Later this year we’ll see a new crop of MacBook Pros. According to Apple analysts its getting a big overhaul, including the return of the SD card reader.
MacBook Pro welcomes back SD card readers
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has said this is going to be the biggest MacBook Pro update since 2016.
Unsurprisingly, it will include Apple’s new m1 ARM-based processor, which were first released in new MacBooks at the end of 2020.
The new Pro’s will also reportedly remove the Touch Bar and bring back a popular older port — the SD card. Apple hasn’t included this in its line up of MacBook Pros for five years, resulting in users having to resort to dongles to transfer photos and video.
Suffice to say, we expect the return of the SD card reader to be a welcome one.
“The upcoming MacBook Pro is an example of Apple’s renewed focus on Mac loyalists. The company is planning to bring back an SD card slot for the next MacBook Pros so users can insert memory cards from digital cameras,” Gurman said in his report.
“That feature was removed in 2016, to the consternation of professional photographers and video creators, key segments of the MacBook Pro user base.”
[related_content first=”1666137″]
Other changes for the line up
The 14 and 16-inch 2021 MacBook Pros are also said to bring back MagSafe charging. This isn’t particularly surprising that Apple revamped MagSafe last year, making it compatible with iPhone 12.
And according to other MagSafe rumours, we may even see compatibility with the upcoming AirPods Pro.
Gurman also reported that a slimmer 13-inch MacBook Air is on the cards for late 2021 or early 2022. There is also talk of the charger needing to be redesigned to support USB-C and MagSafe.
It also seems like the next Air will feature USB-C ports, rather than the current two.
Disclosure: the author owns shares in Apple.