Last week, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo set out his expectations for the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models later this year, including the return of the MagSafe charging connector, the removal of the touch bar, a new flat-cut design, and the return of more integrated ports to laptops for extended connectivity.
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A modern MacBook Pro concept with an SD card reader
Kuo did not specify which ports they could return to, however BloombergMark Gurman reported today that upcoming MacBook Pro models will feature an SD card reader for transferring photos with a digital camera and other files:
The upcoming MacBook Pro is an example of Apple’s new approach to Mac fans. The company plans to recover an SD card slot for the upcoming MacBook Pros so users can insert memory cards from digital cameras. This feature was removed in 2016, to the dismay of professional photographers and video creators, key segments of the MacBook Pro user base.
The latest MacBook Pro models only have Thunderbolt ports, forcing photographers to use an adapter or dock to access an SD card reader.
In his research note last week, Kuo mentioned that “most users may not have to buy additional dongles” for the upcoming MacBook Pro, so an SD card reader may not be available. be the only port to return. Until 2015, the MacBook Pro was also equipped with an HDMI port and USB-A ports, but it would certainly be surprising to see how the latter reconsidered the transition of the technology industry to USB-C.
Kuo expects the new MacBook Pro models to be released during the third quarter, which runs from July to September. They would replace the 13-inch and 16-inch high-end MacBook Pro models launched in May 2020 and November 2019, respectively. The base 13-inch MacBook Pro model was already updated with Apple’s custom M1 chip a few months ago.