Kuo: New MacBook Pro Models With HDMI Port and SD Card Reader to Launch Later This Year

[Michael Scrip]

I would like to see Apple partner with DSLR companies to provide a compelling alternative to SD cards. Make USB-C connectivity mainstream. Fix the awful wireless experience with DSLRs. Wouldn’t it be sweet if you could just “connect” your camera to your Mac and it instantly transferred all your shots there?

Thats Pro.

True.

In theory... WIFI 6 in a camera and on a laptop could be pretty quick transferring files. I'm not sure we'll ever get there, though.

WIFI has always been 2nd fiddle on cameras. Hell... even USB cable transfers are slow. That's why we always use card readers!

 

[farewelwilliams]

Yes I did and while I have to admit that Apple’s late to the party, the SD standard has evolved to the point it is still the main solution and will still be for years. Granted that Pro users will likely own Pro cameras but as of now they are still using SD cards. Also the spec sheet of the MBP has been set a year before it’s manufacturing. The chosen few that will use CFx will get an usb-c adapter. The vast majority that won’t have 2021+ top of the line will be pleased to have a native sd(hc/xc/uc) card reader.

For photo:
While mirrorless/DSLRs will always have an edge in quality (of course because of physics), low and midrange cameras that make up the most of this SD adoption are slowly dying because computational photography (smartphones) is getting better and better. Trendlines point to SD downward. It's just how fast is the question. Higher end cameras are adopting multiple card types, signifying a transition period going on.

For video:
Just because a pro camera has an SD slot doesn't mean it's a good solution. The Blackmagic Pocket 6k has both CFAST + SD support. Problem with SD is that you can't record all that long since the largest supported SD card for recording BM RAW video is 256GB while CFAST has up to 1TB. As pro cameras get better, larger and faster cards are needed and SD doesn't have a future there.

 

[mdgm]

If Apple persists with having a card slot if CFAST replaces SD I'm sure they'll consider moving to that eventually. If CFAST becomes popular enough it may well become available on docks before that.

 

[pray2crom]

I just want MagSafe

 

[Kagio]

Can’t imagine flat design being comfortable..

MacBook Air is comfier than Pro because it has some slope from keyboard to hand test. Flat design can’t have slope.

 

[mdgm]

Maybe this is why docks still aren't powerful enough to charge a 16" MBP at maximum speed. If Apple gave the dock makers info under NDA that they are bringing back a decent range of ports to the 16" that might be why they decided it wasn't worth the expense or cost to charge these at full speed.

 

[farewelwilliams]

The group of people on MR who believe Butterfly keyboard has no reliability problem and SD Card are no longer used by photographers.

Not only that. The trend is even wrong. SD Card isn't going anywhere in the near future.

lol you're so wrong.

 

[pratikindia]

It would be nice if the SD card was flush with the outside when it was inserted and it could be ejected with a software command, similar to how Mac floppies worked. Then it could be safely used as additional portable storage.

No, that’s a bad idea. I had lost 3 DVD drives due to stuck DVDs in the past.

 

[WiseAJ]

No Touch Bar. no sale. Can’t go back to static function row 🤮

 

[hot-gril]

USB-C is enough.

No. Idk why people need SD (don't the cameras have USB cables?), but HDMI was sorely needed.

 

[hot-gril]

No, that’s a bad idea. I had lost 3 DVD drives due to stuck DVDs in the past.

Omg. The last time I needed a DVD drive, it turned out BOTH of them in my Mac Pro had broken since their last use. So unreliable.

 

[Applicator]

I'd appreciate a few extra ports, but I hope they don't replace some of the USB-C/TBs. I think only few will care about HDMI or SD readers ten years from now, but USB-C will become ubiquitous and Macs often stay in use this long, maybe even longer. At least second or third hand owner will be satisfied 😜

 

[smoking monkey]

I just want 1 USB A port. I know it's not techy or trendy to want it, but all my places of work still use it. It's purely a convenience thing and my own use case, but dammit Apple, think of me! I'll get by with a dongle, but I'm 99.9999999% close to not buying a windows machine. BUT I've got me dongle and that'll have to do pig, that'll hafta do.

 

[iJustines]

Can’t imagine flat design being comfortable..

MacBook Air is comfier than Pro because it has some slope from keyboard to hand test. Flat design can’t have slope.

Agreed. A completely flat design is not the right direction for a laptop and it looks bulkier. Apple can reduce the bezel for a bigger display without radical design changes to the LID of MacBook Pro.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Lol. SD cards are still the go-to for every major camera manufacturer. If you need raw video, you’re probably in need of a cinema grade camera. (The kind that never used SD cards anyway.)

SD cards work well for most video, and unless you need to shoot 15+ frames per second, pretty much all still photography.

not talking about what's happening today. talking about trendlines.

and no, BMPCC has both CFAST and SD, and most use CFAST because SD has a max size of 256GB (at least that's what's available on the compatiblity chart) while CFAST has 1TB cards available. Most use CFAST or SSD for recording BRAW 6k footage.

 

[Naraxus]

lol you're so wrong.

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Source? All I see are lines and numbers but not who it's from, what the parameters are, who commissioned it. For all we know you could have just drawn them yourself to prove your point.

 

[rmariboe]

Maybe this is why docks still aren't powerful enough to charge a 16" MBP at maximum speed. If Apple gave the dock makers info under NDA that they are bringing back a decent range of ports to the 16" that might be why they decided it wasn't worth the expense or cost to charge these at full speed.

What? There are lots of 100 W docks out there 👀

 

[hot-gril]

Just a basic HDMI out so that presentations in higher education are possible without a stupid dongle.

Not to mention I have never been more infuriated with a design update that turned changing my volume into a 2 step process I know need to pay close attention to. Function key; press. Done. Ugh.

You can at least turn the touch bar into function keys to get back volume buttons, but you still have to wake up the touch bar first, and sometimes it lags. It's so dumb.

 

[rmariboe]

I can do without USB A as long as it supports multiple external displays like Intel models. Still holding onto my 2015 MBP with ports galore.

On the other hand, why not USB A? - Why can't I plug in a current iPhone or iPad into a current laptop?

My current iPhone and my current iPad plugs just fine into the USB-C ports of current laptops..?

 

[farewelwilliams]

Source? All I see are lines and numbers but not who it's from, what the parameters are, who commissioned it. For all we know you could have just drawn them yourself to prove your point.

Google Trends

trends.google.com

 

[anshuvorty]

This makes sense...Apple would like to maximize demand for these products and no better time to do that than to release them just in time for #BackToSchool season starting in July/August....

Promote it with a promotion with the 3rd generation AirPods and the laptops practically sell themselves...

 

[Ma2k5]

You misread. I never said the majority didn't use SD. But the trajectory is going down and suitable alternatives are going up.

This is no different than MacBook Air killing the CD/DVD drive. >90% computers had the DVD drive when the MacBook Air was released, but Apple rightfully killed it off.

You forgot history it seems. That actually killed it off way too early and it was a major inconvenience - similar to how they killed the USB-A in 2016 yet it is rampantly still popular all these years later.

 

[hot-gril]

For video:
Just because a pro camera has an SD slot doesn't mean it's a good solution. The Blackmagic Pocket 6k has both CFAST + SD support. Problem with SD is that you can't record all that long since the largest supported SD card for recording BM RAW video is 256GB while CFAST has up to 1TB. As pro cameras get better, larger and faster cards are needed and SD doesn't have a future there.

Is SD capped in some way CFAST isn't? I remember hearing how DisplayPort was replacing HDMI because it supported higher resolutions, but then they released HDMI 2.0 and so on to bridge the gap. Same with USB and FireWire, and FireWire ended up dying.

 

[ksec]

lol you're so wrong.

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Measuring DSLR Trend against the usage of SD Card on DSLR? Seriously?

Keep Spinning it.

 

[farewelwilliams]

You forgot history it seems. That actually killed it off way too early and it was a major inconvenience - similar to how they killed the USB-A in 2016 yet it is rampantly still popular all these years later.

no my memory is clear. maybe it was a major inconvenience to you but i think we're all happier today not carrying laptops with cd drives. thank Apple for accelerating that death. same with flash.