Rumors of late last night gave us a first in-depth look at what to expect from the new MacBook Pro models coming in 2021, and there are big changes in the works.
/article-new/2021/01/macbook-pro-magsafe.jpg?resize=560%2C342&ssl=1)
Along with extra ports, a new flat-edge design, and the removal of the Touch Bar, Apple’s updated MacBook Pro devices will read MagSafe.
MagSafe in the 2021 MacBook Pro models
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple will revert to the MagSafe cost connector, and BloombergMark Gurman agreed in a separate report and clarified that the MagSafe port will be a stand-alone charging port used instead of USB-C, with the new port next to the USB-C ports.
/article-new/2021/01/Flat-2021-MacBook-Pro-Mockup-Feature.jpg?resize=560%2C315&ssl=1)
The design of the new MagSafe connector will be similar to the design of the MagSafe connector previously used on Macs, and will allow faster speed than USB-C.
MagSafe 1 – 2006
MagSafe was first debuted in January 2006 when Apple launched the first ever MacBook Pro, which was also the first Mac laptop with an Intel chip built into it. There have been two versions of MagSafe, and the 2006 MacBook Pro used the original MagSafe link.
/article-new/2021/01/magsafe-1-design.jpg?resize=560%2C376&ssl=1)
The first MagSafe port had a five-hole square shape design, which was connected to an attached connector using a magnetic connection. The idea was that if the connector was removed, it would go away quickly and smoothly without damaging the MagSafe port or pulling the MacBook Pro off table or desk.
/article-new/2021/01/original-magsafe-t-shape.jpg?resize=560%2C380&ssl=1)
Similar to USB-C, MagSafe had a design that allowed the connector to be connected to a Mac in all directions, and cost was even simpler than with USB-C because there was no need to plug a cable into a port – you just line up the connector and follow it properly in its place magnetically. Apple developed 45W, 60W, and 85W MagSafe connectors for different devices.
/article-new/2021/01/L-shaped-magsafe.jpg?resize=560%2C293&ssl=1)
Initially, Apple used a T-shaped design that guided the cable straight out of a device, but the original MagSafe was changed to an L-shaped design that positioned the cable on the side of a computer. The T-shaped design was used from 2006 to 2009, and the L-shaped design was used from 2010 through 2012.
MagSafe 2 – 2012
Apple in 2012 introduced a new version of MagSafe called MagSafe 2, featuring a thinner and wider port and a new connectivity design suitable for the thinner Macs that Apple unveiled that year. MagSafe 2 connectors were not compatible with the original MagSafe ports, requiring modification.
/article-new/2021/01/2012-macbook-pro-magsafe.jpg?resize=560%2C86&ssl=1)
Apple went back to its T-shaped design for MagSafe 2 and stuck with it for the life of MagSafe, and this seems to be the same cable design and guidance we see in 2021 MacBook Pro models.
/article-new/2021/01/magsafe-2-design.jpg?resize=560%2C347&ssl=1)
MagSafe stopped
In 2016, with the introduction of the USB-C MacBook Pro models, Apple began shutting down MagSafe. MacBook Pro models released between 2016 and 2020 will not use MagSafe technology and will instead go through one of the device’s USB-C ports. MagSafe was completely removed from the Mac line, and the last device by MagSafe, the 2017 MacBook Air, was discontinued by Apple in July 2019.
MagSafe returned
Apple started bringing MagSafe back in 2020 with the release of the iPhone 12 lineup. The iPhone 12 models feature a circle of built-in magnets to support the choice of a magnetic wireless charger that Apple has named as MagSafe, and soon, the cost of MagSafe could rebound across Apple’s product line.
/article-new/2020/10/applemagsafecharger.jpg?resize=560%2C363&ssl=1)
Based on the rumors we have heard so far, the upcoming MagSafe connector in the 2021 MacBook Pro models is likely to look similar to the MagSafe 2 connector that has been discontinued since then. It is unlikely to be the same, however, as new MacBook Pro models are said to cost faster than USB-C.
MagSafe cords in the past tended to break and break around the cost link, so Apple may have a new design for the 2021 MacBook Pro models to alleviate the problem.
In the past, Apple has not approved its MagSafe technology, but that may change for 2021 MacBook Pro models. Apple is allowing third-party companies to develop MagSafe-based costing options for the iPhone, so this time, we might see third-party MagSafe costing solutions for the Mac, but no. that’s for sure.
MagSafe Hardware
With Apple planning to discuss the new MagSafe connection option, it is a sign that the hardware needed to run a Mac will still be powered by Mac devices. With the iPhones 2020, Apple stopped providing power tools for cost reasons, but that doesn’t seem to be a move that will expand to the Mac lineup.
The switch back to MagSafe seems to appeal to MacBook Pro owners who have been losing the feature since Apple moved to USB-C. In fact, the new MacBook Pro models seem to take away all the features that Mac owners have complained about, including the Touch Bar that never caught on. way Apple had hoped it would, and the limited number of ports on USB-C devices.