There's a New 13-Inch MacBook Pro Coming, Here's What We Know

[WilliApple]

If with Notch, then No Thanks!

The notch isn't a problem on the MacBook Pros. it is out of the way all of the time. They fixed the Notch covering menu bar ages ago if that is what the problem is. The MacBook Pro in full screen looks like the area with the notch isn't even there. Also, the menu bar is bigger than the notch area.

 

[ChrisChaval]

Maybe Apple has very expensive and efficient production lines that can produce these old chassis MBPs for cheaper than the redesigned MBA while still charging more than the redesigned MBA.

they sure could manufacture it for less and then try to raise the price above the upcoming M2 MBA - but who would pay more for a device with old looks and just the same level of performance ?

I wouldn't

 

[BuffaloTF]

also never understood the HDMI complaints because I bought one of these for like $10 for my monitor/projector needs. didn't even need to buy a dongle!

Even if you get a dongle, you can just leave it attached to the HDMI cord, and you’ve added nothing but a tiny bit of length to the cable… it’s such a non-issue.

 

[Fomalhaut]

If with Notch, then No Thanks!

Have you used one? The notch is a non-issue after a few hours of use. Bear in mind that most apps have a dark menu background so you never see it. You can also put your app into full screen mode and go back the previous default screen area, with the entire top area blacked out where the bezel used to be.

Just use the computer and forget about it. It seems a bit narrow minded to write off an outstanding computer by fixating on something that you can control or your brain can easily filter out.

 

[Klapper.cz]

The notch isn't a problem on the MacBook Pros. it is out of the way all of the time. They fixed the Notch covering menu bar ages ago if that is what the problem is. The MacBook Pro in full screen looks like the area with the notch isn't even there. Also, the menu bar is bigger than the notch area.

Two things about notch - first it could have been so much smaller for just one small camera hole with no other functionality.
Second it pushes you to have a menubar always present and at a certain default scaling to hide it all if I'm not mistaken. Personally I like smaller scaling and have the menu bar hidden, having my chrome tabs at the top, notch would just make it impossible. It's the classic Apple "it's not a problem if you just use it the only way we want you to".

 

[Pezimak]

I bet this computer will sell surprisingly well, it’ll be priced a fair bit cheaper then the other MacBook Pro models. And have no notch.

 

[Reason077]

Releasing a 13" MacBook Pro would have significant work and internal changes beyond the existing Apple Silicon notebooks

Nonsense. For all we know, the M2 SoC module may be 100% pin-compatible with the M1 module, so all Apple would be doing is swapping out the M1 SoC for the M2.

 

[Maetzle]

Wish they‘d just go for a simple lineup of 12“ and 14“ MacBooks (and drop the Air) and 14“ and 16“ MacBook Pros. I don‘t get why we need a only slightly updated 13“ Pro with the old design.

 

[EntropyQ3]

they sure could manufacture it for less and then try to raise the price above the upcoming M2 MBA - but who would pay more for a device with old looks and just the same level of performance ?

I wouldn't

Those that prefer the older design?

 

[CyberBob859]

I'm wondering how all these rumors over the past few months can fit together.

The rumor of a new MacBook Pro coming next month might just be a new laptop model is coming but based on a MacBook Pro design. I highly doubt it will be the current TouchBar model as Apple has no love for it anymore, but they might bring back the design of the MacBook Pro without TouchBar from 2016-2017, and change from the Butterfly keyboard to the Magic Keyboard design they have in the 14" and 16" Pro models now.

If this new laptop has the 13" screen technology, they may just call it "MacBook" and price it at $899 or $999. The big question is whether they use an M2 chip and announce a new generation of processors or stick with the M1 for now.

If they announce this "MacBook", then the rumors of a colorful, MacBook Air with 14" Mini-LED screen later this year would then make sense because that machine would slot between the low-end MacBook and the high-end MacBook Pro models.

The product lineup between the iPad and MacBook would also be identical:

low cost: iPad, MacBook
mid-range: iPad Air, MacBook Air
performance: iPad Pro, MacBook Pro

I would say, though, that if they offer a MacBook with the M2 chip in a MacBook Pro chassis (larger battery with active fan cooling) for $899, that would be an impressive machine for the average user. Magsafe would be icing on the cake.

 

[ChrisChaval]

Those that prefer the older design?

those who prefer it (like myself) already got it with the M1

Who would shell out for the same old same old and just some 10 - 20 % performance gain over the previous generation, when something new and shiny is just around the corner?

I just cannot see it happening, it does not make any sense

 

[javisan]

I’m honestly surprised that some people here are surprised that the 13” MPB line will be kept alive. This is another Tim Cook special, so predictable.

After seeing Apple continuing to milk the iPhone 6 design (will do so again in 2022), you can expect many years of minor spec bumps to the old 13” MBP design.

You can also expect funky colors on the upcoming Air redesign. This is Tim Cook’s most recent sales tactic to upsell you to more expensive models. If you liked the silver or space gray, you’re going to need to buy a MBP. Same happened with the iPhone 13 (silver is gone, only on Pro) and Watch s7 (have to buy stainless steel version to get the silver look).

 

[GuruZac]

Releasing a 13" MacBook Pro would have significant work and internal changes beyond the existing Apple Silicon notebooks, as the Touch Bar is currently implemented running on a separate T2 chip running BridgeOS.

I doubt they will be willing to do that sort of extra effort just to keep TouchBar alive.

Yeah I agree. I bet they use the non-TouchBar 13“ Pro chassis.

I think the whole idea of a 13” MacBook Pro with M2 makes NO SENSE. Buy the M1 model at discount, buy the M1 Air, or wait for the M2 Air. I’m confused as to why Apple is keeping the Mac line fragmented.

I still believe that the M1 MacBook Air at $999 and many times $899 is such a crazy deal, and has all the power 95% of users probably need and then some. I am just failing to see where the need for a another laptop between the Air and 14” Pro fits in.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Those that prefer the older design?

I loved the 2012-2015 13” Retina MacBook Pro design alongside the 2016-Current 13” MacBook Pro design. I’m not the least bit concerned with a new design the way some here are. I would still like the headphone jack returned to the left hand side, but other than that I love my 13” M1.

 

[ChrisChaval]

I’m honestly surprised that some people here are surprised that the 13” MPB line will be kept alive. This is another Tim Cook special, so predictable.

After seeing Apple continuing to milk the iPhone 6 design (will do so again in 2022), you can expect many years of minor spec bumps to the old 13” MBP design.

You can also expect funky colors on the upcoming Air redesign. This is Tim Cook’s most recent sales tactic to upsell you to more expensive models. If you liked the silver or space gray, you’re going to need to buy a MBP. Same happened with the iPhone 13 (silver is gone, only on Pro) and Watch s7 (have to buy stainless steel version to get the silver look).

it all comes down to pricing and how this rumoured device is going to compete with the upcoming redesigned MB(A)

 

[SoldOnApple]

The TouchBar is one of the few things that visually differentiates a MacBook Pro from a MBP design cloned PC laptop. Maybe serious pros didn't need it after all, but I bet MBP fans see it and want it on their machines. It is nice seeing the emoji on there too. Playback scribble bar is handy as well. Controlling volume with a gesture also is fun.

 

[Woochoo]

Isn't that the exact same argument for including ports? That some people need them?

As I've pointed out many times, there is no such thing as a USB-C substitute for a flush-fitting USB-A flash drive (the type that look like an RF mouse dongle).

...

Philosophically, I don't think ports should be relegated to "pros."

Ports are not professional. They are utilitarian.

You answer to a claim I never did. It's pretty simple: he asked why would someone buy that laptop without HDMI, and I answered because not everyone needs it. Didn't ever say there shouldn't be Macbooks with HDMI. To be more specific: if someone never uses external displays, and Apple doesn't offer HDMI in the lowest price range, why would that person go for a 500 bucks more expensive laptop just for the sake of "what if I need it some day", when in case of necessity a 10 bucks adaptor would do the trick?

Not gonna go into what is pro and what's not, as a programmer has different needs than a video editor or a designer. What's clear is that common folk has different needs than someone who uses a Mac for a living. About USB A you mention, same happened with FireWire, CDs, and whatever standard you can recall, just that here you can still easily use them with adaptors while you can't use CDs anymore in your laptop. First people complained they were taken off the Superdrive, now everyone's glad they did it. I think it's time already to move on with the standard, otherwise if manufacturers keep making laptops and desktops with USB A's we will be stuck with that ancient port forever just for the sake of people wanting to plug their old pen drive (which is the only real reason I see for it, as USB A to C cables are dirt cheap).

 

[theluggage]

I think the whole idea of a 13” MacBook Pro with M2 makes NO SENSE. Buy the M1 model at discount, buy the M1 Air, or wait for the M2 Air. I’m confused as to why Apple is keeping the Mac line fragmented.

Well, as far as I can see it is only one rumour, and the main reason that rumour stands out is that it is a bit surprising c.f. all the other rumours that sound like plausible guesswork.

Personally, I agree that the low-end 13" MBP (non-touch, then 2-port) hasn't made sense to me since the intel days and I'd either get a tricked-out Air for the same price or stump up for the all-round better 14" - but Apple have the actual sales figures and I don't. If the 13" MBP and $1300 price point are appealing to a particular market that is making Apple useful money, it's going to get some sort of update.

Thing is, the M2 13" rumour doesn't say what else is getting released. It doesn't contradict the rumours about the new Air or MBP, and the 5k iMac replacement has never been a strong prediction for March. One thing that makes less sense than a M2 13" is keeping the M1 13" alongside an M2 Air that will probably outperform it.

The M2 seems to be intended as a direct replacement for the M1 (and, as someone else has already pointed out, could quite conceivably be a pin-compatible,"drop-in" replacement) so once M2 production is cracked, Apple would probably want to end (regular) M1 production ASAP to free up capacity for M2.

It's not like Intel where there's a huge OEM market and the last couple of generations of chips would remain available to order for years - if Apple no longer needs M1s, nobody else will be buying them.

So anything with M1 that isn't being dropped or replaced will likely get bumped to M2 pretty pronto. If we just see an M2 13" MBP, and not M2 Minis, 24" iMacs and Airs (maybe not at the next event, but soon) then it would be a bit weird.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

also never understood the HDMI complaints because I bought one of these for like $10 for my monitor/projector needs. didn't even need to buy a dongle!

Even if you get a dongle, you can just leave it attached to the HDMI cord, and you’ve added nothing but a tiny bit of length to the cable… it’s such a non-issue.

Here's a hint why people want a separate HDMI port instead of using a cable/adapter/dongle -- it uses one of the two ports on the MBP. If you're charging your MBP (port #1) and using an external monitor (port #2), how do you plug in an external drive, printer, or any other USB or Thunderbolt accessory? You have NO PORTS LEFT!

 

[jeffpeng]

Well I couldn’t imagine I’d have to wait 5MONTHS!? and counting, to get a M1max MBP. Also think “just” M1Max on iMac Pro will not happen. Intel new release together with the production delays, may push Apple to go for M2max instead.It surely would look better on their presentation benchmarks…

I think there is a general misconception about how fast you can bring silicon to market. It's really not that apple can just go, load up a CPU schematic, copy paste the A15 CPU and GPU cores twice into the M1 Pro design, press print, and then an SoC magically appears in a Taiwanese foundry, ready to be shipped.

Designing silicon is a lengthy process, prone to errors and unforeseeable issues, and requires multiple iterations of prototyping, validation and fixing problems found. Even if we assume that M2 would be one the same process node as M1 (N5) or the A15 (N5P), and even if we assume that M2 actually already exists - means it's taped out, tested and validated - even then .... apple can't just go and make an M2 Pro / Max over night. They would have had to have this planned for at least a couple of months in advance, and then the question really becomes:

If they can't ship the MBP 14/16 in volume anyways, why release it with an SoC they plan to replace in 6 months?

I still do believe, despite the rumors, that

- Apple will finish their Mac lineup at WWDC with the new iMac with M1 Pro, Max and Extreme (?, aka Jade 2C Die), and a new Mac Mini Pro or Mac Pro Mini
- We will not see an Apple Silicon based modular Mac Pro to replace the 2019 Cheese Grater, probably not until 2024 if ever
- M2 will release in the next gen MBA (possibly without the Air in the name) around October/November, that it will be based in A16 rather than A15, and that it will be manufactured on TSMC N4.

 

[cwwilson]

I wonder why Apple doesn’t just drop the “Pro” moniker from the 13” MBP and just call it a MacBook. Give it the M2 and price it just above the Air. Then you would have MacBook Air, MacBook, and MacBook Pro lines. Very similar to the iPad except in that case the Air is ”above” the regular iPad. Or better yet, they could “merge” the Air and 13” Pro into one model, call it the MacBook with a 13.3” screen, no fan, and an M2. Give it new colors if you want to as well. But to me the 13” Pro just seems like a shoehorn now that the 14” is out. It just seems really out of place but there does need to be something between the Air and 14” Pro, right?

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

The TouchBar is one of the few things that visually differentiates a MacBook Pro from a MBP design cloned PC laptop. Maybe serious pros didn't need it after all, but I bet MBP fans see it and want it on their machines. It is nice seeing the emoji on there too. Playback scribble bar is handy as well. Controlling volume with a gesture also is fun.

Uh, no. The votes are in and people want real ESC and function keys. Volume and "playback scribble" might be fun for a minute or two. Software never really utilized it.

 

[jeffpeng]

... but there does need to be something between the Air and 14” Pro, right?

Does it tho?

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Does it tho?

With nothing between $999 and $1999, one would think there DOES need to be something...

 

[cwwilson]

Does it tho?

I don’t know honestly. I mean, there is a sizable gap between the starting price of an Air and the Pro 14. But you can certainly spec out an Air to right up there close to a base 14” but at the point you might as well get the 14.

Just looking at it from Apple’s perspective. They obviously want something there which is why they’re keeping the Pro 13 around. But when people are shopping around and they see the cheapest Pro has an M2 and the more expensive ones have an M1 xxx there might be some confusion as to which one really is better which is why it’s wild that this computer is getting M2 before anything else. We here at MR know that M2 is not going to be faster than M1 Pro/Max but someone who is new to Apple and has money to spend might not be so aware as to what’s going on with these naming schemes!