Coming on the heels of an earlier prediction by industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has shared his own predictions about Apple’s next-generation MacBook Pro models coming in the third quarter. Gurman’s predictions jibe with Kuo’s on some of the details, while differing slightly on others.
Gurman agrees that MagSafe will make a return to the MacBook Pro lineup, with a design similar to that used in previous-generation MacBook models. Gurman says MagSafe will offer faster charging speeds.
Gurman also says the new MacBook Pro models will continue to support USB-C, with two USB-C ports located next to the MagSafe port, and two more on the other side of the machine. Kuo had mentioned “more ports” indicating users would no longer have a need for dongles.
The Bloomberg report also indicates the new MacBook Pro models will use “brighter, higher-contrast panels.” As could be expected, the new machines will use Apple Silicon, offering more processing cores and better graphics when compared to the M1 chip currently powering Apple Silicon-based Macs.
While Kuo mentioned an iPhone 12-style redesign for the new Macs, Gurman downplays any changes, saying the new models will “look similar” to the current models but with “minor design changes.”
Gurman also mentions Apple has tested versions of the MacBook Pro sans the much-maligned Touch Bar, while Kuo seemed to definitely believe the Touch Bar was on its way out.
Gurman also mentioned a redesign for the MacBook Air, but says it won’t be hitting shelves until “long after” the updated MacBook Pro models arrive in stores.
