Kuo: 14" and 16" MacBook Pros coming in Q3 2021 with Apple Silicon, MagSafe charging, no Touch Bar, new design with squared-off sides and more built-in IO ports
The new details turn that broad roadmap into a more defined pro-laptop reset: the larger models are reported to pair Apple Silicon with a redesigned chassis, MagSafe, additional built-in I/O and the removal of the Touch Bar.
First-order effects
Apple’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro lines are positioned to move to Apple Silicon while changing the physical interface and port mix for professional buyers.
The Touch Bar would exit the reported redesign, while MagSafe charging and more built-in ports would return to the higher-end MacBook Pro models.
Second-order effects
MacBook Pro customers and accessory makers would need to adjust to the reported charging and I/O changes, rather than treating the Apple Silicon shift as a processor-only upgrade.
Apple’s earlier 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air transition plan makes the reported larger models the next step in extending Apple Silicon across the Mac lineup.
Third-order effects
If the reported design reaches market, Apple’s Mac transition becomes a broader product-platform reset, combining its in-house chips with changes to ports, charging and controls rather than preserving the prior Intel-era design.
The sequence points to Apple differentiating MacBook tiers through integrated hardware choices alongside Apple Silicon, with the 14-inch and 16-inch models carrying the more substantial redesign.
The trend: Apple’s Mac transition is evolving from an initial Apple Silicon rollout into a redesign of the pro notebook experience around Apple-controlled hardware.
Apple inflicted three multi-year disasters on its own MacBook lineup. Hopefully the end nears. 1. The Touch Bar, costing customers hundreds of dollars for something they didn't want 2. Providing only USB-C ports so you can't sync and charge your iPhone 3. The butterfly keyboard h…
New story: For new high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, Apple indeed plans return of MagSafe, the end of the Touch Bar (finally), brighter screens, minor design changes, next-gen M-series chips and more. Launch around mid-2021. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
New MacBook pro Unix system soon: + Magsafe charging + Full function keys instead of the touchbar + 14 and 16" screen option + M1 CPU (ARM). 32GB Memory. (more core and more ram) + More ports too. Less dongles. - No option for Intel CPU Source: https://www.macrumors.com/... https…
more IO than just USB-C? return of MagSafe? NO touchbar? apple? is that you? VERY interested in this hypothetical upcoming redesigned 16-inch M-series MBP https://twitter.com/...
Apple firing on all cylinders. Looking forward to the new design as since 2016, MacBooks were hindered with keyboard reliability, ran hot and had incremental perf. With no more reliance on Intel,& complete control of hardware/software, the next gen ARM Macs will be something. htt…
NO TOUCH BAR???!! 😍 I've been looking to get an M1 laptop for myself (keep stealing Jamie's 😂), and legit, the one Touch Bar on the Air vs the Pro is worth the light drop in both battery and screen nits no contest. https://twitter.com/...
Everyone loves these changes but they're basically “rolling back the things that made them suck for the past five years” in many ways. https://twitter.com/...
High spec 16" MacBook pro with no touch bar, more ports, and old magsafe charger. I'm hopeful we can finally consider the last 5 years of Apple laptop design a closed chapter. https://twitter.com/...
Data point: son loves the Touch Bar for when he's doing video editing and needs to scrub. (I don't think he'd want to use a mouse though I guess that would be the option.) https://twitter.com/...