Apple Unleashed: New MacBooks are expected—here's what business pros want

3 years ago 289

New MacBook Pro models are expected to beryllium released. Here's what we're looking for retired of adjacent week's Apple event.

Apple hasn't made important upgrades to its flagship MacBook Pro lineup successful rather a while, speech from a bump from 15 to 16 inches a fewer years ago. But that's each astir to change, if rumors are to beryllium believed.

SEE: Apple's September 2021 Event: What concern pros request to cognize (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

The institution is slated to clasp a virtual lawsuit called "Unleashed" connected Monday, Oct. 18, astatine 1 p.m. Eastern time, apt successful a akin pre-recorded video format to different COVID-era events, filmed astatine Apple Park.

Widely expected to beryllium announced are updated 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a fig of important features apt to beryllium of involvement to concern pros. The 14-inch mentation volition apt regenerate the existent 13-inch MacBook Pro, portion the 16-inch mentation volition regenerate the existent 16-inch Pro. Here's what we're expecting and hoping for:

Faster Apple Silicon—Most importantly, the machines are expected to person a new, faster mentation of Apple's caller ARM-based processors possibly called the M1X. The M1 processors that are present disposable successful machines similar the caller iMac, MacBook Air and the iPad Pro. They person been precise good received, and this caller spot should beryllium adjacent faster.
Thinner bezels and displays—Apple has been tightening up the bezels astir its displays successful the iPhone and iPad for years, and it's expected that this inclination volition proceed successful the caller MacBook Pros. By reducing the size of the bezels, Apple's designers whitethorn person been capable to trim the carnal size of the machine slightly, portion inactive keeping the disposable surface size the same. Screen resolutions of 3024x1964 and 3456x2234 for the 2 instrumentality sizes person been suggested successful leaks.
A caller MagSafe magnetic powerfulness port whitethorn marque its return, aft years of utilizing USB-C cables instead. MagSafe was utilized connected anterior MacBook models, allowing for casual detachment of powerfulness cables. This was peculiarly utile if idiosyncratic tripped implicit a powerfulness cable, arsenic it allowed the plug to simply detach alternatively than yanking a notebook onto the level successful a perchance calamitous fall.
The built-in HDMI larboard and SD Card reader are expected to return, which is invited quality for galore pros who privation speedy entree to photos oregon to plug their notebook into a projector oregon television. The existent MacBook Pros diagnostic lone USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The much-maligned OLED Touch Bar is expected to beryllium unceremoniously tossed successful favour of a modular enactment of Function keys.
Base models whitethorn person 16GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage.

In immoderate ways, this is simply a wholesale rethink of the 2016-era reworking of the MacBook Pro, which got escaped of HDMI, the SD Card reader, MagSafe and the relation keys—changes that were not peculiarly well-received successful the pro community. By going backmost to basics and giving folks what they want, Apple appears to beryllium listening to its users, which is refreshing.

SEE: 10 indispensable MagSafe accessories for iPhone for 2021 (TechRepublic)

As for features that we anticipation to see, immoderate rumors person suggested that Apple could outfit the machines with a 120hz "ProMotion" option, similar tin beryllium recovered successful the caller iPhone 13 Pro. It would alteration smoother scrolling and a adaptable refresh rate, the second of which could assistance with artillery beingness during little aggravated operations.

It mightiness see a 1080p front-facing camera, akin to what's disposable successful the caller 24-inch iMac. In a work-from-home world, this would beryllium a perchance immense upgrade for folks perpetually connected Zoom and Microsoft Teams calls.

It would beryllium large if Apple would see an enactment for 5G connectivity successful the caller MacBooks, allowing for amended on-the-go wireless connections similar it offers successful its iPad lineup. This seems similar a long-shot arsenic galore users simply usage the Personal Hotspot diagnostic of their iPhones and iPads, but it would beryllium a bully enactment for on-the-go powerfulness users.

Finally, I conscionable anticipation for artillery beingness that runs arsenic agelong arsenic possible. One of the main advantages of Apple Silicon is terrific artillery life, arsenic the chips are capable to swap betwixt high- and low-power processors depending connected need.

We'll find retired connected Monday what's existent and what was conscionable a rumor, and orders for the caller machines whitethorn statesman arsenic soon arsenic that day. The lawsuit volition beryllium viewable on Apple's website and connected its YouTube page.