Apple just released a MacBook Pro update in March, but more are coming soon. Apple is expected to launch one of its biggest MacBook Pro updates later this year. Here’s everything we know so far.
New MacBook Pro features
OLED screen
The new MacBook Pro will switch from mini-LED display technology to OLED display technology. This will be the first time Apple has used OLED on a Mac, having already used it on the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. This was reported by sources including Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg.
The MacBook Pro’s OLED display is said to offer true blacks, higher contrast, and potentially more vibrant colors compared to today’s mini-LED displays. This is because OLED can completely turn off individual pixels, while mini-LED still relies on a backlight system.
Touch screen
However, OLED isn’t the only major display change coming with the refreshed MacBook Pro. It will also be Apple’s first-ever touchscreen Mac.
As reported BloombergApple optimizes macOS to take advantage of the MacBook Pro’s touch screen. For example, when you touch a button or control, macOS will dynamically adjust to show you the relevant touch controls. If you tap the menu bar, the controls will automatically expand to make it easier to navigate with your finger.
It will also support common touch interface interaction methods, such as pinching and zooming, as well as faster scrolling.
So it’s much more than just Apple adding a touchscreen to a Mac. It’s a redesign of macOS to make touch navigation smooth and natural.
Dynamic Island
Currently, the MacBook Pro features a notch that houses the FaceTime camera. However, with this year’s MacBook Pro, Apple has reportedly ditched the notch in favor of a punch-hole cutout for the camera.
Additionally, Apple plans to introduce Dynamic Island to Mac for the first time. This will likely work like the iPhone, where Dynamic Island hides the FaceTime camera cutout and shows software interface elements like live activity and notifications.
Slimmer design
With the MacBook Pro 2021, Apple reversed the trend and made it thicker than its predecessor. It also added rear ports including MagSafe, HDMI, and an SD card slot. The industrial design of the 2016-2020 MacBook Pro featured only four USB-C ports.
This year, however, Apple reportedly plans to make the MacBook Pro even thinner. We don’t have any details on this yet, and it’s unclear whether Apple will remove any ports to accommodate this change.
One of the biggest differences these days is Apple Silicon. The 2016-2020 MacBook Pro models used less efficient Intel chips than Apple’s M-series chips. Apple Silicon should mean that Apple can refine the MacBook Pro without compromising these elements.
M6 chips
Speaking of Apple Silicon, the new MacBook Pro models will be powered by Apple’s latest generation M6 processors. These chips should offer a clear improvement in performance, thanks to their new 2nm architecture. This will lead to performance and efficiency improvements across the board, but the exact details remain unclear at this time.
A new name?
Finally, it wouldn’t be an Apple rumor cycle without name speculation.
Last month, Bloomberg Mark Gurman reported that MacBook Pro models coming later this year “will likely be superior to the current M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, rather than replacing them.”
That could mean Apple will rebrand the machine, perhaps as the MacBook Ultra, Gurman suggested. This name would “more clearly signal their position at the top of the lineup,” he explained.
Release date of the new MacBook Pro
Apple was initially expected to announce and launch the new M6 MacBook Pro models later this year, likely in October or November. It may seem strange that Apple is updating the MacBook Pro twice this year, but it’s not unprecedented.
It also makes more sense when you consider rumors that the new M6 models will coexist with the M5 MacBook Pro models announced last month.
But more recently, Bloomberg reported that the revamped MacBook Pro launch is slightly delayed and may not arrive until early next year. This is believed to be due to ongoing industry-wide supply shortages affecting production.
Conclude
What do you think of Apple’s plans for a major redesign of the upcoming MacBook Pro? Are you considering buying a MacBook Pro? Let us know in the comments.
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