Rumor: New MacBook Pro to debut at WWDC 2021

AppleInsider · May 24, 2021 9:06PM

Apple is planning to unveil new MacBook Pro models at its annual developers conference in June, according to a prominent leaker.

Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider

In a tweet on Monday, hit-or-miss leaker Jon Prosser claimed that he could confirm that MacBook Pro models would be arriving at Apple's WWDC 2021 conference.

i can confirm macbook pro is coming https://t.co/p2Hzh5TVSm
-- Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser)
May 24, 2021

Prosser didn't offer any additional details about the models, but his tweet comes on the heels of a Bloomberg report that new MacBook Pro models could arrive as soon as the summer.

Apple is reportedly working on a 14-inch MacBook Pro and a 16-inch MacBook Pro that could be offered with two processor options. Both processors will feature eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores. The 10-core processors could also include 16 or 32 graphic options. They may support up to 64GB of unified RAM.

In addition, the new MacBook Pro models are also rumored to bring back a wider variety of port options. According to the latest rumors, they'll include a new MagSafe charging port, as well as an HDMI port and an SD card slot.

According to TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new MacBook Pro models are slated to enter production into the second half of the year.

Apple doesn't typically unveil new hardware at WWDC 2021, but it has announced Mac models at the software-focused event in the past.

Apple officially announced the schedule for WWDC 2021 on Monday.

WWDC 2021 kicks off with a keynote address at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday, June 7.

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netrox · May 24, 2021 9:41PM

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

fastasleep · May 24, 2021 9:55PM

Hoping for a Graphite or Midnight Green 16”.

mr. h · May 24, 2021 10:01PM

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

And as we all know, the aesthetics of ports should be the main determining factor of whether or not they are included. I mean, I spend so much of my day staring at the ports on my MacBook Pro, it makes me wish the ports were prettier to look at.

omar morales · May 24, 2021 10:14PM

mr. h said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

And as we all know, the aesthetics of ports should be the main determining factor of whether or not they are included. I mean, I spend so much of my day staring at the ports on my MacBook Pro, it makes me wish the ports were prettier to look at.

Idc if they include an hdmi port as long as they keep the 4 thunderbolts ports. People like to complaining about the dongle but they are actually very versatile. You can turn them into whatever you need unlike like a dedicated port like hdmi that either you have a use for it or is just wasted. And if you don’t need it like @netrox said it ruins the asthmatic.

Marvin · May 24, 2021 10:20PM

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

They could use mini-HDMI, here it is (middle) next to USB-C (top) and there's a micro-option:

Image: https://photos5.appleinsider.com/gallery/28607-44834-Nikon-Z6-Ports-xl.jpg

Image: https://www.homecinemagids.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/HDMI-vs-Mini-HDMI-vs-Micro-HDMI.jpg

fastasleep · May 24, 2021 10:25PM

Marvin said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

They could use mini-HDMI, here it is (middle) next to USB-C (top) and there's a micro-option:

Then everyone would complain they still need an adapter, so it doesn’t really solve their “problem”.

Japhey · May 24, 2021 10:44PM

fastasleep said:

Marvin said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

They could use mini-HDMI, here it is (middle) next to USB-C (top) and there's a micro-option:

Then everyone would complain they still need an adapter, so it doesn’t really solve their “problem”.

Why would they need an adapter? They could just use a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. No adapter needed.

Japhey · May 24, 2021 10:48PM

fastasleep said:

Hoping for a Graphite or Midnight Green 16”.

I never thought of that before, but matching MacBook Pro colors to the iPhone Pro colors would be pretty cool. I’ll take mine in Pacific Blue, please.

mr. h · May 24, 2021 11:02PM

Japhey said:

fastasleep said:

Marvin said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

They could use mini-HDMI, here it is (middle) next to USB-C (top) and there's a micro-option:

Then everyone would complain they still need an adapter, so it doesn’t really solve their “problem”.

Why would they need an adapter? They could just use a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. No adapter needed.

If you are visiting somewhere and using their conference-room facilities, often a cable is provided, and you only get the end that plugs into your computer; the other end is not reachable so you can't swap out the cable for one you brought with you.

And anyway, a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable is bigger and heavier than a mini-HDMI to HDMI plug adaptor.

Japhey · May 25, 2021 12:45AM

mr. h said:

Japhey said:

fastasleep said:

Marvin said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

They could use mini-HDMI, here it is (middle) next to USB-C (top) and there's a micro-option:

Then everyone would complain they still need an adapter, so it doesn’t really solve their “problem”.

Why would they need an adapter? They could just use a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. No adapter needed.

If you are visiting somewhere and using their conference-room facilities, often a cable is provided, and you only get the end that plugs into your computer; the other end is not reachable so you can't swap out the cable for one you brought with you.

Ok, a valid point I hadn’t considered. I guess the main takeaway is that you can’t make everybody happy.

entropys · May 25, 2021 2:16AM

The main takeaway is in the end functionality is king.

narwhal · May 25, 2021 2:31AM

Japhey said:
Why would they need an adapter? They could just use a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. No adapter needed.

That's not the way it works. When you give presentations you get exactly one end of a standard HDMI cable. The other end of the cable is attached to an Epson projector, which could be on the ceiling.

doggone · May 25, 2021 2:53AM

Can't wait until the new 16in MBP comes out. As you can charge via USC-C, I won't care if it has non-USB ports.

MplsP · May 25, 2021 3:11AM

Japhey said:

fastasleep said:

Marvin said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

They could use mini-HDMI, here it is (middle) next to USB-C (top) and there's a micro-option:

Then everyone would complain they still need an adapter, so it doesn’t really solve their “problem”.

Why would they need an adapter? They could just use a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. No adapter needed.

It does eliminate the problem of the dongle/adapter not working but the problem is no one has a mini-HDMI cable laying around, so you’re still stuck needing an adaptor. The advantage of HDMI is it is THE standard video connection. Virtually every monitor and projector has it and every conference room will have an HDMI cable. Display port? Maybe, USB C? Probably not. When I bought a monitor a few months ago, USB C was the least common connector.

omar morales said:

mr. h said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

And as we all know, the aesthetics of ports should be the main determining factor of whether or not they are included. I mean, I spend so much of my day staring at the ports on my MacBook Pro, it makes me wish the ports were prettier to look at.

Idc if they include an hdmi port as long as they keep the 4 thunderbolts ports. People like to complaining about the dongle but they are actually very versatile. You can turn them into whatever you need unlike like a dedicated port like hdmi that either you have a use for it or is just wasted. And if you don’t need it like @netrox said it ruins the asthmatic.

Hopefully your computer isn’t wheezing.

Like @Mr. H, I spend zero time looking at my ports, except when I’m plugging something in. I do spend time using them, and having to drag around a bunch of extra dongles and adapters is a PITA. Laptops are about convenience and portability and dongles destroy that.

MplsP · May 25, 2021 3:12AM

A 16” M1 (or M2?) MBP would be killer. I’m really hoping this rumor is true!

fastasleep · May 25, 2021 4:21AM

Japhey said:

fastasleep said:

Marvin said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

They could use mini-HDMI, here it is (middle) next to USB-C (top) and there's a micro-option:

Then everyone would complain they still need an adapter, so it doesn’t really solve their “problem”.

Why would they need an adapter? They could just use a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. No adapter needed.

Because the common argument for the HDMI port (which I have personally never once needed myself, just repeating what I keep reading) is that you go into a conference room and there's an HDMI cable and that's it. You don't bring your own cable to run to a projector or whatever, you'd bring a USB-C to HDMI adapter in your bag or keychain or whatever. Nobody is switching cables in these situations.

fastasleep · May 25, 2021 4:24AM

Japhey said:

fastasleep said:

Hoping for a Graphite or Midnight Green 16”.

I never thought of that before, but matching MacBook Pro colors to the iPhone Pro colors would be pretty cool. I’ll take mine in Pacific Blue, please.

I'm just considering with the colors on the iMac being similar to those on the non-Pro iPhones, that maybe they're considering iPhone Pro-like colors for the MacBook Pro/iMac Pro. I like my blue iPhone 12 Pro, but I really dug the Midnight Green on the 11 Pro more.

That said, I'd definitely go for a Graphite dark gray or black, hopefully with a more resilient finish than what they're currently using, as the Space Gray finish on my 2018 is wearing on the palm wrests just like my Silver models before it. Also, the "Space Gray" is really just a slightly darker gray than the silver gray and is pretty boring.

fastasleep · May 25, 2021 4:29AM

MplsP said:

A 16” M1 (or M2?) MBP would be killer. I’m really hoping this rumor is true!

Not an M1 as covered in the article.

commentzilla · May 25, 2021 5:14AM

If this is true, we will see all of the MBP and iMac models by November.

As I predicted, I expect Apple to complete the transition by the 2022 WWDC with the debut of the MacPro.

thedba · May 25, 2021 9:50AM

Marvin said:

netrox said:

I just hope they don't bring HDMI port back. It's damn ugly and ruins the esthetics of MacBooks. I can see how SDHX port can look good - easy to make it the sides "rounded" But a HDMI port is hideous.

They could use mini-HDMI, here it is (middle) next to USB-C (top) and there's a micro-option:

The Thunderbolt port is the most versatile port we have today. It can carry any type of signal and then some. Adding mini or micro HDMI isn’t really solving much.

Rumor: New MacBook Pro to debut at WWDC 2021

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