.
