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Will Apple get rid of the touchbar with the arrival of ARM Macbooks?

senttoschool said:
Every rumor we've had since 2020 says the TB is going away.

I think it's 99% gone in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Maybe so, but I am still confused as to why they would add the Touch Bar to the 13" M1 Pro in that case. As to the rumors... there still might have been some mix ups. But yeah, I agree that so far there was not much to support that TB is staying.

Anyway, I am fairly ambivalent on the matter, I just hope that we will get something more innovative than the return to the useless function keys.
 
leman said:
Maybe so, but I am still confused as to why they would add the Touch Bar to the 13" M1 Pro in that case. As to the rumors... there still might have been some mix ups. But yeah, I agree that so far there was not much to support that TB is staying.

Anyway, I am fairly ambivalent on the matter, I just hope that we will get something more innovative than the return to the useless function keys.
Click to expand...
For me the Touch Bar is useless and I much prefer physical function keys. The Touch Bar is also buggy and freezes and you can't use it when you have gloves on.

I much rather Apple focus on better things than the function row.

The 13" M1 MBP kept the Touch Bar because it used the previous design with no changes.
 
leman said:
Maybe so, but I am still confused as to why they would add the Touch Bar to the 13" M1 Pro in that case. As to the rumors... there still might have been some mix ups. But yeah, I agree that so far there was not much to support that TB is staying.

Anyway, I am fairly ambivalent on the matter, I just hope that we will get something more innovative than the return to the useless function keys.
Click to expand...
Feels like the M1 13" Pro got the TB because they didn't want to change anything in manufacturing or chassis. The non-TB 13" Pro was discontinued long ago so the manufacturing lines for them were gone too.

OLED programmable Function keys would be interesting.
 
senttoschool said:
Feels like the M1 13" Pro got the TB because they didn't want to change anything in manufacturing or chassis. The non-TB 13" Pro was discontinued long ago so the manufacturing lines for them were gone too.

OLED programmable Function keys would be interesting.
Click to expand...
There was an apple patent about programmable keys. It will be a couple of years tho before it becomes reality.
 
senttoschool said:
Feels like the M1 13" Pro got the TB because they didn't want to change anything in manufacturing or chassis. The non-TB 13" Pro was discontinued long ago so the manufacturing lines for them were gone too.
Click to expand...

But that’s my entire point, since they did change the chassis! The 13” M1 pro took the place of the non-TB Pro and uses the same two-port chassis with a single fan, so it looks like they have deliberately added the Touch Bar. Im just wondering why would they go through the trouble (and the expense) if they planned to drop it anyway.
 
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leman said:
But that’s my entire point, since they did change the chassis! The 13” M1 pro took the place of the non-TB Pro and uses the same two-port chassis with a single fan, so it looks like they have deliberately added the Touch Bar. Im just wondering why would they go through the trouble (and the expense) if they planned to drop it anyway.
Click to expand...

MacBook Pro "Core i5" 1.4 13" 2020 2 TB 3 Specs (2020 13" (2 TB 3), MXK62LL/A*, MacBookPro16,3, A2289, 3456): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the MacBook Pro "Core i5" 1.4 13" 2020 2 TB 3. Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
everymac.com everymac.com


You are wrong the before the M1 13” MBP 2020. The 13” low-end had the Touch Bar already. It was called the 2020 2-port Intel 8th gen Touch Bar 13”.

Apple added the Touch Bar to the low end model MBP 13” in 2019.
 
Kung gu said:
You are wrong the before the M1 13” MBP 2020. The 13” low-end had the Touch Bar already. It was called the 2020 2-port Intel 8th gen Touch Bar 13”.


MacBook Pro "Core i5" 1.4 13" 2020 2 TB 3 Specs (2020 13" (2 TB 3), MXK62LL/A*, MacBookPro16,3, A2289, 3456): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the MacBook Pro "Core i5" 1.4 13" 2020 2 TB 3. Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
everymac.com everymac.com
Click to expand...

Oh, thanks for pointing this out! My mistake then. Yeah, this takes away most of my argument against the removal of the Touch Bar…
 
Personally I think the TB is going 100%, every rumour has pointed to it, and in recent polls only about 30% of users actually want it.

I think it is extremely strange they kept it on the 13” but I think that was just for easier and cheaper manufacturing at the time of launch, but I would not be surprised if the base line model also gets a refreshed design come WWDC just with the M1 chip for a few reasons:

1. Yet again easier manufacturing, the current 13” will be the only model using that chassis after WWDC.

2. TB production will only be for one single product in their entire line up.

3. The 13” entry level could easily just use the same chassis as the new redesigned 14” model just with less ports.

I am hoping this does happen as it is going to be extremely strange for the entry level to have the TB (a marketed pro feature by apple) with the high end models loosing it.

Also Apple could quite easily add $100 to the baseline pro for basically a better screen and camera in replacement of the Touch Bar functionality (same or less cost to apple but with a higher markup).

The only reason why the Pro got the M1 last year was because the Air would have completely destroyed it in terms of performance and between then and now the base line pro would never have sold over the Air.
 
James Godfrey said:
Personally I think the TB is going 100%, every rumour has pointed to it, and in recent polls only about 30% of users actually want it.

I think it is extremely strange they kept it on the 13” but I think that was just for easier and cheaper manufacturing at the time of launch, but I would not be surprised if the base line model also gets a refreshed design come WWDC just with the M1 chip for a few reasons:

1. Yet again easier manufacturing, the current 13” will be the only model using that chassis after WWDC.

2. TB production will only be for one single product in their entire line up.

3. The 13” entry level could easily just use the same chassis as the new redesigned 14” model just with less ports.

I am hoping this does happen as it is going to be extremely strange for the entry level to have the TB (a marketed pro feature by apple) with the high end models loosing it.

Also Apple could quite easily add $100 to the baseline pro for basically a better screen and camera in replacement of the Touch Bar functionality (same or less cost to apple but with a higher markup).

The only reason why the Pro got the M1 last year was because the Air would have completely destroyed it in terms of performance and between then and now the base line pro would never have sold over the Air.
Click to expand...

if it was going it would make sense to go when the low end macbooks get their October refresh with M2 and coincide possibly with a new form factor To match the purported 14“ and 16” variants.

It does seems lot like engineering resources were not expended with the first generation M1 products, so when the second wave came about, starting with the iMac 24, you could easily see where the engineering bucks were spent.

The value proposition for the M1 MacBook Pro does seem a bit thin if you’re not interested in a Touch Bar - a pro display XDR mini LED panel might be a better proposition along with additional ports.

it would seem to me that a better screen would be a meaningful trade off against the Touch Bar to stay within the price point they need to hit.

In this case two variants of the 14”, one with M1 and 2 thunderbolt ports, another with M1X and additional ports might then make sense and both to come with a pro display XDR in favour of Touch Bar.

Of course Apple could do variations to include the better CPU, better screen and more ports.
 
sublunar said:
if it was going it would make sense to go when the low end macbooks get their October refresh with M2 and coincide possibly with a new form factor To match the purported 14“ and 16” variants.

It does seems lot like engineering resources were not expended with the first generation M1 products, so when the second wave came about, starting with the iMac 24, you could easily see where the engineering bucks were spent.

The value proposition for the M1 MacBook Pro does seem a bit thin if you’re not interested in a Touch Bar - a pro display XDR mini LED panel might be a better proposition along with additional ports.

it would seem to me that a better screen would be a meaningful trade off against the Touch Bar to stay within the price point they need to hit.

In this case two variants of the 14”, one with M1 and 2 thunderbolt ports, another with M1X and additional ports might then make sense and both to come with a pro display XDR in favour of Touch Bar.

Of course Apple could do variations to include the better CPU, better screen and more ports.
Click to expand...
There is nothing stopping Apple giving the low end model a design refresh with the M1 at WWDC then giving it a minor refresh with M2 when the new MacBook Airs launch, giving the Air the spotlight at that point, it’s been recently reported that the M2 Air is delayed until 2022, it just depends if Apple want to keep the entry level Pro and TouchBar in the line up for what is essentially almost another 12 months.
 
James Godfrey said:
There is nothing stopping Apple giving the low end model a design refresh with the M1 at WWDC then giving it a minor refresh with M2 when the new MacBook Airs launch, giving the Air the spotlight at that point, it’s been recently reported that the M2 Air is delayed until 2022, it just depends if Apple want to keep the entry level Pro and TouchBar in the line up for what is essentially almost another 12 months.
Click to expand...
Unlike with intel There is no pressure on Apple using a cpu which might appear in a Dell or HP. They could happily leave the MBA alone till March of 2022 before releasing an M2 powered all new Air.

It already has healthy discounts from third party retailers and is selling hugely well.
theybare far better off giving an all new design the new chipset. You have to wonder if the design is what is delaying the Air rather than the system board if the Air is delayed in too 2022.

M1 Touch Bar MacBook Pro is the one to look out for. keeping the Air on M1 drives more people to buy the M2 powered mid tier model if that’s the only one upgraded by October, especially as reviews appear to show a significant number of people would be better off with the air for their use case. And the presence of the touch bar may not make a buying case for many.
 
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