Leaked Photos May Show Upcoming MacBook Pro's Top Case With Space for OLED Touch Panel, Four USB-C Ports

[afd]

I'm probably going to repeat what someone is already said but am too lazy to read 27 pages of posts.
Sorry.

Supposing Apple released two laptops, one with 2 normal USB ports and 2 USB Cs, and the other with 4 USB Cs, both with identical pricing and other specifications. Which one would sell more? I'm certain even Apple would think the mixed ports would be more popular.

 

[zhenya]

I'm probably going to repeat what someone is already said but am too lazy to read 27 pages of posts.
Sorry.

Supposing Apple released two laptops, one with 2 normal USB ports and 2 USB Cs, and the other with 4 USB Cs, both with identical pricing and other specifications. Which one would sell more? I'm certain even Apple would think the mixed ports would be more popular.

Replace that with 'serial ports', 'floppy drives', 'dvd drives', 'Ethernet', 'Flash' in iOS, etc. etc. and the answer would be the same. Consumers will buy what is most convenient for them at this moment ignoring the larger market as a whole, and if Apple listened to them, those parts that are on the verge of being outdated would hang on for dear life, virtually forever.

Again, this is nothing new for Apple, and like it or not, it's this very willingness to scrap the old to move forward with the new that makes Apple what it is. Apple would cease to be Apple if they listened to the consumer complaints about stuff like this.

 

[ryancarter]

Photos have leaked depicting alleged components destined for the rumored redesigned MacBook Pro, giving us a look at the thin body of the device, the space where a rumored OLED touch panel will be positioned, and its possible ports.

Shared by Cult of Mac, the photos came from an anonymous source who claimed to work for Apple's manufacturing partner in China.

The images feature the body of what appears to be a MacBook Pro, which, based on size, seems to be the 13-inch model. The trackpad and the keys have not yet been put in place, but noticeably absent is a function row at the top of the keyboard, which rumors say will be replaced with an OLED touch panel.

Size wise, the MacBook model in the photos appears to be slightly thinner than existing MacBook Pros, and in pictures of the sides of the device, a total of four USB-C ports are available, with two on the left side and two on the right side. A headphone jack is also included, as are thin speaker grilles on either side of the keyboard.

Rumors have suggested Apple is working on completely revamped 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with a thinner and lighter form factor and a dedicated OLED display touch bar that replaces physical function keys. A dedicated Touch ID button is expected to be built into the bar, as is support for USB-C and Thunderbolt 3.

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new MacBook Pros will feature the "most significant upgrade ever undertaken by Apple," with the machines set to be released during the fourth quarter of 2016. Many were hoping for a WWDC launch, which early rumors hinted at, but if Kuo's information is accurate, we will need to wait until the fall months to see the launch of the new devices.

Article Link: Leaked Photos May Show Upcoming MacBook Pro's Top Case With Space for OLED Touch Panel, Four USB-C Ports

I have to say, looking at the spacing between the top and bottom of the rMBP from the USB-C port, I think this Mac currently looks like the same thickness as the 12" MacBook (At its thickest point) Obviously you need to add extra thickness from the display and the bottom panel which usually sticks out a little further.

I'm stuck though, do I buy the 2015 rMBP for the ports and MagSafe or wait a little longer and get this new MacBook... :/

 

[Storming]

I think Macrumors needs to hire Ming Kuo. They quote him enough. Anyways, day one purchase, that is if it is ever released.

 

[brinary001]

Did you forget the sarcasm tag?

An OLED strip and Siri-in-a-box is not my idea of a mortal wound to the industry or an exciting time.

Nope. I didn't say their stab would penetrate, just that it was good to see them finally taking one. I have no idea if any of this will be successful. Hell, half of their competitors who HAVE taken the stab have failed miserably, while the other half has produced mediocre results at best.

 

[pablosito]

Cant wait. Im sure USB-C HDMI cables will appear on the market soon (USB-C one end, HDMI the other) just like how at the moment I have a mDP to HDMI cable now. So no need for an adapter. Or if you wish to have an adapter anyway, just leave it attached to the HDMI cable at all times. Then its the same thing really!

I see no issue with going all USB-C, need to embrace the future some time! Only ball ache will be when faced with a USB-A stick. But it should be too much trouble to carry a single adapter around with the thing if out and about. I carry a SuperDrive now just in case anyway, won't harm to have a little dongle too.

Replace that with 'serial ports', 'floppy drives', 'dvd drives', 'Ethernet', 'Flash' in iOS, etc. etc. and the answer would be the same. Consumers will buy what is most convenient for them at this moment ignoring the larger market as a whole, and if Apple listened to them, those parts that are on the verge of being outdated would hang on for dear life, virtually forever.

Again, this is nothing new for Apple, and like it or not, it's this very willingness to scrap the old to move forward with the new that makes Apple what it is. Apple would cease to be Apple if they listened to the consumer complaints about stuff like this.

It IS new for Apple. I don't know why no one listens to this, but it remains true: Every MBP up to, and including, the current model, has a variety of ports. Not just one kind! <tapping the mic> Is this thing on?

 

[MyopicPaideia]

It IS new for Apple. I don't know why no one listens to this, but it remains true: Every MBP up to, and including, the current model, has a variety of ports. Not just one kind! <tapping the mic> Is this thing on?

Difference being of course, that the TB3/USB-C port is unlike anything previous. It is the first port that can do everything - data, power, video, audio - simultaneously and with enough bandwidth for it to be practical. It is actually the realisation of a standard "one port to rule them all" Mecca that has been sought after since forever.

 

[navier]

Please make the MacBook Pro thinner Apple.

thin, thinner, thinnest, apple-ish

 

[lowkey]

I have to say, looking at the spacing between the top and bottom of the rMBP from the USB-C port, I think this Mac currently looks like the same thickness as the 12" MacBook (At its thickest point) Obviously you need to add extra thickness from the display and the bottom panel which usually sticks out a little further.

I'm stuck though, do I buy the 2015 rMBP for the ports and MagSafe or wait a little longer and get this new MacBook... :/

Well if you are even thinking of getting the current model, then definitely wait and see what the new model actually is first.

Then pick up the old model in the refurb store for a nice discount. I did that with the rev1 rMB when rev2 came out. Was $500 less and came in a factory sealed box, so wasn't even a refurb...

 

[StarlightSun]

From what a few people have been saying Apple's Q4 runs from July-September, so it's possible we may see them announced at WWDC. It would make sense if the OLED touch panel needs app developers to work on their apps.
Apple have in the past held an event in October for Mac's and iPad's but for the last 2 years (this year and last year) they have held a March event which in turn has replaced the October event (unless they plan to hold 4 events this year or announced alongside the iPhone 7).

Interesting, thanks. I had understood Q4 of 2016 - didn't realise Apple's year was offset. I suppose the new MacOS announcement & MBP redesign announcements would make sense this month, with a release July/August, in that case.

Moving the dock would be cool now that most apps have full screen mode anyway. I wonder if the new OS will be a full-screen experience by default. We'll soon find out! Hoping for an SD slot in any case. I'm not a pro photographer, but I've loved the SD slot on my MBP for when I do need it.

 

[Dave245]

Interesting, thanks. I had understood Q4 of 2016 - didn't realise Apple's year was offset. I suppose the new MacOS announcement & MBP redesign announcements would make sense this month, with a release July/August, in that case.

Moving the dock would be cool now that most apps have full screen mode anyway. I wonder if the new OS will be a full-screen experience by default. We'll soon find out! Hoping for an SD slot in any case. I'm not a pro photographer, but I've loved the SD slot on my MBP for when I do need it.

I could be wrong and Ming-Chi could of meant Q4 of the year, but a few people pointed out that Apples Q4 is July-September so we will see. I'm hoping we see them at WWDC, even if Apple announces them and they are released a month or 2 later. If we don't see them at WWDC, i'm guessing we will see hints in the new OSX much like the hints we saw about the bigger iPad's (iPad Pro) in last years IOS 10 with multitasking, slide over and so on.

Some people are losing their minds over the fact that Apple might be removing the other ports and just adding 4 USB-C but lets not forget that's what Apple does, they were the first ones to remove the floppy drive and disk drive from their computers. With iCloud Drive and Cloud based services i think Apple believes some of these ports unnecessary. I don't use the disk drive on my 2011 Macbook Pro, as a writer i create lots of documents and keep them on iCloud Drive which i find very useful. £0.79 a month for 50GB of storage is very good. The OLED
The OLED touch bar i think is going to be interesting, i wonder if Apple will add Touch ID into it?

 

[Kusakun]

Besides the 4 USB-C ports and the Oled Bar... Besides the lack of magsafe, usb-a, Big Thunderbolt ports, and card reader (im really missing those already since i really use USB and Thunderbolt and the use of a adapter would be a pain)

Am I the only one that really cares the computer speed? Im using my 2015 Macbook Pro for working and i can tell that it would be really nice to have faster dedicated graphics and better processors

Apple released 3 models with around the same specs -minor differences- in the last 3 years...

 

[cry]

Uh. An exhausting thread. It reminds me when I last time switched away from Apple-made computers. I had been using one of the last pre-unibody MBPs and by the time of having to upgrade, Apple had ditched quite a many of things from the then-current MBP. Beginning from [by today's standards a gigantic] DVI port and few other ports, ending with the superdrive, all gone. They even removed the matte screen option in the favour of glossy one.

I remember I was thinking similar thoughts about the situation: "that is not a pro laptop! I fear this will become just more crippled consumer cr*p! Apple is spoiled - why is it going with the mainstream and forgot us prosumers?" I didn't buy a new Mac then but looking back now, I have to admit that I didn't really use most of the ditched and even some of the retained features. I don't recall missing them either. Worse was the feeling that the number of opportunities had been reduced.

And again I felt in many ways the same as before upon hearing these rumors. Some felt just like beforementioned "big pile of meh" and some felt outright counterproductive and steps backward. Reflecting to the past experience I became cautiously susceptible and approving for these changes.

After a relatively long period of smooth sailing I guess we've come to a point of a bit bigger change. I think that as a new type of connector the best thing about USB-C is by far that it's a common standard, not a narrowly supported and maybe expensive attempt of one manufacturer (my image of TB) so its wider adoption seems likely. At last we're going to have a single universal connector that transfers everything a device could need. Hopefully.

In the beginning I thought having four ports of USB-C and nothing else would be madness. In some way it is but I also manage to see that it really is a forward-looking change and not too early for some folks. Considering the bandwidth of these interfaces is huge, the laptop can be used more data-intensively than ever. That points to the direction that the MBP will still be a 'pro' laptop.

Not having a single one USB-A port is still a bit weird decision, especially in this 'pro'-context, when taking into account that it is the current ubiquitous standard and is not expected to die anytime soon. I can totally imagine it saving (or the lack of it ruining) the day when one has an unexpected situation and a need to communicate with legacy devices eg. when usual methods are not working. I think I could manage having only USB-C's with my typical laptop usage.

Possible removal of the MagSafe is also disappointing. As for many others, it had saved my laptop numerous times and I sometimes miss it on my current Windows laptop. On the other hand, maybe there is a point to some extent in the reduced need for charging the battery and the laptops being so light they might fall off nevertheless. I hope there will be a Magsafe-like solution but in the end I guess I would have to give in for the USB-C.

What comes to the keyboard and OLED-panel, I've no idea. Dealbreaker would be that making accidental/unwanted interactions with the panel (because it does not have physical keys) was too easy. And, where is my escape?!

Most interesting to see what is the new MBP going to be like.

 

[Exhale]

I can't remember the last time I needed a charge outside of my nightly routine.

I can. Every day the past few weeks:
The RMBP will start at 9AM fully charged. Around 2PM the battery will reach 'critical' (<5%) and throttle severely as a result. Thats still several hours away from my workday being done - which for the most part involves nothing more complicated than reading through research papers, a number of browser tabs open, and running a few short python scripts

Thats around half its cited battery life - by the way. Yeah I can stretch it out by turning off all the lights and putting the display at a very dim brightness - but thats not exactly normal usage now is it?

 

[icehockey77]

It IS new for Apple. I don't know why no one listens to this, but it remains true: Every MBP up to, and including, the current model, has a variety of ports. Not just one kind! <tapping the mic> Is this thing on?

That may be so, but the number of port types has been going down as functions are consolidated, and the universalization of ports, in the long run, is something that the greater whole has been yelling for for a long time. I think it's a good thing for users. It may be bad for business, as one port type limits the available number of products your peripheral company can offer, but if they leave ports on the computer that are going to be phased out as the newer tech takes over, it's just kicking the proverbial can (you getting pissed off) down the road.

 

[djlythium]

Honestly, it's not really (primarily) the computer being knocked off the table that the MagSafe protects, but rather the fact that any kind of sudden pull on the cable will, before very long, damage either the cable or the port. Having worked in Mac service/repair back in the day before MagSafe, I remember very clearly the alarming number of damaged ports that would come in, from people tripping over the cable. On some of those machines, the port was soldered into the logic board, so the repair could be several hundred dollars... Not good. And you can be certain that the likelihood of Apple using a daughter card for the AC board on these ultra-slim machines is zero. So, no MagSafe = more broken ports = more logic board replacements. Getting rid of MagSafe is idiotic, imho. Maybe they'll engineer a MagSafe-like solution on the cable. Who knows?...

Yea, you make good points. I agree that it's a nice feature, which makes me think they would keep it, as well as add it to other products.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

Difference being of course, that the TB3/USB-C port is unlike anything previous. It is the first port that can do everything - data, power, video, audio - simultaneously and with enough bandwidth for it to be practical. It is actually the realisation of a standard "one port to rule them all" Mecca that has been sought after since forever.

And people are really pissed off about that, which is makes me laugh. 4 USB-C ports sounds great sign me up.

/SNIP/

Possible removal of the MagSafe is also disappointing. As for many others, it had saved my laptop numerous times and I sometimes miss it on my current Windows laptop. On the other hand, maybe there is a point to some extent in the reduced need for charging the battery and the laptops being so light they might fall off nevertheless. I hope there will be a Magsafe-like solution but in the end I guess I would have to give in for the USB-C.

What comes to the keyboard and OLED-panel, I've no idea. Dealbreaker would be that making accidental/unwanted interactions with the panel (because it does not have physical keys) was too easy. And, where is my escape?!

Most interesting to see what is the new MBP going to be like.

I use a 2009 MBP daily but worked a contract recently where I was lent a 2015 rMBP and only ever needed a charge during the day if I forgot to charge overnight.

How the battery charge is used is mostly up to the user when it comes down to it.

 

[waitandwait]

Can Apple just bloody release the MacBook Pro in June? I don't want to wait until September!!!

 

[pablosito]

That may be so, but the number of port types has been going down as functions are consolidated, and the universalization of ports, in the long run, is something that the greater whole has been yelling for for a long time. I think it's a good thing for users. It may be bad for business, as one port type limits the available number of products your peripheral company can offer, but if they leave ports on the computer that are going to be phased out as the newer tech takes over, it's just kicking the proverbial can (you getting pissed off) down the road.

So leaving one "antiquated" (?????) USB-A port on this thing, used by every peripheral and thumb drive and iPhone 6 charger we all have right now, would be some awful baggage that somehow diminishes the MBP because it must be some cutting-edge annoying PITA instead of the actual port-rich powerhouse it's always been?

I'm not asking for a 25-pin serial port here, guys, or even DVI. USB-A is the size of MagSafe 2. It's small. No big deal. Required? No. Nice to have? Yes. So why not? That's the point of the MBPro! To give us "power users" more convenience!

Sorry. I still don't get it. I have yet to hear any good reason why there should only be USB-C on this thing. The only argument that we stupid, mooing cows have to be dragged forward into the future by the balls is weak at best. Give me new tech, yes. Cool. And, say, the CD-ROM? That went away sooner than I'd like, but I didn't bitch at all, because, dang, that thing is huge. Dropping that let them cut the laptop thickness in half. Awesome. So that's a reason. No problem!

What I think I'm mainly seeing here is a lot of dedicated Apple fanboy love. And I can respect that. But I think many of you are blinded by lust for this new sexy machine with its cute fast ports, and are choosing to ignore the fact that it is an unnecessarily big leap into consolidation just for the sake of .... being cool. I guess.

 

[zhenya]

So leaving one "antiquated" (?????) USB-A port on this thing, used by every peripheral and thumb drive and iPhone 6 charger we all have right now, would be some awful baggage that somehow diminishes the MBP because it must be some cutting-edge annoying PITA instead of the actual port-rich powerhouse it's always been?

I'm not asking for a 25-pin serial port here, guys, or even DVI. USB-A is the size of MagSafe 2. It's small. No big deal. Required? No. Nice to have? Yes. So why not? That's the point of the MBPro! To give us "power users" more convenience!

Sorry. I still don't get it. I have yet to hear any good reason why there should only be USB-C on this thing. The only argument that we stupid, mooing cows have to be dragged forward into the future by the balls is weak at best. Give me new tech, yes. Cool. And, say, the CD-ROM? That went away sooner than I'd like, but I didn't bitch at all, because, dang, that thing is huge. Dropping that let them cut the laptop thickness in half. Awesome. So that's a reason. No problem!

What I think I'm mainly seeing here is a lot of dedicated Apple fanboy love. And I can respect that. But I think many of you are blinded by lust for this new sexy machine with its cute fast ports, and are choosing to ignore the fact that it is an unnecessarily big leap into consolidation just for the sake of .... being cool. I guess.

No, it's just that you refuse to believe that this is exactly the kind of thing that Apple has always done.

When the first iMac dropped the floppy drive, (which was still the standard, in many case only, way of transferring files) it wasn't due to lack of space, it was about making a statement, and yes, to some extent, putting Apple's own aesthetic view at the forefront. They don't build new computers for how things are today, they build them based on how they want the computing world to look in the future.

Literally every other computer OEM on the planet takes the more measured approach you seem to want. Please leave Apple to be Apple. If you want one foot half in the past, buy something else.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

I can. Every day the past few weeks:
The RMBP will start at 9AM fully charged. Around 2PM the battery will reach 'critical' (<5%) and throttle severely as a result. Thats still several hours away from my workday being done - which for the most part involves nothing more complicated than reading through research papers, a number of browser tabs open, and running a few short python scripts

Thats around half its cited battery life - by the way. Yeah I can stretch it out by turning off all the lights and putting the display at a very dim brightness - but thats not exactly normal usage now is it?

Yes, that is your usage, didn't say mine was normal and everybody else's wasn't. My typical simultaneous load looks like this:

• 3-4 instances of Safari open with 3-5 tabs each, probably an average of 12-16 tabs total
• 3-4 full screen Excel files open
• 2-3 full screen Numbers files open
• 1 instance of Chrome with 2-3 tabs open
• 1 Active Microsoft Remote Desktop
• Mail App
• Notes

I am always at 50% brightness on my rMB. I do plug in when I am sitting at my main desk out at clients or at the office, which probably amounts to a couple of hours a day (here I simply use an iPad mini charger and USB-C to A cable). I don't sit in coffee shops or other public environments plugged in ever, like I did with my old 2011 MBA, and also don't spend more than 3-4 hours in such places and work. I also can plug in on the train or airplane with my USB-C to A cable directly, although I have only ever felt the need to do that on one occasion when on a long train ride back home after a long 12 hour day at a client in Stockholm, a 3.5 hour train trip from home.

No I don't do graphic or photo/video/audio editing and the fact that the rMB is passively cooled may play a larger role here, but since I upgraded to the rMB, I don't even carry a charger with me in my bag anymore, and that makes my bag even lighter as a side benefit.

Like I said, that's my experience. Yours may be different. Adobe apps are known to be battery drains, what do you use to read your PDF's? What year is your rMBP? Are your fans going full blast often?

The point still stands though, regardless - the design language direction here points to MagSafe being a solution to a problem that Apple hopes to virtually eliminate through having "All day battery life."
[doublepost=1464965910][/doublepost]

So leaving one "antiquated" (?????) USB-A port on this thing, used by every peripheral and thumb drive and iPhone 6 charger we all have right now, would be some awful baggage that somehow diminishes the MBP because it must be some cutting-edge annoying PITA instead of the actual port-rich powerhouse it's always been?

I'm not asking for a 25-pin serial port here, guys, or even DVI. USB-A is the size of MagSafe 2. It's small. No big deal. Required? No. Nice to have? Yes. So why not? That's the point of the MBPro! To give us "power users" more convenience!

Sorry. I still don't get it. I have yet to hear any good reason why there should only be USB-C on this thing. The only argument that we stupid, mooing cows have to be dragged forward into the future by the balls is weak at best. Give me new tech, yes. Cool. And, say, the CD-ROM? That went away sooner than I'd like, but I didn't bitch at all, because, dang, that thing is huge. Dropping that let them cut the laptop thickness in half. Awesome. So that's a reason. No problem!

What I think I'm mainly seeing here is a lot of dedicated Apple fanboy love. And I can respect that. But I think many of you are blinded by lust for this new sexy machine with its cute fast ports, and are choosing to ignore the fact that it is an unnecessarily big leap into consolidation just for the sake of .... being cool. I guess.

Let's all save this post and come back to it in 24-36 months time. If it still stands up, full credit to @pablosito.

The point of the MBP, by the way, is not to make things more convenient for Prosumer users, it is to give them more capabilities and opportunities to be productive in whatever they do in their Prosumerish usage. That's exactly what this design does.

 

[pablosito]

The point of the MBP, by the way, is not to make things more convenient for Prosumer users, it is to give them more capabilities and opportunities to be productive in whatever they do in their Prosumerish usage. That's exactly what this design does.

And 3 USB-C ports instead of 4 would hamper that ability for you to rule the world ... how, again?

It's not a server. It's a laptop.
[doublepost=1464968140][/doublepost]

No, it's just that you refuse to believe that this is exactly the kind of thing that Apple has always done.

It's the kind of thing Apple has always done, but never before to this extreme. That's all. And I just see no good reason for it. Sorry, I'll do 10 Hail Steve Jobs' and whip myself with a new set of USB-C cables until I believe.

 

[zhenya]

It's the kind of thing Apple has always done, but never before to this extreme. That's all. And I just see no good reason for it. Sorry, I'll do 10 Hail Steve Jobs' and whip myself with a new set of USB-C cables until I believe.

Removing the floppy drive from the iMac was WAY more extreme. There was no such thing as a usb flash drive at the time. No cloud storage services. Even basic networking was unreliable for most people. Most owners were forced to buy a large and relatively expensive external floppy disk drive just to use the computer. With this change you'll need to buy a $5 adapter that's about the size of a nickle.

 

[Exhale]

Adobe apps are known to be battery drains, what do you use to read your PDF's? What year is your rMBP? Are your fans going full blast often?

Preview (or in some cases just Safari) - for the very reason of battery consumption. Late-13 13'', and never in these workloads.

Full Charge Capacity is 95% of original (per About This Mac).

 

[pablosito]

[doublepost=1464965910][/doublepost]
Let's all save this post and come back to it in 24-36 months time. If it still stands up, full credit to @pablosito.

Fair enough. I'm setting a Google Cal appointment for Oct 2018. Here is the question then: "On your two-year old, all-USB-C, 13" MBPro, have you ever wished it had a USB-A port? Conversely, if it did have a USB-A port, would you resent it? Why or why not?
[doublepost=1464972469][/doublepost]

Removing the floppy drive from the iMac was WAY more extreme. There was no such thing as a usb flash drive at the time. No cloud storage services. Even basic networking was unreliable for most people. Most owners were forced to buy a large and relatively expensive external floppy disk drive just to use the computer. With this change you'll need to buy a $5 adapter that's about the size of a nickle.

Not sure how/why we shifted to the iMac. Yes that's also Apple, but I'm talking about the MacBook Pro. And so, fair enough, they dropped the floppy early. Again, at least that would be a reason: massive internal space hogging, especially considering a laptop. USB-A does not hog any additional space on this leaked design. Heck, there's an acre of room around these 4 USB-C ports.