16-Inch and 14-Inch MacBook Pros: All We Know

Apple introduced a new M1 MacBook Pro in November 2020, but the new model did not include design changes. That’s set to change in 2021, with rumors suggesting Apple’s major MacBook Pro design update is in the works.

The 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models coming in 2021 will feature the most significant design update to the MacBook Pro line we’ve seen since 2016, and the updated devices will also address users have had complaints with the MacBook Pro for years by bringing back older features that include MagSafe, more ports, and physical action keys.

The rumors in this guide were discovered by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloombergit’s Mark Gurman, who often gives an accurate overview of Apple’s plans.

Design

Apple has updated both 14-and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in the works. The 14-inch model will replace the current 13.3-inch model, and the 16-inch model will replace the available 16-inch version.

For the redesigned 14-inch model, the overall foot size is likely to remain similar to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, with the increase in display size largely due to a decrease in top and side bezels the machine.

The standard 13-inch MacBook Pro

There may be a small increase in body size, however. When Apple moved from the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro to the 16.1-inch MacBook Pro, the physical sizing went from 13.75 x 9.48 inches to 14.09 x 9.68 inches, and we saw something similar to the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro

Significant design changes are expected in the two upcoming new models. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the new MacBook Pro models will have a smooth design that is “similar to the iPhone 12,” with no curved edges like conventional models.

Gurman has confirmed Kuo ‘s report, but his information suggests that the design with a flat edge may not deviate too much from the conventional design. He says the updated models will “look similar to conventional models, but will feature” minor design changes, “so we’ll have to wait and see how important these changes are. to the overall design.

The updated MacBook Pro models use the same heat pipe design that the standard 16-inch MacBook Pro model uses. Apple upgraded the thermal system of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, increasing the size of the heat pipe, adding thermal pads, and increasing the size of the heat sink by 35 percent.

This new thermal system will release more computing power thanks to improved airflow and heat management, which goes well for the performance of the Apple silicon chips that are expected to be introduced.

Ports

Even if the chassis updates are smaller in scale than Kuo has forced them to be, there are other changes in the works that will bring a major update to 2021. Kuo believes that Apple is going to add ports as well as the MacBook Pro models, though it hasn’t specified what ports these might be.

Apple in 2016 released a new MacBook Pro design that went with all ports except USB-C ports and the 3.5mm headphone jack, but pre-existing models from 2012 to 2015 included ‌MagSafe‌ connector, Thunderbolt ports, USB-A ports, the HDMI Port, SD card reader, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

With the 2021 engines, we would see some of these ports stop long ago. Most ports are likely to still be USB-C as Apple has been moving to USB-C for years now, but there could be an add-on such as an SD card slot or HDMI port.

Given Apple’s emphasis on USB-C and the MacBook Pro’s slim-line design, it’s unlikely we’ll see the return of USB-A, but Kuo has said the new devices will have enough ports to most consumers “no need to buy extra dongles.”

The Gurman report mentions the introduction of USB-C ports, but does not mention other types of I / O.

MagSafe

Along with additional ports, the new devices are expected to bring MagSafe back to the Mac lineup. ‌MagSafe‌ connectors were used for MacBook Pro models from 2006 to 2016, when Apple replaced the ‌MagSafe‌ connector with a USB-C port, but now we seem to be returning to the ‌MagSafe‌ design.

Both Kuo and Gurman expect the new MacBook Pro models to have modelsMagSafe‌ for cost reasons, with the ‌MagSafe‌ charging port separate from the other USB-C port introduced.

The new MacBook Pro models are expected to have ‌MagSafe‌ similar to the portsMagSafe‌ 2 connectors used before 2016, which allowed the rapid release of a magnetic connection that prevented damage to the computer and the cable when the cord was bleached.

The ‌MagSafe‌ charging facility is expected to deliver speeds faster than that available with USB-C, and with Apple exchanging new charging technology, we can expect the MacBook Pro models to be upcoming comes with ‌MagSafe‌ shipping cable and goes with power adapter.

Touch Bar

Apple introduced the Touch Bar in the 2016 Macs, offering a small OLED display where physical action keys used to be located. Apple had big plans for the Touch Bar and thought it was a flexible mini-display that offered custom controls and various functions on a per-app basis, but the Touch Bar didn’t seem to be catch-up with customers.

Kuo says the Touch Bar will be removed in 2021 MacBook Pro models and replaced with physical action keys. Gurman has confirmed that Apple has confirmed versions of the MacBook Pro that do not have a Touch Bar.

Demonstration

Gurman believes the new MacBook Pro models will feature display enhancements in the form of “brighter panels, higher contrast,” and in rumors in the past, Kuo has suggested that the updated first Mac devices with mini-LED displays, marking a major improvement. in display quality.

Since Kuo made no mention of mini-LED technology in his latest report, it is possible that micro-LED activity has been delayed to a later date.

If Apple transitions to mini-LEDs for 2021 MacBook Pro models, the displays could use somewhere around 10,000 LEDs, each under 200 microns in size. Mini-LED technology allows for a thinner and lighter design, while offering many OLED-like benefits such as improved wide color gamut, high contrast and dynamic range, and truer blacks.

Processors

The 13-inch MacBook Pro already has an entry-level ‌M1‌ chip, and by 2021, all new MacBook Pro models will receive Apple silicon chips. Apple isn’t expected to release MacBook Pro models with Intel chips, taking Intel chips out of the notebook line entirely.

Apple is working on high-end Apple silicon chips that have as many as 16 power cores and four efficiency cores, which would outperform any Intel CPU in terms of performance. New GPU technology is also in the works, with Apple designing 16 and 32-core GPU options, some of which could be used in the new MacBook Pro models.

Launch date

The new MacBook Pro models are expected to launch in the third quarter of 2021.

Read More

We have more about our current and upcoming redesigned MacBook Pro models in our exclusive 13-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro collections.