Apple’s Magical MacBook Pro Will Return This Year – Forbes

MacBook Pro fans can expect the long-overdue changes to Apple’s laptop family that debuted on the 16-inch MacBook Pro in October last year to show up on a brand new and improved 13-inch MacBook Pro later this year.

This new laptop is expected to pick up a number of design changes that have prove popular on the larger MacBook.

The main change will be a switch from the much-maligned butterfly keyboard with its widely reported problems, with the return of a scissor-switch based design. Apple has labelled this the ‘Magic Keyboard’, and while making something functional is along way rom the definition of magic, the new keyboard was the biggest discussion point around the 16-inch machine.

Also expected to make the jump are the smaller bezels and improved screen, Whether this will be reflected in a smaller chassis remains to be seen. The smaller bells allowed the 16-inch MacBook Pro to take up the same volume as the previous 15-inch design. If Apple decides to keep the same volume in its smaller Pro laptop, there may be potential to jump to a 14-inch screen. 

I think it’s more likely Apple will reduce the size of the laptop.

The smaller MacBook Pro uses Intel’s eighth-generation Core processors. With the tenth-generation now available in competing products, it’s time for the chipset to be updated, although the 16-inch MacBook Pro, even though it has a new design to deal with high temperature while running, uses the ninth-generation chips, so Apple may remain conservative.

And we shouldn’t forget that Apple is planning a ‘ProMode’ in MacOS Catalina for those moments when you need more power out of your Mac.

A better keyboard; a new screen that does not look embarrassing next to a Dell XPS or a Surface Book; and a welcome change to the processor. It may be little more than ‘keeping up with the competition’ but a new 13-inch MacBook Pro will be welcomed by many.

In terms of timescale, Apple is expected to hold a launch event for the iPhone 9 (née iPhone SE2) in March. Delivering a smaller iPhone and a smaller MacBook feels like a good match. Failing that, WWDC will take place in June.

Now read more about the potential for a gaming-focused MacBook…

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MacBook Pro fans can expect the long-overdue changes to Apple’s laptop family that debuted on the 16-inch MacBook Pro in October last year to show up on a brand new and improved 13-inch MacBook Pro later this year.

This new laptop is expected to pick up a number of design changes that have prove popular on the larger MacBook.

The main change will be a switch from the much-maligned butterfly keyboard with its widely reported problems, with the return of a scissor-switch based design. Apple has labelled this the ‘Magic Keyboard’, and while making something functional is along way rom the definition of magic, the new keyboard was the biggest discussion point around the 16-inch machine.

Also expected to make the jump are the smaller bezels and improved screen, Whether this will be reflected in a smaller chassis remains to be seen. The smaller bells allowed the 16-inch MacBook Pro to take up the same volume as the previous 15-inch design. If Apple decides to keep the same volume in its smaller Pro laptop, there may be potential to jump to a 14-inch screen. 

I think it’s more likely Apple will reduce the size of the laptop.

The smaller MacBook Pro uses Intel’s eighth-generation Core processors. With the tenth-generation now available in competing products, it’s time for the chipset to be updated, although the 16-inch MacBook Pro, even though it has a new design to deal with high temperature while running, uses the ninth-generation chips, so Apple may remain conservative.

And we shouldn’t forget that Apple is planning a ‘ProMode’ in MacOS Catalina for those moments when you need more power out of your Mac.

A better keyboard; a new screen that does not look embarrassing next to a Dell XPS or a Surface Book; and a welcome change to the processor. It may be little more than ‘keeping up with the competition’ but a new 13-inch MacBook Pro will be welcomed by many.

In terms of timescale, Apple is expected to hold a launch event for the iPhone 9 (née iPhone SE2) in March. Delivering a smaller iPhone and a smaller MacBook feels like a good match. Failing that, WWDC will take place in June.

Now read more about the potential for a gaming-focused MacBook…