We heard from Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last week that the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models later this year will feature a wider variety of ports in addition to the current USB-C ports. While Kuo did not share exact specifications about the ports but said that he believes most users will no longer need to tote around converter dongles.
Although Kup didn’t specify which ports were on their way back to the new MacBooks Pro models, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman today said the next models will feature an SD card reader, so beloved by photographers for transferring photos and other files:
The upcoming MacBook Pro is an example of Apple’s renewed focus on Mac loyalists. The company is planning to bring back an SD card slot for the next MacBook Pros so users can insert memory cards from digital cameras. That feature was removed in 2016, to the consternation of professional photographers and video creators, key segments of the MacBook Pro user base.
For the last few years, MacBook Pro models have included only Thunderbolt ports, which required photographers and anyone else that wanted to copy files and other folders to their MacBook to use an adapter or dock to use an SD card reader.
While Kuo did not share exact specifications about the ports but said that he believes most users will no longer need to tote around converter dongles, indicating the SD card slot could be on its way back.
Kuo said he expects Apple to launch 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models during the third quarter of 2021, both sporting a new “flat-edged” look following Apple’s modern design language.