MagSafe Might Be Coming Back to MacBook Pros and the Touch Bar Might Be Going Bye Bye

MagSafe Might Be Coming Back to MacBook Pros and the Touch Bar Might Be Going Bye Bye

If you’ve been missing MagSafe, good news — rumour has it that Apple’s magnetic power adaptor is set to make a return to two upgraded MacBook Pros later this year.

The news comes via Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has a pretty good track record when it comes to Apple predictions. MagSafe was first introduced on the MacBook Pro in 2006, but by 2019 it had all but disappeared from Apple’s laptops in favour of the more universal USB-C. MagSafe then made a surprise comeback with last year’s iPhone 12 line, sparking speculation that perhaps magnetic chargers might eventually return for MacBooks. Citing an anonymous Apple source, Gurman notes that the new MagSafe connector will be similar in design to the “elongated pill-shape” design of older MagSafe ports but that Apple will still include multiple USB-C ports.

[referenced id=”1660122″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/12/apples-m1-macbook-pro-is-compelling-enough-to-make-a-pc-fan-think-about-switching/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/23/dqc5zmxaqo48hxvwgaq5-300×169.jpg” title=”Apple’s M1 MacBook Pro Is Compelling Enough to Make a PC Fan Think About Switching” excerpt=”It’s a good time to be a Mac user. The MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro all have a stellar new processor that’s pretty damn zippy with native ARM apps for the same price as their entry-level Intel predecessors. I do all my work and play on PC, but…”]

The two new MacBooks we can expect are a 14-inch model and a 16-inch model, and MagSafe’s return isn’t the only change in store. Both will feature new Apple Silicon processors that will have more cores and enhanced graphics compared to the M1. The displays will also have “brighter, higher-contrast panels.” This might be a nod to recent rumours from another reliable Apple prognosticator Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple plans to release two MacBook Pros with mini-LED displays in 2021. Kuo also noted that Apple will likely introduce two or three more chargers this year, adding credence to MagSafe’s return.

If you hate hate hate the Touch Bar, well, I’ve got some more good news. Gurman’s source says Apple is currently testing versions of these laptops that remove the polarising Touch Bar. The Touch Bar first popped up in 2016, and while some people have come to love the feature (or at least found ways to make it less annoying), many still find it to be an irritating gimmick.

As for when we can expect these two new laptops, Gurman predicts mid-2021. As for cost, well, we’ll have to wait to find out. If you take Kuo’s predictions into account, then it may not be too bad. In December, Kuo dramatically increased his estimates of mini-LED MacBook shipments from 2-3 million units in 2021 to 10-12 million units, citing “lower-than-expected” costs. Both Gurman and Kuo both referenced a new MacBook Air as well, though that’s likely not going to pop up before 2022.


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