Apple just released an update for the MacBook Pro in March, and more updates are coming soon. Apple is expected to announce one of the biggest updates in MacBook Pro history as early as later this year. Here’s everything we know so far…including details on surprising recent developments.
New features for MacBook Pro
OLED display
The new MacBook Pro switches from Mini-LED to OLED display technology. This is the first time Apple has used OLED in a Mac, having previously used it in the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. This has been reported by sources such as Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg.
The rumored MacBook Pro’s OLED display will offer true blacks, higher contrast, and potentially more vibrant colors compared to today’s mini-LED screens. That’s because mini-LED still relies on a backlight system, whereas OLED allows individual pixels to be turned off completely.
touch screen
However, OLED isn’t the only big display change with the refreshed MacBook Pro. It will also be Apple’s first ever touchscreen Mac.
According to reports bloombergApple has optimized macOS to take advantage of the MacBook Pro’s touchscreen. For example, when you touch a button or control, macOS dynamically adjusts to display the relevant touch controls. When you tap the menu bar, the controls automatically expand to make them easier to use with your fingers.
It also supports common touch interface interactions such as pinching, zooming, and fast scrolling.
So this is more than just Apple adding a touchscreen to the Mac. It’s a reimagining of macOS to make touch navigation fluid and natural.
dynamic island
The MacBook Pro now features a notch cutout that houses the FaceTime camera. However, with this year’s MacBook Pro, Apple will reportedly do away with the notch in favor of a hole-punch cutout for the camera.
Additionally, Apple will bring Dynamic Island to Mac for the first time. It will likely work like the iPhone, with a dynamic island masking the FaceTime camera cutout and showing software interface elements like live activity and notifications.
Thin design
With the 2021 MacBook Pro, Apple has changed tack and made it thicker than its predecessor. It also added rear ports such as MagSafe, HDMI, and an SD card slot. The industrial design of the 2016-2020 MacBook Pro famously featured only four USB-C ports.
But this year, Apple is reportedly planning to make the MacBook Pro thinner again. We don’t know much about this yet, and it’s unclear whether Apple will remove the port to accommodate this change.
One of the key differences now is Apple silicon. 2016-2020 MacBook Pro models used Intel chips, which are less efficient than Apple’s own M-series chips. Apple Silicon should mean Apple can make the MacBook Pro thinner without compromising on these points.
M5
It was widely expected that new MacBook Pro models would be equipped with M6 Pro and M6 Max chips.
However, in a new development, it appears that this update will actually use the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as current MacBook Pro models.
The decision comes amid reports that Apple will skip high-end chips with the next M6 generation. Instead, the M6 is only offered in the base configuration, with no M6 Pro, M6 Max, or M6 Ultra variants.
Apple is shifting its focus to the M7 generation, which includes the M7 Pro and M7 Max chips. These are reportedly focused on significantly improving AI performance.
MacBook Ultra?
Finally, it wouldn’t be an Apple rumor cycle without some naming speculation.
Mark Gurman speculates that Apple will brand these laptops as MacBook Ultras. This name, he reasoned, “would more clearly indicate that they are at the top of the lineup.”
The latest move that new MacBook models will use M5 Pro and M5 Max chips has new implications for the marketing decisions Apple must make.
New MacBook Pro release date
One possibility is that Apple will introduce a new MacBook Pro model later this year, perhaps in October or November. It may seem strange that Apple would update the MacBook Pro twice this year, but it’s not unprecedented.
Most recently, bloomberg reported that improved MacBook models are expected to be “available sometime later this year or early next year.”
summary
What do you think about Apple’s plans for the upcoming MacBook Pro overhaul? Are you planning to buy a MacBook Pro? Let us know in the comments.
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