The 14" MBP is not a 2020 product

[MF878]

There are still too many people in these forums who think the incoming 13-inch refresh will be a new 14-inch model in some glorious encore to last year's 16-inch Pro. Let's look at the reasons why this is not true:

1) Ming Chi Kuo - acknowledges the existence of a 14" Pro but claims it will be Q4 2020 at the earliest, and that this is because the 14" display part Apple has commissioned is mLED. Kuo has a tendency to be optimistic about Mac timeframes, so I can see this easily being 2021. Either way, it's definitely not the May refresh

2) There is no benefit to 14" - Apple didn't grow the 15" model to 16" for fun, they did it because they were struggling with thermal limitations in the 15" chassis. The 16" throttles less than its predecessor and has a much superior graphics part. This is why Apple didn't wait until the next redesign. A 14" Pro doesn't enable any meaningful change in performance or solve a major problem, so there is no point retooling mid-life.

3) mLED + ARM = 2021 redesign - This is more speculation on my part, but I believe that all MacBooks will transition to Apple's own chips in 2021. The latest report mentioned the existence of three A14-generation Mac chips, and I see those being one each for the 12" MacBook (first out the gate), and 14" and 16" Pros. This is the perfect time to redesign the Pro to show off the benefits of ARM and mLED, both of which are very efficient technologies. This means that the incoming 13" refresh could be the last for this design cycle, making it seem rather wasteful to make major modifications.

 

[DeepIn2U]

First .... I don't put much faith in Ming Chi Kuo, as many statements as an analyst he states are wrong, many are right and many still are re-iterated as later than what he said just 30 days before.

Next, you haven't really used a 2018 MBP 13" Quad-core i5 or i7 vs a 2016/2017 MBP 13" dual core i5/i7. I'm on the latter as 7PM EST Saturday night, restoring all my applications, setup preferences and data while still browsing and watching videos (2017 i7 in my signature). I previously owned a 2018 13" quad i5/16/512GB machine for 2mths. I can emphatically tell you the heat and sustained performance of the 2018 model is hotter and much better performance than this 2017 unit I'm now on.

Apple can clearly still stay with an IPS screen, or whatever the screen currently is just with more pixels on a 2020 14" MBP refresh. the 2019 models have lower i5/i7 base clock rates and they are still 9TH gen Coffee Lake cpu's not 10th gen that was released last year and the competition has already released into production on their machines.

example:
13" MBP 2019 use a 1.4 GHz Core i5 (I5-8257U)
Notebookcheck article
sour: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i5-8257U-Processor.427734.0.html

Thanks to the relative high Turbo Boost clock, the single thread performance should be very good, but still behind the faster i7 model. The short burst all core performance is clearly better compared to the old dual core predecessors thanks to the additional cores. In sustained workloads, the performance is usually limited by the TDP and cooling. In these workloads the difference to the Core i7 should be also smaller.

Just to note these are 15W cpus, not the 28w from 2018 models so clearly there is a significant thermal issue on-going (not to mention the continued use for Aluminum which radiates/conducts heat very quickly - vasectomy anyone?).

Is there any hard source/evidence that Apple can source mLED (microLED) in vast numbers? Also at what sample sizes? Hmmm.

I believe MBA and a new MacBook will feature MicroLED and ARM chip at the interim (MBA holiday 2020 or spring 2021). I figure a slow transition will occur. Those that have the Mac mini or Mac Pro or 16" MBP can rest for at least 2-3yrs before they start to feel better performance yet more than that better thermals (no fan needed) and extreme battery life.

 

[Philpug]

If this IS true, I am disappointed. I have a 13 MBP that I am getting ready to upgrade.

 

[Fishrrman]

This is all speculation.
It means... nothing.

 

[stlow]

1) Kuo says there is a 14" mini-LED Macbook being developed. That doesn't cancel out the possibility of increasing the size to 14" in May and adding mini-LED/ARM at a later date. It would follow the 16" design and differentiate the MBP from the Air.

2) Other reasons include the design (smaller bezels) and space for a larger battery.

3) It's much more likely that Apple incorporates ARM in non-Pro machines at first, like the MacBook, iMac, Mac mini for example. The Pro machines will probably be last.

 

[MF878]

This is all speculation.
It means... nothing.

Comments like yours always astound me. God forbid someone speculate on rumors about future Macs on a site called MacRumors 🙄

 

[Tekguy0]

It seems more likely we will get a 11-12" ARM MB powered by an X series chip with a regular Retina IPS panel. Maybe in 2021 or 2022 we will see Mini LED. I think the transition to ARM will not be all at once. The MBP will probably get at least one more refresh before the transition to ARM. Maybe we will see AMD as well, as APU codenames surfaced in a recent 10.15 Dev preview build, though it could be just Apple testing it in a lab somewhere. I think the lower end machines will be ARM, while the MBP16 and iMac Pro and Mac Pro will stay x86 for a while longer before finally switching.

 

[MF878]

1) Kuo says there is a 14" mini-LED Macbook being developed. That doesn't cancel out the possibility of increasing the size to 14" in May and adding mini-LED/ARM at a later date. It would follow the 16" design and differentiate the MBP from the Air.

2) Other reasons include the design (smaller bezels) and space for a larger battery.

3) It's much more likely that Apple incoporates ARM in non-Pro machines at first, like the MacBook, iMac, Mac mini for example. The Pro machines will probably be last.

1) It is important to note though that not one source has suggested the existence of a 14” panel without also mentioning mLED. If Apple was releasing a 14” panel without mLED in the next month or two, these screens would already be in production and we’d probably have confirmation of their existence from Kuo’s or someone else’s supply chain sources.

2) Those reasons aren’t a matter of urgency. The 15” was behind in graphics performance compared to NVIDIA-based Windows competitors, and the only solution was to find more room for a higher TDP part. Waiting two years and falling further behind wasn’t an option.

3) You need to look at in terms of the Intel chips used in those products currently, not whether or not “Pro“ is in the name. The Mac mini and iMac use higher-wattage (and therefore higher performance) desktop chips, are less thermally constrained, and don’t run on batteries, so there is no urgency to upgrade these to ARM.

 

[stlow]

1) It is important to note though that not one source has suggested the existence of a 14” panel without also mentioning mLED. If Apple was releasing a 14” panel without mLED in the next month or two, these screens would already be in production and we’d probably have confirmation of their existence from Kuo’s or someone else’s supply chain sources.

2) Those reasons aren’t a matter of urgency. The 15” was behind in graphics performance compared to NVIDIA-based Windows competitors, and the only solution was to find more room for a higher TDP part. Waiting two years and falling further behind wasn’t an option.

3) You need to look at in terms of the Intel chips used in those products currently, not whether or not “Pro“ is in the name. The Mac mini and iMac use higher-wattage (and therefore higher performance) desktop chips, are less thermally constrained, and don’t run on batteries, so there is no urgency to upgrade these to ARM.

1) I agree.

2) Main reason for me is the design. Keeping the outdated 13" design (compared to the 16") is a messy lineup in my opinion.

 

[MF878]

It seems more likely we will get a 11-12" ARM MB powered by an X series chip with a regular Retina IPS panel. Maybe in 2021 or 2022 we will see Mini LED. I think the transition to ARM will not be all at once. The MBP will probably get at least one more refresh before the transition to ARM. Maybe we will see AMD as well, as APU codenames surfaced in a recent 10.15 Dev preview build, though it could be just Apple testing it in a lab somewhere. I think the lower end machines will be ARM, while the MBP16 and iMac Pro and Mac Pro will stay x86 for a while longer before finally switching.

Obviously it won’t be all at once, Apple has to ramp up into producing all their own Mac chips themselves. However, a longer transition means a longer period where developers have to simultaneously support two architectures, and to keep that up for several years is insanity. This is why I think Apple has waited until 2021 even though they could theoretically have delivered an ARM MacBook two years ago, because they had to wait until they knew they could carry out a timely transition. The time from the first Intel Mac to a full Intel lineup was just six months. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re aiming for notebooks in 2021, followed by desktops in 2022, so a longer transition than the Intel one but not a slow drag.

Alos, there is no way we see an AMD CPU in a Mac if ARM is happening.

 

[theluggage]

Comments like yours always astound me. God forbid someone speculate on rumors about future Macs on a site called MacRumors 🙄

Trouble is, your original post wasn't written as speculation:

There are still too many people in these forums who think the incoming 13-inch refresh will be a new 14-inch model in some glorious encore to last year's 16-inch Pro. Let's look at the reasons why this is not true:

...maybe the wording was unintentional, but it reads as you telling everybody else that you are right and they are wrong. Unless you have privileged information (and are prepared to risk the consequences of breaking confidentiality) that's hardly the spirit of speculation.

 

[unoporfavor]

There are still too many people in these forums who think the incoming 13-inch refresh will be a new 14-inch model in some glorious encore to last year's 16-inch Pro. Let's look at the reasons why this is not true:

1) Ming Chi Kuo - acknowledges the existence of a 14" Pro but claims it will be Q4 2020 at the earliest, and that this is because the 14" display part Apple has commissioned is mLED. Kuo has a tendency to be optimistic about Mac timeframes, so I can see this easily being 2021. Either way, it's definitely not the May refresh

2) There is no benefit to 14" - Apple didn't grow the 15" model to 16" for fun, they did it because they were struggling with thermal limitations in the 15" chassis. The 16" throttles less than its predecessor and has a much superior graphics part. This is why Apple didn't wait until the next redesign. A 14" Pro doesn't enable any meaningful change in performance or solve a major problem, so there is no point retooling mid-life.

3) mLED + ARM = 2021 redesign - This is more speculation on my part, but I believe that all MacBooks will transition to Apple's own chips in 2021. The latest report mentioned the existence of three A14-generation Mac chips, and I see those being one each for the 12" MacBook (first out the gate), and 14" and 16" Pros. This is the perfect time to redesign the Pro to show off the benefits of ARM and mLED, both of which are very efficient technologies. This means that the incoming 13" refresh could be the last for this design cycle, making it seem rather wasteful to make major modifications.

No offense but I hope you are wrong! I'm selling my mbp 15" now ready for the 14".
I have always had smaller displays, but thought I'd try larger 15" but it's still not quite large enough for 2 documents side by side so prefer smaller laptop.
The butterfly keyboard. I hate it. It's awful, it sticks, I miss type, it feels like smashing glass marbles onto concrete.
Anyway / will have to wait and see but I hope hope the update in May or whenever isn't a 13" refresh!
You can come laugh at me if it is!
😎🥳✌️

 

[DeepIn2U]

Comments like yours always astound me. God forbid someone speculate on rumors about future Macs on a site called MacRumors 🙄

you’re attacking the doctor stating that both your opinion and mine are simply that speculation? god forbid rumours are NOT speculation or misconstrued as facts especially from an analyst or both of us with no concrete facts of the sort.

you win the internet today 👍

 

[Moonjumper]

mLED.

I had to check and Kuo was talking about mini-LED. Using the term mLED is ambiguous, as it could mean mini-LED or micro-LED, which are two very different technologies (mini-LED is an LCD backlight with more dimming zones, micro-LED is self-emiting pixels).

mini-LED may be on the way, but Apple needs to update the 13" MBP urgently as many people will be waiting for the keyboard changes that were made for the 16". If they are updating the keyboard, they may as well upgrade the size at the same time, then change to mini-LED later. It seems an easier route than changing the chassis to accommodate the keyboard, then update the chassis again to accommodate the 16" screen. Updating the keyboard and size at one go only requires updating the lid for mini-LED (and maybe that will only be minor).

Of the 3 changes coming, the keyboard seems most important, the screen size second, and finally mini-LED. Only mini-LED will have to wait for 2021, so I expect a 2020 14" MBP if that is the size Apple are going to change to.

 

[unoporfavor]

I had to check and Kuo was talking about mini-LED. Using the term mLED is ambiguous, as it could mean mini-LED or micro-LED, which are two very different technologies (mini-LED is an LCD backlight with more dimming zones, micro-LED is self-emiting pixels).

mini-LED may be on the way, but Apple needs to update the 13" MBP urgently as many people will be waiting for the keyboard changes that were made for the 16". If they are updating the keyboard, they may as well upgrade the size at the same time, then change to mini-LED later. It seems an easier route than changing the chassis to accommodate the keyboard, then update the chassis again to accommodate the 16" screen. Updating the keyboard and size at one go only requires updating the lid for mini-LED (and maybe that will only be minor).

Of the 3 changes coming, the keyboard seems most important, the screen size second, and finally mini-LED. Only mini-LED will have to wait for 2021, so I expect a 2020 14" MBP if that is the size Apple are going to change to.

Interesting analysis, thanks for that. I hope you right - at least on a new macbook pro 14" sooner rather than later! I hate hate that butterfly keyboard with a vitriol!
Cheers mate
👍
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you’re attacking the doctor stating that both your opinion and mine are simply that speculation? god forbid rumours are NOT speculation or misconstrued as facts especially from an analyst or both of us with no concrete facts of the sort.

you win the internet today 👍

Everyone be nice please. There's a pandemic and people are dying let's build each other up 🙌👍✌️

 

[MF878]

Trouble is, your original post wasn't written as speculation:



...maybe the wording was unintentional, but it reads as you telling everybody else that you are right and they are wrong. Unless you have privileged information (and are prepared to risk the consequences of breaking confidentiality) that's hardly the spirit of speculation.

Maybe my wording could’ve been softer, but my point is basically that there is insufficient evidence for the May/June refresh being a 14” model. It’s not that I have privileged information, it’s that the rumors do not support the prevailing opinion.

 

[unoporfavor]

Maybe my wording could’ve been softer, but my point is basically that there is insufficient evidence for the May/June refresh being a 14” model. It’s not that I have privileged information, it’s that the rumors do not support the prevailing opinion.

Genuine question - what is different to this rumour than the 16" rumours? It appears similar to me and would fit the new model structure. Without rumours or patent guessing - having a 13" refresh when there model line up has gone smaller bezel and larger case with 16" wouldn't make a lot sense would it? Or do you think they diverge more from the large mbp with a smaller line? Wouldn't that make it hard to differentiate between mba and mbp on some levels?
Interested in your opinion!
🤘

 

[MF878]

you’re attacking the doctor stating that both your opinion and mine are simply that speculation? god forbid rumours are NOT speculation or misconstrued as facts especially from an analyst or both of us with no concrete facts of the sort.

you win the internet today 👍

I’m not saying that they’re wrong to call it speculation, my point is that coming into a speculative thread and being like “it’s all speculation, it means nothing” is just being obtuse. If that person has no interest in speculation then there are plenty of other non-speculative threads in these forums to comment on.
[automerge]1587942805[/automerge]

Genuine question - what is different to this rumour than the 16" rumours? It appears similar to me and would fit the new model structure. Without rumours or patent guessing - having a 13" refresh when there model line up has gone smaller bezel and larger case with 16" wouldn't make a lot sense would it? Or do you think they diverge more from the large mbp with a smaller line? Wouldn't that make it hard to differentiate between mba and mbp on some levels?
Interested in your opinion!
🤘

The difference to me is that there were so many rumours from so many respected sources about the 16” Pro before it finally landed. If you look at pretty much every product release Apple has done for the last few years, you can see in the month or two before (ie. when the product has entered production) that analysts like Kuo are able to give quite detailed information these days. People love to point out the times that they’re wrong, but that’s usually when they’re conveying rumours about products much earlier than this. If a 14” model is launching in May/June, production must have started by now and we’d practically know for certain at this point.

The 16” may have smaller bezels but it wasn’t a full redesign, and even with smaller bezels it is still bigger and heavier then the 15” model it replaced. It was born out of necessity, as Apple had hit a thermal ceiling for graphics performance. The 13” and 16” co-existing for the next year or so with different bezel widths is not unusual, the 2008-2012 15” and 17” models had different bezel widths too.

 

[unoporfavor]

I’m not saying that they’re wrong to call it speculation, my point is that coming into a speculative thread and being like “it’s all speculation, it means nothing” is just being obtuse. If that person has no interest in speculation then there are plenty of other non-speculative threads in these forums to comment on.
[automerge]1587942805[/automerge]


The difference to me is that there were so many rumours from so many respected sources about the 16” Pro before it finally landed. If you look at pretty much every product release Apple has done for the last few years, you can see in the month or two before (ie. when the product has entered production) that analysts like Kuo are able to give quite detailed information these days. People love to point out the times that they’re wrong, but that’s usually when they’re conveying rumours about products much earlier than this. If a 14” model is launching in May/June, production must have started by now and we’d practically know for certain at this point.

The 16” may have smaller bezels but it wasn’t a full redesign, and even with smaller bezels it is still bigger and heavier then the 15” model it replaced. It was born out of necessity, as Apple had hit a thermal ceiling for graphics performance. The 13” and 16” co-existing for the next year or so with different bezel widths is not unusual, the 2008-2012 15” and 17” models had different bezel widths too.

Thanks for your viewpoint!👍
When was the 16" released and when was it 'confirmed' do you know?
Bit worried about selling my mbp pro now! It's always a bit of a fine line knowing when to hold onto something and when it will be a good time to sell to recoup some of the value!
So you're saying no 14" in 2020 or just not next month or 2?
✌️

 

[bill-p]

The latest report mentioned the existence of three A14-generation Mac chips, and I see those being one each for the 12" MacBook (first out the gate), and 14" and 16" Pros.

This is not speculation. It's fact:

The final ISA showdown: Is ARM, x86, or MIPS intrinsically more power efficient?

One of the canards that’s regularly trotted out in discussions of ARM vs. x86 processors is the idea that ARM chips are intrinsically more power efficient thanks to fundamental differences in the ISA (instruction set architecture).

community.arm.com

ARM is not ready to replace x86 yet, even though it has made great strides in the past 4 years.

A lot of these "ARM MacBook Pros are coming" speculations are coming from folks who read "analysts" touting the idea of ARM in a MacBook, 5G, all the latest and greatest, etc... all of that just so they can artificially boost Apple stocks and make their own predictions come true. Cry wolf every day and eventually a wolf comes, I guess.

I don't doubt that Apple will be able to one day make ARM MacBook Pro, but... I don't think that's any time soon. Certainly not next year. Why? Because that first ARM MacBook will most likely be received exactly the same way the public received the Surface Pro X:
1. It doesn't run a lot of Mac apps in native mode. It has to do an x86 emulation layer, which sucks especially for pro-level apps.
2. If it doesn't run a lot of Mac apps, you are tied into whatever Apple wants to offer.
3. It's essentially an iPad Pro with a bad touch interface (Mac OS is not touch-ready) and with a keyboard permanently attached to it.

I don't know. Apple may feel adventurous, and they may still come out with that MacBook, but I'd bet that it's going to suck because Apple can't work magic, and then people would hate it, and Apple themselves will in turn hate the idea and forever scrap it.

If an ARM MacBook is coming, I don't think this year or the next is a good time for it. It needs more time for apps to be rewritten from scratch.

 

[unoporfavor]

This is not speculation. It's fact:

The final ISA showdown: Is ARM, x86, or MIPS intrinsically more power efficient?

One of the canards that’s regularly trotted out in discussions of ARM vs. x86 processors is the idea that ARM chips are intrinsically more power efficient thanks to fundamental differences in the ISA (instruction set architecture).

community.arm.com

ARM is not ready to replace x86 yet, even though it has made great strides in the past 4 years.

A lot of these "ARM MacBook Pros are coming" speculations are coming from folks who read "analysts" touting the idea of ARM in a MacBook, 5G, all the latest and greatest, etc... all of that just so they can artificially boost Apple stocks and make their own predictions come true. Cry wolf every day and eventually a wolf comes, I guess.

I don't doubt that Apple will be able to one day make ARM MacBook Pro, but... I don't think that's any time soon. Certainly not next year. Why? Because that first ARM MacBook will most likely be received exactly the same way the public received the Surface Pro X:
1. It doesn't run a lot of Mac apps in native mode. It has to do an x86 emulation layer, which sucks especially for pro-level apps.
2. If it doesn't run a lot of Mac apps, you are tied into whatever Apple wants to offer.
3. It's essentially an iPad Pro with a bad touch interface (Mac OS is not touch-ready) and with a keyboard permanently attached to it.

I don't know. Apple may feel adventurous, and they may still come out with that MacBook, but I'd bet that it's going to suck because Apple can't work magic, and then people would hate it, and Apple themselves will in turn hate the idea and forever scrap it.

If an ARM MacBook is coming, I don't think this year or the next is a good time for it. It needs more time for apps to be rewritten from scratch.

I saw a quote where the performance through an emulator was abysmal so also would be surprised if they do an ARM chip this year.

 

[DeepIn2U]

1) I agree.

2) Main reason for me is the design. Keeping the outdated 13" design (compared to the 16") is a messy lineup in my opinion.

The core design between the two are the same. Just screen bezels differ I believe.

 

[Tekguy0]

I don't know. Apple may feel adventurous, and they may still come out with that MacBook, but I'd bet that it's going to suck because Apple can't work magic, and then people would hate it, and Apple themselves will in turn hate the idea and forever scrap it.

Why would Apple release a crappier iPad Pro based model when they could use something the size of a 12" MB and have it run full MacOS? They would probably rather wait and have it be good vs. having it be unpolished but sooner. If the 1st ARM model gets a negative reception, that could cannibalize a lot of potential future ARM Mac buyers who ordinarily wouldn't care about whats in their system.

 

[Moonjumper]

This is not speculation. It's fact:

The final ISA showdown: Is ARM, x86, or MIPS intrinsically more power efficient?

One of the canards that’s regularly trotted out in discussions of ARM vs. x86 processors is the idea that ARM chips are intrinsically more power efficient thanks to fundamental differences in the ISA (instruction set architecture).

community.arm.com

ARM is not ready to replace x86 yet, even though it has made great strides in the past 4 years.

A lot of these "ARM MacBook Pros are coming" speculations are coming from folks who read "analysts" touting the idea of ARM in a MacBook, 5G, all the latest and greatest, etc... all of that just so they can artificially boost Apple stocks and make their own predictions come true. Cry wolf every day and eventually a wolf comes, I guess.

I don't doubt that Apple will be able to one day make ARM MacBook Pro, but... I don't think that's any time soon. Certainly not next year. Why? Because that first ARM MacBook will most likely be received exactly the same way the public received the Surface Pro X:
1. It doesn't run a lot of Mac apps in native mode. It has to do an x86 emulation layer, which sucks especially for pro-level apps.
2. If it doesn't run a lot of Mac apps, you are tied into whatever Apple wants to offer.
3. It's essentially an iPad Pro with a bad touch interface (Mac OS is not touch-ready) and with a keyboard permanently attached to it.

I don't know. Apple may feel adventurous, and they may still come out with that MacBook, but I'd bet that it's going to suck because Apple can't work magic, and then people would hate it, and Apple themselves will in turn hate the idea and forever scrap it.

If an ARM MacBook is coming, I don't think this year or the next is a good time for it. It needs more time for apps to be rewritten from scratch.

If code is written to Apple specs in Xcode, it should be largely architecture agnostic. For many it will just be a checkbox and recompile. Almost certainly there will be a Developer Transition System to ensure there is plenty of software for release, as there was for the switch to Intel.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Arm Macs were to be announced at WWDC, followed by the Developer Transition System in July or August, then a consumer release in February or March 2021. But as this is a MBP thread, I don’t think any existing Pro line will be released for at least a year after that, probably a lot longer.

 

[bill-p]

If code is written to Apple specs in Xcode, it should be largely architecture agnostic. For many it will just be a checkbox and recompile. Almost certainly there will be a Developer Transition System to ensure there is plenty of software for release, as there was for the switch to Intel.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Arm Macs were to be announced at WWDC, followed by the Developer Transition System in July or August, then a consumer release in February or March 2021. But as this is a MBP thread, I don’t think any existing Pro line will be released for at least a year after that, probably a lot longer.

You're assuming everything written for the Mac is written in Xcode. I can assure you... that that is not the case.

Java-based apps still exist, Electron-based apps are emerging (the Slack app is one such thing, Autodesk Fusion 360 is also Electron-based), etc... to name a few of the popular alternatives. Then we have a lot of the C++ based tools and code that are no longer maintained, and that cannot be very easily re-compiled for ARM without at least some small tweaks.

And then we have the various Mac drivers that must be compatible with all of your current Mac peripherals, and those are beyond Apple's control.

If an ARM MacBook comes out this year or the next, it'll most likely have:

1. Abysmal performance due to severe lack of native apps, as outlined above. There is no remedy for Java-based apps and Electron-based apps, and apps built on platforms that Apple does not control.
2. It'll have very poor or almost non-existent backwards compatibility because Apple is not in control of drivers. Manufacturers will have to go back in time and at least recompile all of their drivers for ARM if you just want to be able to connect your printer. How likely do you think they'll want to do that for hardware that's more than a year old?
3. You simply can't connect an external GPU to it. There is no support for that in ARM unless Apple basically invents a whole new connector standard.
4. Heck, you lose Thunderbolt 3 support altogether since ARM does not support Thunderbolt 3 at all. Intel is in control of
a portion of Thunderbolt 3 and they won't very easily let Apple or ARM implement it.

Those are major technical roadblocks that will "for now" hold back an ARM MacBook. This is not speculation but it's just the reality.

If you want basically an iPad Pro running a non-touch-based OS that can't run a lot of apps and can't connect to anything that you currently own, and can't even do what the cheapest MacBook can do right now then... sure, I guess that makes one. But I don't think the market will very easily accept something like that. Apple has a lot of kinks they need to work out.