SHANGHAI, CHINA – 01/01/2020: MacBook Pro at an Apple retail store in Shanghai. (Photo by Alex Tai / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Photographer: SOPA Images / LightRocket
Photographer: SOPA Images / LightRocket
Apple Inc. plans this year updated MacBook Pro laptops with much faster processors, updated screens and the return of the magnetic charger, according to a person with knowledge of the plans.
The new laptops are expected to have two screen sizes, a 14-inch model codenamed J314 and a 16-inch version internally called J316. Both will use next-generation versions of Apple’s own Mac processors, updated with more cores and improved graphics, the person said, asking not to be named, as the products have not yet been advertised.
These devices will mark Apple’s first high-end laptops to move away from Intel Corp components. The company upgraded its 13-inch base MacBook Pro with its own M1 chip in November, to get widely positive reviews.
Beyond the more powerful chips, Apple also plans to expand the screens of its new MacBook Pros with brighter, more contrasting panels, the person said. The new Macs will look similar to current versions, albeit with minor design changes. Apple aims to launch the new MacBook Pros in the middle of the year.
An Apple spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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An important change in the new equipment will be how they are loaded. For the past five years, Apple has relied on USB-C ports for both power and data transfer to their laptops, making them compatible with third-party chargers. But the company is reclaiming MagSafe, the magnetic power adapter that means any accidental plugging of the power cord would simply separate it from the laptop instead of pulling the entire computer forward. It was one of the favorite features of the company’s line of laptops that was first introduced in 2006 and was recently revived for its latest range of iPhones.
The return of MagSafe with the upcoming MacBook Pros will also allow these laptops to charge at a faster rate, the person said. The connector will be similar to the elongated pill-shaped design of the older MagSafe port.
Despite moving away from USB-C for charging, Apple will still include several USB-C ports in its future Macs.
In developing its next set of Mac laptops, Apple has also tested versions that remove the touch bar from laptop keyboards. The touch bar, introduced as part of the latest redesign of the MacBook Pro in 2016, turns the top row of the function keypad into a touch screen strip that can display a variety of information and a changing set of controls. to adapt to applications and tasks. Some professional users have said they found the control scheme less convenient than the physical keys.
Apple is also planning a redesigned MacBook Air, but it is not expected to be released much after the next MacBook Pros.