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

[pablosito]

... hyperbole ... sorry I bothered ...

Okay, I apologize, I misunderstood. You said "I would have hated to have had any of those legacy ports taking up space on my PowerBook after that." So you liked being pushed forward, in the end, having been rushed to buy the new cords and adapters, when all was said and done, and liked NOT then having old ports. Right? Got it. Seriously, okay, I am sorry.

I'm still not quite sure I buy your argument, but seriously. I was not trying to piss you off.

And FWIW to me this all comes down to the physical, technical need in the past for Apple to make choices on a 13-inch "thicker" laptop, of which ports to offer. This new one has a bunch of wasted space on the sides. That's just silly. Use that space more efficiently, like always before, and give me some transition chance. Leverage the strength of USB-C by letting its small size accomplish so much, including making room to keep an SD card and a USB-A slot too. Don't just waste a bunch of space and tell me Apple is doing it "for my own good". That's all.

edit: I have totally fouled up my replies on this, trying to figure out this board's merging and quoting when I reply to myself. sorry ....

 

[dannyyankou]

He knows as much as Jon Snow.

Ok,

If he was the first analyst to report about the OLED strip and the new MacBook ends up having an OLED strip, will you give him a little more credibility? It wouldn't be the first time he's been the first to break news.

 

[lowkey]

Okay, I apologize, I misunderstood. You said "I would have hated to have had any of those legacy ports taking up space on my PowerBook after that." So you liked being pushed forward, in the end, having been rushed to buy the new cords and adapters, when all was said and done, and liked NOT then having old ports. Right? Got it. Seriously, okay, I am sorry.

I'm still not quite sure I buy your argument, but seriously. I was not trying to piss you off.

And FWIW to me this all comes down to the physical, technical need in the past for Apple to make choices on a 13-inch "thicker" laptop, of which ports to offer. This new one has a bunch of wasted space on the sides. That's just silly. Use that space more efficiently, like always before, and give me some transition chance. Leverage the strength of USB-C by letting its small size accomplish so much, including making room to keep an SD card and a USB-A slot too. Don't just waste a bunch of space and tell me Apple is doing it "for my own good". That's all.

edit: I have totally fouled up my replies on this, trying to figure out this board's merging and quoting when I reply to myself. sorry ....

If you look at the leaked photos the overall height of the flat part of the unibody appears to be 5mm. It has the same proportion as my rMB at its thickest point. A USB a port wouldn't fit.

I would much rather have a thinner laptop than one that has been made bulkier just to fit a port on that can easily be accommodated with a new cable or adapter. That's why I'm happy to see Ethernet ports go too.

 

[ChinkyBob]

If you look at the leaked photos the overall height of the flat part of the unibody appears to be 5mm. It has the same proportion as my rMB at its thickest point. A USB a port wouldn't fit.

I would much rather have a thinner laptop than one that has been made bulkier just to fit a port on that can easily be accommodated with a new cable or adapter. That's why I'm happy to see Ethernet ports go too.

I'd rather have a laptop that is powerful enough to work all day on decent software using decent graphics that doesn't overheat or have throttling issues, like the superslim Imacs or 2011 MacBook pros (Radeon gate anyone?).
I hope they haven't gone too thin for the sake of it.

 

[lowkey]

There's no doubt they will be more powerful than the current model no matter what thickness they come up with...

 

[pablosito]

If you look at the leaked photos the overall height of the flat part of the unibody appears to be 5mm. It has the same proportion as my rMB at its thickest point. A USB a port wouldn't fit.

I would much rather have a thinner laptop than one that has been made bulkier just to fit a port on that can easily be accommodated with a new cable or adapter. That's why I'm happy to see Ethernet ports go too.

Okay, that's fine. That's all I needed, was a reason. It didn't look too thin to me.

I now had a chance to hook up a USB printer via official-apple adapter to a new MB12", and it didn't work. Not off to a great start with this USB-C adapting business. But I'll keep an open mind. Onward!

 

[lowkey]

I have bought two cheap USBC to USB a adapters on eBay. First one didn't work. Contacted the seller and they said "no it won't work with an iPhone". Well how about you advertise that you numb-skulls!!

Second one, from a different seller with a different design, no problems. Weird the apple one doesn't work given the massive mark up they sell it for... :/

 

[Abazigal]

Now we're down to it. I say that's BS. I'm a grown adult capable of making my own purchasing decisions. If new tech is available, and it offers genuine benefits, it will get used. And as peripheral makers start offering it, I'll want it more on my machine, and will be very glad to have it. But it doesn't need to be forced down my gullet by cutting off other viable, actively used tech/ports at the same time - purely for the sake of "forcing me forward". That's all.

Chaos can be defined as each person acting rationally and doing what makes sense for them. The problem then comes when different people have different standards for what makes sense for each of the. Much as we are loathe to admit it, we very often need a singular entity to push and "herd" us towards whatever the next big thing promises to be.

I just think Apple is rushing me here purely for the sake of rushing. It's kind of offensive.

You don't know Apple very well then. Apple products have always been as much statements about what Apple thinks the state of technology ought to be as much as they are the hardware you splash out good money for.

Apple simply puts out a product which fits their vision of computing, and let the consumers vote with their wallets. It's not always about you.

 

[lowkey]

Chaos can be defined as each person acting rationally and doing what makes sense for them. The problem then comes when different people have different standards for what makes sense for each of the. Much as we are loathe to admit it, we very often need a singular entity to push and "herd" us towards whatever the next big thing promises to be.



You don't know Apple very well then. Apple products have always been as much statements about what Apple thinks the state of technology ought to be as much as they are the hardware you splash out good money for.

Apple simply puts out a product which fits their vision of computing, and let the consumers vote with their wallets. It's not always about you.

Yep. Just like the original iMac. All USB no serial ports. No floppy. Both caused outrage at the time. Both pushed the adoption of new standards forwards.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

All my friends will be using USB-C within 1-2 years, in addition to other things. I have no doubt. But they have 0 now. But they do have SD cards, thumb drives, USB3 hubs, external hard drives, Anker batteries, Logitech wireless mice, and printers. So they still need a laptop that still offers USB-A and preferably at least one of those other "legacy" ports too. That's my argument.

Yes. The uber-port. Adapters. New cables. I get it. I'm just saying that's all wasted money and inconvenience for no real reason. Upgrade the HDMI port to HD4K, but leave it. Let us still take our MBP into the conference room and plug straight into the projector without one more pigtail adapter just waiting to be loose and fall out that day. Don't make all my thumb drives suddenly obsolete overnight, when they're not.

It's not about lack of forward thinking, or some inability to appreciate USB-C. We all know how cool it will be. That's fine, and if Apple were to NOT put any USB-C on this thing, I'd be equally frustrated!

It's that nobody is using USB-C now. Or, more precisely, that nobody is using only USB-C now.
Now we're down to it. I say that's BS. I'm a grown adult capable of making my own purchasing decisions. If new tech is available, and it offers genuine benefits, it will get used. And as peripheral makers start offering it, I'll want it more on my machine, and will be very glad to have it. But it doesn't need to be forced down my gullet by cutting off other viable, actively used tech/ports at the same time - purely for the sake of "forcing me forward". That's all.

The laptop/computer - the center of all this - should be the versatile one, the powerhouse, like the MBP has always been. Yes, yes, it still is, with all its bandwidth, 4 of the fastest ports on the planet, I know. I just think Apple is rushing me here purely for the sake of rushing. It's kind of offensive.

Horse/cart - laptop versus peripheral - I get it. You're saying new tech won't move forward "fast enough" if there's no pressure. I'm just saying the pressure should come from the peripherals, not the laptop. Let my machine be the flexible one, so I can use new stuff. Don't make me use new stuff. At least not in this case, where the new stuff is SO new and there's NO technical reason (like space hogging) to lose all USB-A. It's just a subtle difference in perspective, I suppose.


That's fine! Do USB-C before any other manufacturer! Yay!
See! We agree!

It's funny, and probably completely unintentional, but you've basically taken the exact position of Microsoft/PC manufacturer's in the age old philosophical divide between them and Apple. Microsoft champions the exact philosophy you are describing here, and Apple has always been about the exact opposite...from day one.

The computer manufacturers have to lead the way in the market. The accessory makers are not in a position to do so at all, and consumers in general, if given the choice, will take the path of least resistance.
[doublepost=1465114458][/doublepost]

It's a bit more than marketing. Granted one definition of Pro might not suit all but it signifies significant extra engineering and quality throughout the machine which will cost you but the benefit is increased performance and reliability. This applies to professional Dell / hp workstations etc as well as Apple pro machines.
If you can use a rMB all day in a professional capacity as architect that's great. To be fair Apple don't make cheap alternatives like all other brands, I think all MacBooks be they Pros or Airs are better engineered than other brands to the point they all fulfill a 'pro' classification almost by default.
Yes anyone can own a pro machine, and pros can work on non-pro equipment if they like, it's a free.country. I'm also an architect and use my Air as my everyday pc since I changed jobs 2 years ago and it works fine (bar the screen resolution) but I wouldn't call it a pro machine as using AutoCad for an hour or so it heats up to the point the heat and noise is unbearable and I worry for its longevity. There is a difference between a professional machine and a non-pro machine being used professionally. It's more than semantics. We want and need the quality.

Yes, but he is talking about an arbitrary product name handed down by a marketing department and you are talking about the definition of a word in real terms. Two completely separate things.

Basically the lamentable situation where these two things actually are completely different is exactly why it's being talked about

 

[Kusakun]

No, that's gaming.
As a general rule Pro means being able to handle the rigours of working in professional applications, in professional environments, with professional / high end hardware, 40 hrs a week.

I work with motion graphics -2d 3d stuff- so i need to take advantage of faster and better graphics, processor and memory. Saying that having better graphics its for gaming its a mistake.

 

[ChinkyBob]

I work with motion graphics -2d 3d stuff- so i need to take advantage of faster and better graphics, processor and memory. Saying that having better graphics its for gaming its a mistake.

You're taking my comment out of context. I also use 3d software and Autocad and need dedicated graphics, and consider such a prerequisite for professional (in my case anyway).

 

[Sharewaredemon]

To me, the BIG reason it's makes sense to not offer a single USB-A port is because of the longevity of Apple machines.

It seems to me there are LOADS of 2010 and older Apple machines being used daily.

You want the most future proof laptop you can have because your peripherals can change over time but if the computer continues to work and suit your needs you will not need to change that, nor will you be able to alter it, so more future proof ports is the obvious path.

I'm a used only Apple user, meaning I am no longer going to buy any new Apple device, accessories maybe, but their devices are so good that using one that's a few years old is still a fantastic experience if you can work within whatever "limitations" it poses.

I'm using a 2009 MBP and as long as this machine works and I can get work done I'm going to keep using it. When it breaks I'll buy something used, the longer I wait, the more technology I will get with my purchase for the money. Having an all USB-C computer would be something that would have me pick a newer used Mac laptop over the current line of rMBP's.

This concept is how computers should have been a long time ago.

 

[cityboy-100]

One interesting part of this leak is this: We have no way to know whether the leaked top-case was complete. It may have been plucked off the line before the MagSafe or other ports were cut out.

Secondarily, what if magsafe-3 is without exteral electrical contacts like the iPad smart connector and apple watch? We haven't seen the inner surfaces of this case. None of the case markings are on yet, so it's impossible to determine what will happen here. iPad and apple watch show that they're not opposed to the contactless charging and still really love magnets. If we do lose MagSafe, I think we can look forward to a nice interview with Ive. It would be a significant case of 'killing your darlings' in writing parlance. MagSafe was so significant for so long, they won't dump it without serious consideration, maybe c-level meetings.

I'm most interested in the final size and weight. Anyone here an expert in to working this out? I've done some imprecise visual comparison, but it looks like the side could be a few mm thinner than the current rMBP (see attachment).

We can know the relative processor consumption. We can guess the large-aperture pixels of the rMB will come over. What battery energy capacity would that require? How would that drive case volume? My guess is no more than 25% less volume. I don't think battery chemistry or new Intel processors would allow for their desired snappiness. I think we might end up with a 65 watt-hour battery (10w-h reduction) in the 13" pro. Overall it seems like the form will reflect that of the progress of the primary vendor components cpu+gfx, battery, screen: slightly better but not inspiring.

I predict the dialog will focus on advancements that are within apple's control: how it charges, fn-key row, touch-id sensor. Apple is doing the best they can with stagnating progress in the core component suppliers' pipelines, so I don't think they can hinge the whole disucssion on thin-and-light like they did with the rBM and MBA announcements.

 

[Bennyboy hhhb]

It's not missing, that's just how the modern Apple keyboard layout is. Left/Right arrow keys are 2x larger than the Up/Down keys. See the 12" MacBook and Magic Keyboard.

This is fake if you look the oled touch pad is not symmetrical. If I know Apple everything they make is symmetrical
[doublepost=1465156222][/doublepost]

thinner battery as well...

This is fake because the oled touchpad is not symmetrical with the keyboard and apple always makes their stuff symmetrical
[doublepost=1465156314][/doublepost]

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

Fake because oled touchpad is not symmetrical

 

[cityboy-100]

This is fake if you look the oled touch pad is not symmetrical. If I know Apple everything they make is symmetrical
[doublepost=1465156222][/doublepost]


This is fake because the oled touchpad is not symmetrical with the keyboard and apple always makes their stuff symmetrical
[doublepost=1465156314][/doublepost]



Fake because oled touchpad is not symmetrical

Some here have said that the right is for the touch-id cable, and the left would be where the ribbon cable for the OLED display would come in. Chances are both of those components would be under cover-glass that would by symmetrical.

What do you think?

 

[Mac 128]

One interesting part of this leak is this: We have no way to know whether the leaked top-case was complete. It may have been plucked off the line before the MagSafe or other ports were cut out.

Secondarily, what if magsafe-3 is without exteral electrical contacts like the iPad smart connector and apple watch? We haven't seen the inner surfaces of this case. None of the case markings are on yet, so it's impossible to determine what will happen here. iPad and apple watch show that they're not opposed to the contactless charging and still really love magnets. If we do lose MagSafe, I think we can look forward to a nice interview with Ive. It would be a significant case of 'killing your darlings' in writing parlance. MagSafe was so significant for so long, they won't dump it without serious consideration, maybe c-level meetings.

I'm most interested in the final size and weight. Anyone here an expert in to working this out? I've done some imprecise visual comparison, but it looks like the side could be a few mm thinner than the current rMBP (see attachment).

We can know the relative processor consumption. We can guess the large-aperture pixels of the rMB will come over. What battery energy capacity would that require? How would that drive case volume? My guess is no more than 25% less volume. I don't think battery chemistry or new Intel processors would allow for their desired snappiness. I think we might end up with a 65 watt-hour battery (10w-h reduction) in the 13" pro. Overall it seems like the form will reflect that of the progress of the primary vendor components cpu+gfx, battery, screen: slightly better but not inspiring.

I predict the dialog will focus on advancements that are within apple's control: how it charges, fn-key row, touch-id sensor. Apple is doing the best they can with stagnating progress in the core component suppliers' pipelines, so I don't think they can hinge the whole disucssion on thin-and-light like they did with the rBM and MBA announcements.

You bring up an interesting point. The smart connector may well replace Mag-safe. That makes a lot of sense. And it could be anywhere, even on the bottom.

That said, Apple's defacto charging solution for all of its products is becoming Lightning. If that continues, and Apple removes the headphone jack from the iPhone, then I would expect the Lightning port to be added to all of the Macs. That's what I find interesting about the missing port opposite the headphone jack. And that's traditionally where the Mag-safe connector would attach. Given that this MBP is likely to debut before the iPhone removes the headphone jack, Apple may be waiting to add the Lightning port on models released after the iPhone. So for now they're leaving it empty. And if this notebook isn't going to be released until Septemeber, then they're not ad dining it to the production prototypes until the last minute to protect their secret.

 

[MareLuce]

This is the worst wait ever.

 

[cocoua]

Apple has trademarked iFanny, so we can carry all around hundreds of adapters in our waist, clever and fancy!!

rose gold option 999USD, impossible to be perfecter!

 

[cityboy-100]

You bring up an interesting point. The smart connector may well replace Mag-safe. That makes a lot of sense. And it could be anywhere, even on the bottom.

That said, Apple's defacto charging solution for all of its products is becoming Lightning. If that continues, and Apple removes the headphone jack from the iPhone, then I would expect the Lightning port to be added to all of the Macs. That's what I find interesting about the missing port opposite the headphone jack. And that's traditionally where the Mag-safe connector would attach. Given that this MBP is likely to debut before the iPhone removes the headphone jack, Apple may be waiting to add the Lightning port on models released after the iPhone. So for now they're leaving it empty. And if this notebook isn't going to be released until Septemeber, then they're not ad dining it to the production prototypes until the last minute to protect their secret.

I see the lighting port existing for a single reason. It's mechanical and here's why: Lightning happens to be slim and reversible—a modern connector you might say—but so is USB type-C. The difference is that micro-USB and USB-type C are susceptible to the center post in the port fracturing and rendering the phone un-chargeable. It's a huge negative experience on a captive-battery device.

For a premium product, Apple is OK using a more expensive connector with pure female-male interface made with solid metal to deter port damage. The new trackpad and keyboard make sense in this context too, as they're often pushed around desks with other objects and the cables are inserted form the back. On laptops the I bet Apple would love it if everyone used lighting, but it's a rich-man's connector and would ruin unit cost of cheap devices the rest of the world needs

 

[Val-kyrie]

After pondering this thread for a few days, I have some final thoughts.

1) There is an assumption that all USB-C ports will also be TB3. However TB is on a controller separate from the main board in Skylake. I think it is possible that only 2 ports will be USB-C/TB3 combo ports. If so, the question remains whether the remaining USB-C ports would be gen 1 (5 Gbps) or gen 2 (10 Gbps). Would this change anyone's opinion on a MBP with only USB-C ports?

2) USB-C is a great technology with little market penetration. In my area, there are no USB-C devices (including thumb drives) sold in stores--any of them. I am looking forward to when it becomes ubiquitous.

3) Quality USB-C adapters/cables average around $20, USB hubs around $50, Apple's multimedia dock is $80 (rounded), and full docks like that sold by OWC are $150-200. There will be a significant cost to use USB-C ports for most people. Cheap cables and adapters and a couple expensive socks often fail to work properly (per many reviews) and may lead to the destruction of that $2000-3000 MBP--ask Benson Leung. (He now reviews USB-C cables on Amazon.)

4) There seems to be a problem with USB-C docks in that many of those which are made for Macs do not work with Windows. I am curious what effect this will have on BootCamp. Win 10 seems to be less friendly to USB-C peripherals.

5) Although wireless networking is convenient, does it bother anyone that in order to use a USB-C to Ethernet adapter it is necessary to load a third party driver? Or the fact that Apple offers no such adapter? What does this say? How easy is it to network when wireless is unavailable? Granted, Apple started this trend / problem of laptops without Ethernet connectivity awhile ago.

 

[ChinkyBob]

After pondering this thread for a few days, I have some final thoughts.

1) There is an assumption that all USB-C ports will also be TB3. However TB is on a controller separate from the main board in Skylake. I think it is possible that only 2 ports will be USB-C/TB3 combo ports. If so, the question remains whether the remaining USB-C ports would be gen 1 (5 Gbps) or gen 2 (10 Gbps). Would this change anyone's opinion on a MBP with only USB-C ports?

2) USB-C is a great technology with little market penetration. In my area, there are no USB-C devices (including thumb drives) sold in stores--any of them. I am looking forward to when it becomes ubiquitous.

3) Quality USB-C adapters/cables average around $20, USB hubs around $50, Apple's multimedia dock is $80 (rounded), and full docks like that sold by OWC are $150-200. There will be a significant cost to use USB-C ports for most people. Cheap cables and adapters and a couple expensive socks often fail to work properly (per many reviews) and may lead to the destruction of that $2000-3000 MBP--ask Benson Leung. (He now reviews USB-C cables on Amazon.)

4) There seems to be a problem with USB-C docks in that many of those which are made for Macs do not work with Windows. I am curious what effect this will have on BootCamp. Win 10 seems to be less friendly to USB-C peripherals.

5) Although wireless networking is convenient, does it bother anyone that in order to use a USB-C to Ethernet adapter it is necessary to load a third party driver? Or the fact that Apple offers no such adapter? What does this say? How easy is it to network when wireless is unavailable? Granted, Apple started this trend / problem of laptops without Ethernet connectivity awhile ago.

I think point 1 is correct and we'll made. If it is the case that only 2of the ports would be full blown tb3 ports I would suggest that 1 other port be a standard usb3 and the other a mDP/ thunderbolt for compatibility with all other current Mac and pc hardware.
People will adopt the usbc if matching peripherals show genuine improvement.
This is what I think should or could happen if point 1 above is correct and the hi think it is.
Hopefully will should find out for sure next week at wwdc.
Aren't Mac launches traditionally late in the year a couple of weeks after iPhone September launch??? Please God no.
I just cannot wait any longer for my a Apple rMBP fix. I'm still on my 2011 MacBook Air ffs.

 

[Kusakun]

Im wondering if Apple is going to update the Retina Display to a 4k one. Actual retina display has almost 3 and a half years.

 

[ChinkyBob]

Im wondering if Apple is going to update the Retina Display to a 4k one. Actual retina display has almost 3 and a half years.

I for one hope not, I prefer the 2560 resolution which is great for Windows boot camp and CAD software, at 4k it's unusable.
4k notebooks were all the rage 6months ago but almost unable to find one now.
However, I bet Apple will introduce a 5k resolution on their MacBook pro, just the thing to stir the pot. 5k and all usbc would be front page news. Of course pure speculation on my part.

 

[Kusakun]

I for one hope not, I prefer the 2560 resolution which is great for Windows boot camp and CAD software, at 4k it's unusable.
4k notebooks were all the rage 6months ago but almost unable to find one now.
However, I bet Apple will introduce a 5k resolution on their MacBook pro, just the thing to stir the pot. 5k and all usbc would be front page news. Of course pure speculation on my part.

I know what you mean but. Are there any 5k display for 13 15 inches? I mean the lower imac has 4k. Haven't seen 5k notebook monitors -or at least haven't heard of them-