New MacBook Pro with M1 Max processor will ditch Touch Bar, adopt MagSafe
Apple's new MacBook Pro models with faster chips are expected on Monday, and are rumored to adopt MagSafe charging of some sort, a speedier Apple Silicon processor, and more.
Apple is expected to launch numerous products at Monday's "Unleashed" Apple Event, but the bulk of the presentation is anticipated to revolve around the MacBook Pro. With the potential launch of the 14-inch MacBook Pro alongside an updated 16-inch MacBook Pro, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman offered his predictions, as well as further details on what went into the creation of the new models.
In his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman reiterates previously-rumored features including new display resolutions and a mini LED screen. According to an anonymous source, the resolutions of 3,024 by 1,964 and 3,456 by 2,234 have surfaced in app analytics.
Powering the new models, the chip inside will use 10 CPU cores made up of eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores to save power. A variation will be provided, with the new chip's GPU including either 16 cores or 32 cores.
The 8GB and 16GB options for RAM in the earlier 13-inch MacBook Pro release could gain extra options. According to the report 32GB and 64GB capacities have also apparently been tested. The existing 16-inch MacBook Pro has a 32GB RAM option, but not a 64GB model.
As for what the new chips will be called, it is unclear if Apple will go with an extra letter, such as "M1X" or "M1Z." Another possibility is "M1 Pro" and "M1 Max" with the latter found in App developers logs. It isn't clear if this is for the new MacBook Pro or for a future product, but given the timing of the entries, it seems likely to be for the new MacBook Pro.
Sunday's report says that the new MacBook Pro will see the "end of the Touch Bar." While Apple had "tested versions" with add-ons such as an SD card slot, HDMI, and USB-A, it seems unlikely that Apple will be including them in the new variations, the report also claims.
Lastly, MagSafe will be making an appearance in the new models, complete with "faster" charging speeds.
The new models are expected to use a new "M1X" chip, said previously reported on October 3 to be offered in two variants. While both will use a 10-core CPU and the Neural Engine, one version will have a 16-core GPU, while the other will be a 32-core version.
Earier rumors suggested that the new MacBook Pro would herald the return of MagSafe to the MacBook Pro line. In the same report, it was claimed that the Touch Bar that debuted in the 2016 MacBook Pro models would disappear.
Many rumors from multiple sources have said that Apple will incorporate mini LED-backlit displays, enabling high contrast levels and improved color representation on a par with OLED into the MacBook Pro. On October 12, an analyst specializing in displays claimed that mini LED was definitely on the way, along with a potential 120Hz refresh rate, up from the 60Hz current models support.
One October 16 leak claimed the infamous notch from the displays of the iPhone could reach the MacBook Pro lineup, with the FaceTime HD camera held inside a notch at the top of the display. However, at the same time, it was said that Face ID would not be used in the model, with Touch ID thought to be retained as the sole biometric security system in use.
Read on AppleInsider
Apple is expected to launch numerous products at Monday's "Unleashed" Apple Event, but the bulk of the presentation is anticipated to revolve around the MacBook Pro. With the potential launch of the 14-inch MacBook Pro alongside an updated 16-inch MacBook Pro, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman offered his predictions, as well as further details on what went into the creation of the new models.
In his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman reiterates previously-rumored features including new display resolutions and a mini LED screen. According to an anonymous source, the resolutions of 3,024 by 1,964 and 3,456 by 2,234 have surfaced in app analytics.
Powering the new models, the chip inside will use 10 CPU cores made up of eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores to save power. A variation will be provided, with the new chip's GPU including either 16 cores or 32 cores.
The 8GB and 16GB options for RAM in the earlier 13-inch MacBook Pro release could gain extra options. According to the report 32GB and 64GB capacities have also apparently been tested. The existing 16-inch MacBook Pro has a 32GB RAM option, but not a 64GB model.
As for what the new chips will be called, it is unclear if Apple will go with an extra letter, such as "M1X" or "M1Z." Another possibility is "M1 Pro" and "M1 Max" with the latter found in App developers logs. It isn't clear if this is for the new MacBook Pro or for a future product, but given the timing of the entries, it seems likely to be for the new MacBook Pro.
Sunday's report says that the new MacBook Pro will see the "end of the Touch Bar." While Apple had "tested versions" with add-ons such as an SD card slot, HDMI, and USB-A, it seems unlikely that Apple will be including them in the new variations, the report also claims.
Lastly, MagSafe will be making an appearance in the new models, complete with "faster" charging speeds.
Previous Rumors
Apple's "Unleashed" special event, the second in successive months, is set to feature changes to the MacBook Pro lineup, with two models expected to be unveiled. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is rumored to be making the move over to Apple Silicon, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro will provide more screen space than the 13-inch model, while also offering the Apple-designed chip.The new models are expected to use a new "M1X" chip, said previously reported on October 3 to be offered in two variants. While both will use a 10-core CPU and the Neural Engine, one version will have a 16-core GPU, while the other will be a 32-core version.
Earier rumors suggested that the new MacBook Pro would herald the return of MagSafe to the MacBook Pro line. In the same report, it was claimed that the Touch Bar that debuted in the 2016 MacBook Pro models would disappear.
Many rumors from multiple sources have said that Apple will incorporate mini LED-backlit displays, enabling high contrast levels and improved color representation on a par with OLED into the MacBook Pro. On October 12, an analyst specializing in displays claimed that mini LED was definitely on the way, along with a potential 120Hz refresh rate, up from the 60Hz current models support.
One October 16 leak claimed the infamous notch from the displays of the iPhone could reach the MacBook Pro lineup, with the FaceTime HD camera held inside a notch at the top of the display. However, at the same time, it was said that Face ID would not be used in the model, with Touch ID thought to be retained as the sole biometric security system in use.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
The only thing that was ever bad about it, was the first iteration without a dedicated ESC-key; the second version fixed that, and from then on, the Touch Bar was a clear winner.
The only other issue, which with Apple Silicon isn’t an issue anyway anymore, is that the Touch Bar wasn’t initialized during EFI booting, thus, if one did a Boot Camp boot into windows, and one needed to hit F1 to do a recovery boot before windows was fully up and the Touch Bar was configured by drivers, one was SOL, unless one had an external USB keyboard handy. But that’s really an edge case, and any crap keyboard for $10 would fix this, if really it ever was an issue. Apple Silicon won’t support Boot Camp anyway, so now even this issue is gone.
In short, Apple is rumored to abandon a great feature at the very moment when actually all issues with it would finally have been resolved. How dumb is that? 🤦🏻♂️
I dabbled with Duet touch bar on iPad and found it was not useful for me, an expensive feature/repair risk and yet 'hostage' on MBP...?
Would it be better with system wide availability (optionally or BTO) to be truly effective for those who want it...?
My wish list also includes magsafe : ), a security slot, updated Airport Express/Time Capsule, Thunderbolt Display 4k and even a return of iWeb 4.0...
The only thing I will miss about the touch bar is the spelling suggestions which were handy.
To Malcolm: great article, but this line is incorrect:
Ditto - spelling suggestions and the ability to skip through ads in YouTube! Otherwise, the Touch Bar is essentially an orphan piece of hardware. If apple had actually gone all-in and offered it on the desktop keyboards it might have become more useful but as it is it forced developers who wanted to use it to make allowances for desktops without it and laptops with it. It was also very inconsistently used and forced me to take my eyes off the screen; in the end it's virtually always easier to ignore it like I do on an iMac.
the USB-A absence does suck. A lot of people, and by that I mean my customers, use memory sticks. You have to keep a dongle with you at all times, and they look at you when you bring it out. That is the main reason.
and how many presentation projectors use usb-c and how many use hdmi?
Any rumour that comes out just before an Apple Event doesn't mean much to me, because those could be authorized leaks intended to build rapport with the leak reporter so that false leaks can be created by Apple in the future. Or they could be leaks that couldn't be avoided due to the large number of people getting their hands on the devices in order to create the launch videos or presentations.
I could write a book on why the Touch Bar is a bad idea but some of the obvious ones are:
- You have to look at it to use its keys 'cos you can't feel them
- This is made worse by the fact they move around so the same key can be in different places
- It often needs an extra press just to use it since it times-out and goes blank (even on mains power)
- The bar has limited capacity so lists (eg of E-Mail addresses) are often incomplete compared to the version on the display
- And why wouldn't you use the display version anyway 'cos that's where you are looking?
- It adds cost to the computer
- It adds hardware complexity so, in principle, reduces reliability
- Heck, it probably even reduces battery life
In its favour, the utility for configuring it is really cool.So I hope the new MBP loses the Touch Bar. I really hope it does include the extra port types though, to save carrying dongles or being embarrassed when you've forgotten them. My MBP before the Touch Bar was a real road warrior: you could connect it to almost everything in the real world without a dongle. Making things smaller and lighter by moving required functionality into separate units is not clever design (hey, look at the size of the new notebook - you'll need to remember to take along a battery though, and a display and keyboard and the really neat SSD... but look how small and light the notebook is!).
As to a notch, I'm not really sure I care. On the iPhone, Apple rearranged icons so the middle of the top of the display wasn't needed. As I write this on my current MBP, I see a big empty space in the middle of the Menu Bar and I happen to know that macOS already knows how to dump Menu Bar items should it be full so I doubt it would be a big issue. If it does come to pass, I also very much doubt it will be as big as the schematic seems to suggest.
</rant>
The battery in my magic mouse is dying so I need to get a new mouse. I just looked on Best Buy’s web site - they have a whopping one mouse that uses USB C in any form. As far as wireless mice go, I can either get a bluetooth model or pay ⅓ the price and get one with a USB dongle. Except they’re all … USB A. I guess Phil Schiller should tell Logitech, microsoft, corsair, etc that USB C is the future and they’re living in the past!
Your comment about projectors is spot on as well. I have yet to see a conference room with a USB C connection but without exception they all have HDMI cables.