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I think before ditching the Touch Bar. Apple needs to consider ditching the notch on MacBooks. It honestly serves no purpose. Not even Face ID. At least, Touch Bar is semi-functional.

In addition, we are also getting 13" iPad Pro models next year tho.

apple-mbp-notch.jpg
The notch mean you have extra screen space (for the menu.) Without the notch, the screen size would be smaller.
 
You don't seem too far off with that schedule.

It seems more likely that the Mac mini will wait at least until the M3 Pro is also available since its last update came in tandem (M2/M2 Pro).

You're probably right, thinking on it now... if the M3 is based off A17 cores then it will probably be very close in performance to (if not outperform) the M2 Pro, which is based off A15 cores.

So there wouldn't be much point in a product with an M3 and another model with an M2 Pro.
 
I think before ditching the Touch Bar. Apple needs to consider ditching the notch on MacBooks. It honestly serves no purpose. Not even Face ID. At least, Touch Bar is semi-functional.

In addition, we are also getting 13" iPad Pro models next year tho.

apple-mbp-notch.jpg
I will not replace my 2016 MacBook Pro until then notch is gone. And if time to replace, and that notch is still there, I will be going to a Windows based PC.
 
But I have a feeling it is a chicken / egg scenario here, I got Apple Business account as well and according to my rep, this 13" is the only model that they have been offering any meaningful bulk discount for the last 2 years. The M2 13" Air in particular got a price increase over the M1 when new, then also got no corporate discounts at all, really swayed the decisions I believe. In other words I don't see IT departments particularly want to stick with the touchbar 13" for any technical reason other than price. It is not like the Pencil situation with iPads.

It does make sense to me that Apple would be willing to discount the 13" MBP deeper than other models. I would not at all be surprised if most are purchased for use by software developers who primarily work with cloud-based repositories and version-control systems and these are connected to docks with larger displays for the daily work. The active cooling likely helps with longer code compiling sessions and the smaller size and lighter weight make it easier to carry around to meetings.
 
Sorry but your comment just says give us more for free. M2 already has far more competence than Apple will put in its lowest end laptop, and the battery is already excellent. Waiting for M3 in the lowest end is a waste of time unless you expect Apple to not have the MBA be the low end anymore.
I assume you don't know that Apple just lowered the price of the MBA by 100$, which is equivalent of more for free? Or that they regularly update machines with other hardware than the SOC at the same price level, which is also more for free? Or that the MBA is their best selling Mac and thus very important for them? Or that the MBA, along with their other lowest end machines, was the first machine to get both the M1 and the M2?
 
That notch is way too big for what it's doing
It really isn't - there's an extremely thin 1080p webcam, two additional sensors and LED.

Also I'd take a wild that guess Face ID will also be added to the notch at a later date once components can be made thinner, the iPhone's Face ID / Camera array are too thick for the MB screen).

I cant see the notch disappearing anytime soon though.

Love to hear what your solution is to reduce the size without compromising on image quality or thickness of the screen?
 
It does make sense to me that Apple would be willing to discount the 13" MBP deeper than other models. I would not at all be surprised if most are purchased for use by software developers who primarily work with cloud-based repositories and version-control systems and these are connected to docks with larger displays for the daily work. The active cooling likely helps with longer code compiling sessions and the smaller size and lighter weight make it easier to carry around to meetings.
And the performance of an M2/3 is more than adequate for most coding tasks.
 
digitimes already copy paste what Murk G already said
DigiTimes has such a poor track record and MR is seeking clicks that it will post it regardless. At this point I will make up some random rumour and MR will post it considering I will have a better track record compared to DigiTimes. 😝
 
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I’m afraid these are the dying days of the Touch Bar. Most developers aren’t going to support it now that only a few (rare) Macs have it. And having the Touch Bar fairly useless if software doesn’t support it.
I think the TouchBar has a dedicated chip to run it which is not cost effective for Tim Cook. The sooner Apple discontinues TouchBar MBP the better as its a failed experiment like the Butterfly mechanism KB.
 
You know Apple's got this figured out in a lab awaiting for the mass production to become economical. All that work on Apple vision + the work in putting cameras behind the screen are going to be ground breaking in iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. Apple can always move the sensors for True Tone & auto brightness elsewhere on the enclosure.
VisionPro outbound cameras are concealed in its black bezel and the inbound cameras are also on a bezel. What are you referring to may be I am missing something.
 
Really???? I love the Touch Bar.
Unfortunately the majority speak with $$$ and producing a product for a few fans is not worth it even if Apple claims its one of its best selling MBP that is due to price comparison with the M1P/M and M2P/M MBP versions. People see “Pro” and believe its a capable device when in reality the M2 MBA surpasses it.
 
We have been hearing these under-display FaceID for years now since a year the notch was initially debuted and all we got was a smaller notch and now a pill.

Apple used the original notch size on iPhone X, XS, XR, 11, and 12;

Reduced size notch on iPhone 13, 13 Pro and 14;

DynamicIsland on iPhone 14 Pro;

Given this track record I see DynamicIsland on iPhone 15 and 15 Pro;

Reduced DynamicIsland dimensions on iPhone 16 Pro and possibly what this rumour predicts under display by iPhone 18 Pro not 16 Pro.

Apple loves to milk technology but markets it as refining 😜
 
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I’m suspecting Apple is still somehow recouping the cost of 2016 design and will likely keep manufacturing it with revs of the M series until cost of the 14 inch comes down to make that an entry level successor. Either that or they just had a pile of that 13 inch chassis in inventory and are trying to deplete it. I don’t buy the argument anymore it’s for businesses that need the thermal features. We have 13 inch MBPs in the office and we hardly push them and most who I see with them are using web apps.
With M2 MBA adopting similar design language as M1 MBP it is not cost effective to produce the 2016 MBP 13” display design just as the M1 MBA wedge will be phased out. There is a reason why the recent selection of iPad 10th Gen, M1 iPad Air, M1 iPad Pro and 6th Gen iPad Mini have similar design language, similarly for iPhone 14 and 14 Pro.
 
Unfortunately the majority speak with $$$ and producing a product for a few fans is not worth it even if Apple claims its one of its best selling MBP that is due to price comparison with the M1P/M and M2P/M MBP versions. People see “Pro” and believe its a capable device when in reality the M2 MBA surpasses it.
I did not know you worked for Apple. What do you know about the touch bar? I would have a hard time using a Mac without it.
 
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