Apple is working on two new MacBook Pro models that will feature significant design changes, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a note to investors obtained by MacRumors.
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According to Kuo, Apple is developing two models with 14 and 16 inch size options. The new MacBook Pro machines will have a flat edge design, which Kuo describes as “similar to the iPhone 12”, without curves like current models. It will be the most significant design update for the MacBook Pro in the past five years.
There will be no OLED Touch Bar included, with Apple returning to the physical function keys. Kuo says that the design of the MagSafe charging connector will be restored, although it is unclear what that means, since Apple made the transition to USB-C. Updated MacBook Pro models will have additional ports, and Kuo says that most people may not need to buy dongles to complement the ports available on the new machines. Since 2016, Apple’s MacBook Pro models have been limited to USB-C ports with no other available ports.
All new MacBook Pro models will have Apple silicon chips and there will be no Intel chip options included.
1. The two new models are equipped with monitors of approximately 14 and 16 inches, respectively.
2. In terms of housing design, the new models cancel the curvilinear design of the upper and lower parts of existing models and adopt a flat design similar to the iPhone 12.
3. The design of the MagSafe charging connector is restored.
4. The OLED touch bar is removed and the physical function buttons are restored.
5. There is no Intel CPU option for the new models.
6. They are equipped with more types of I / O, and most users may not need to purchase additional dongles.
MacBook Pro models will use the same heat pipe design used by the current 16-inch MacBook Pro model, which Kuo says is much better than the current 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air because it will allow for more computing power.
Kuo says we can expect to see the new MacBook Pro models launched in the third quarter of 2021. Due to renewed design and strong replacement demand, Kuo expects total MacBook shipments to grow significantly by 25 to 30 percent year on year, to 20 million units.
Kuo also said that the high-end iPhone models that will arrive in 2021 are likely to adopt a thermal steam chamber system, which Apple is “aggressively testing”. The VC thermal system will be needed for the latest generation iPhones due to its greater computing power and faster 5G connection speeds. There are already smartphones from companies like Samsung, Razer and LG that use steam-chamber cooling technology, used to keep a device cooler when it is under severe stress.
It is unclear whether the steam chamber thermal system will meet Apple’s high requirements, according to Kuo, but he is optimistic about the reliability improvement schedule and expects at least high-tech models to adopt it in the near future.