It is has been almost 18 months since Apple last gave a meaningful update to its MacBook Pro lineup. In early 2015, the company refreshed its 13-inch MacBook Pro with a slimmer waistline and faster internals. The 15-inch MacBook Pro saw a minor refresh last year, but it was pretty minor and did not introduce any major new changes.
Rewarding the patience, Apple is now expected to unveil its refreshed MacBook Pro lineup at its ‘hello again’ event on October 27th. The updated MacBook Pro models will not only feature faster internals, but also a redesigned chassis with new features. While the official event from Apple is still over a week away, leaks and rumors have provided us with enough information to know what we can expect from the upcoming MacBook Pro refresh from Apple. Let’s have a look at what they are.
Design: Lighter, Slimmer, and New Colors
The refreshed MacBook Pro lineup from Apple is going to feature a design that is similar to how the existing MacBook Pro look like except they will be lighter and slimmer with some minor modifications. To go along with the slimmer design, Apple will also be offering the new MacBook Pro in new colors like Space Gray.
The refreshed MacBook Pro are not going to be substantially slimmer or lighter than their predecessor, though. However, the addition of new Space Gray color will definitely help set them apart from previous MacBook from Apple.
Apple is also going to switch to metal inject mold-made hinges with the upcoming MacBook Pro that will be more reliable and sturdy. It is also a necessity in order to further slim the body of the laptop down.
For better or worse, Apple is going to also switch to its new butterfly mechanism keyboard which it first debuted with the 12-inch MacBook last year. The butterfly mechanism keyboard is assembled from a single and stiffer material that makes it more stable and responsive than scissor mechanism keyboards currently used by Apple in existing MacBook Pro models. It is also slimmer than scissor mechanism keyboards which will help Apple to achieve its obsessive goal of making their new devices slimmer.
OLED Strip
Apple is going to ditch the function row of keys with its upcoming MacBook Pro variants. Instead, it will replace it with an OLED touch panel that will display relevant information as and when needed. The panel will automatically show the function keys, media control keys, or other relevant keys and information as and when needed. So, for example, when you are in the Spotify app, the OLED touch bar will automatically show the song metadata along with buttons to control music playback. A recent patent filing suggests that Apple would be calling the OLED touch panel as Magic Toolbar.
Touch ID
After first debuting the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone in 2013, Apple will finally be bringing the technology to its MacBook lineup. The refreshed MacBook Pro models are expected to feature a Touch ID sensor integrated into their power button. Similar to iOS, the Touch ID sensor could be used for quickly unlock the MacBook, verifying Apple Pay transactions, and even logging into apps.
No USB-A ports, No MagSafe connector, and No SD Card Slot
If the 12-inch MacBook and latest reports are anything to go by, Apple is going to ditch all USB Type-A ports on the upcoming MacBook Pro in favor of USB Type-C ports. The company will also remove its MagSafe port and use the USB Type-C port for charging the device.
Unlike the 12-inch MacBook though, the new MacBook Pro models will come with multiple USB Type-C ports. Nonetheless, since USB Type-C ports are still new and not yet widely adopted, the lack of USB Type-A ports is going to be a bummer for many people. And since Apple will be using the USB Type-C ports for video out as well (i.e. no HDMI or Display port), it is almost a given that you will have to spend additional money to buy an adapter to go along with the MacBook to connect it to an external monitor. The code in macOS Sierra has already hinted at the refreshed MacBook Pro models coming with Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 gen 2 support for transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s.
Lastly, in a move that is going to bum quite a few people out, Apple is expected to drop the SD card slot in its refreshed MacBook Pro models.
Faster Internals
While Intel has already launched its 7th generation Core processors for mobile, it is unlikely that Apple is going to use them in its upcoming MacBook Pro fresh. Instead, we should see the company launch the laptops with Intel’s Skylake chips. Besides being more power efficient, Skylake chips from Intel are also slightly faster in certain tasks and feature a vastly improved integrated GPU. Considering that the 13-inch MacBook Pro already comes with Intel’s Broadwell chips, the improved CPU performance is going to be less noticeable on them. The 15-inch MacBook Pro, however, currently comes with Intel’s Haswell chips so an upgrade to Skylake chips will lead to a noticeable performance boost in certain tasks.
In addition to improved CPU performance, Apple is also expected to reintroduce dedicated GPUs in the higher end variants of the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Right now, all the MacBook Pro variants offered by Apple only make use of Intel’s integrated GPU, which while plenty fast for regular use are not good enough for gamers or professionals. The code inside macOS does hint at Apple using AMD’s Polaris GPU for at least a few high-end variants of the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The new mobile chips from AMD are more power efficient than their predecessor and offer vastly improved performance.
Release Date
It is likely that the new MacBook Pro models from Apple will go on sale immediately after the event or by the end of next week.
Have you been eagerly waiting for Apple to refresh MacBook Pro? Will you be buying it if these rumors turn out to be accurate? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
