So there have been extensive rumors of a 14 inch Macbook Pro and I would assume the 14 and the upcoming 16 inch are the first with a new form factor an will be a bit more expensive and "pro". But with the Macbook Pro 13 M1 just being release, is it even possible to release a completely new one at WWDC without people getting angry? What do you guys think?
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Is a 14 inch Macbook Pro possible in first half of 2021?
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Anything is possible, but here is my problem with the 14”:
It made sense to upgrade the 15 to a 16 because for years some people were missing the 17”. So this was a way to give the big MacBook Pro crowd a happy medium. They had to make the 15” a little bigger and heavier to make this happen, but it was already big enough that the difference wasn’t enough to cause problems.
But with the 13” the size is pretty optimal. I’m not sure a lot of 13” MacBook Pro users would be happy if they made it bigger. They could eek out a little more screen size by reducing the bezels, but I don’t think they will do that until they can do it without sacrificing durability. I’m sure as material and screen tech improves they will update; but I bet not in 2021.
Apple has a lot of work ahead of them on new Macs this coming year. They need to launch new iMacs, the 16” MacBook, and the higher end model of 13” with 4 thunderbolt ports. This will require shipping something like a “M1x” chip and possibly a discreet GPU. I think they will be too busy to bother putting out another 13” pro when the existing form factor is so good. If they were going to, this would have been the time.
I could certainly be wrong though
It made sense to upgrade the 15 to a 16 because for years some people were missing the 17”. So this was a way to give the big MacBook Pro crowd a happy medium. They had to make the 15” a little bigger and heavier to make this happen, but it was already big enough that the difference wasn’t enough to cause problems.
But with the 13” the size is pretty optimal. I’m not sure a lot of 13” MacBook Pro users would be happy if they made it bigger. They could eek out a little more screen size by reducing the bezels, but I don’t think they will do that until they can do it without sacrificing durability. I’m sure as material and screen tech improves they will update; but I bet not in 2021.
Apple has a lot of work ahead of them on new Macs this coming year. They need to launch new iMacs, the 16” MacBook, and the higher end model of 13” with 4 thunderbolt ports. This will require shipping something like a “M1x” chip and possibly a discreet GPU. I think they will be too busy to bother putting out another 13” pro when the existing form factor is so good. If they were going to, this would have been the time.
I could certainly be wrong though
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Only the screen size changes and that's because the bezels shrink... the actually device size itself is rumored to stay the same... that's the appeal for me. More screen inside the same form factor. I'm in!
I mean...that sounds great! But there isn’t a whole lot of bezel to work with to make that happen. And with the 15” they still had to increase the overall size and weight even though they had more bezel to remove due to the larger size. I’m not super hopeful they can do 14” with no size/weight change with 2021 tech. I think if they did it would become more fragile.
Don't believe any rumours. They're pretty much all based on guesswork. The rumour mill didn't even know about the launch of the M1 Mini until it happened last week.
Yeah, I totally get what you are saying. And like others pointed out that's just the rumor, who knows what will really happen.
I'm more hopeful for Face ID integration than anything and that they shrink the bezels at least like the 16" is now... I think to get to 14 it may be just a tad larger than the 13" and I'm totally ok with that. I'm also super intrigued how the iMac goes. I'm totally a junkie now! LOLThey had to make the 16” bigger to accommodate a larger battery. That won’t be an issue with an “M1X” in a 14“ MacBook Pro, so perhaps they can squeeze it in the same general chassis as the existing 4-port Pro. They can probably ditch the second fan, giving themselves some more room to work with.
They also had to make the top lid taller and the entire laptop wider and deeper to accommodate the larger screen. I think that's where most of the extra space came from for the larger monitor; because the bezels are not hugely smaller. It's certainly not edge to edge or anything. Apple wants to maintain the sturdy build quality. Here are the 15" and 16" together:
It seems possible the 14” will replace the higher end Intel model.
But we also know a 16” is in production from Bloomberg. I have no idea if that is an existing body or a redesign. If it’s the current design does the higher end 13” get updated without a redesign also? Then later in the year is a redesign? That doesn’t make sense but rumors are a redesign is second half of the year.
But we also know a 16” is in production from Bloomberg. I have no idea if that is an existing body or a redesign. If it’s the current design does the higher end 13” get updated without a redesign also? Then later in the year is a redesign? That doesn’t make sense but rumors are a redesign is second half of the year.
Is annoying the person who took that photo didn't align the top and right edges correctly by bringing the camera location closer to above the . The current vantage point exaggerates the difference in size a bit.
Couldn't they just do a 2-port 14" and a 4-port 14" and give one M1 and the other M1x. I personably think the performance of the M1-MBP is too close to the M1-MBA and Apple should sell only an M1x MBP, but Apple has shown consistency over the past 10 years that they prefer dollars over a clear lineup any day. Given the size options available for iPad these days I think Apple should do away with the 13" laptops altogether and make MB-Air and MB-Pro both 14"—and give the Air two ports and M1 and give Pro four ports and M1x, even if it means the jump in price between the two models increased. I further believe Apple should be looking to give MBP and slight taper reminiscent of the MBA down the line, albeit at a slightly increased profile thickness overall.
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Personally I'd rather prefer a 13" machine in the 12" cabinet, using a display without bezels.
Edit: With everything else from the MBA of course, especially the keyboard..
Edit: With everything else from the MBA of course, especially the keyboard..
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Understandable, but I feel most people would prefer 14" in 13" body. I can speak for myself with some confidence: I certainly would. I have been using 13.3" screens since 2008 and would love to move up to a 14.1" variant. For watching videos 14.1" would be much better, and much of my MBA usable is doing this very thing. Many other people are in the same boat and watch tonnes of video on their MacBooks
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What would be the actual viewing areas in square inches of a 13.3” and a 14.1” display?
My 13” MBA display — viewable area — measures 11 1/4“ x 7” or roughly 79 sq. in.
A 14.1” in the same ratio (1.6:1) would be somewhat less than 12” x 7.5” or about 89 sq. in.
That's only about a 12% increase in area! So, a bit more viewing area, but not lots more. Not sure it would make that much a difference to many folks.
Now, if they made it squarer, say a 4:3 or 1.3:1 ratio, then they could increase it a chunk more — to about 22% larger! But the wider display approach seems pretty well set.
My 13” MBA display — viewable area — measures 11 1/4“ x 7” or roughly 79 sq. in.
A 14.1” in the same ratio (1.6:1) would be somewhat less than 12” x 7.5” or about 89 sq. in.
That's only about a 12% increase in area! So, a bit more viewing area, but not lots more. Not sure it would make that much a difference to many folks.
Now, if they made it squarer, say a 4:3 or 1.3:1 ratio, then they could increase it a chunk more — to about 22% larger! But the wider display approach seems pretty well set.
That would require cramping the speakers and mics since the keyboard size should stay standard, not to mention making the battery smaller. Therefore, 14.1" in a 13.3" body would be more productive with less sacrifices. 👍🏼
If they go the way of a 14" MBPro they will most likely do a 12" (and maybe 14" too) MBAir when that gets refreshed sometimes later.
Sure the lineup will be confusing for a few months, but that wouldn't be the 1st time.
I fully understand the comments above me, with regards to the 12" Macbook body. And honestly, as long as they just update the MBA design soon, I'll be happy. It is quite dated and bulky at this point to be honest.
I'd be all over that (if they could change the keyboard.) That said, the presumable 14-inch would still have a role as it would have more 'pro' features that the 12-inch's body could not support.
also rumors have been very stale (or even wrong) when it comes to the Macs in comparison to the iPhone.