The new MacBook Pro predictions
I love the 12-inch Retina MacBook. I wrote about my experience using it, as well as what I think we will see in a second generation of that beautiful device.
The MacBook Pro is also well overdue for an update, and not just a performance bump. The new MacBook Pro needs to be refreshed dramatically, both internally and externally.
Design
Current design of MacBook Pro is 4 years old. It is still very sexy and maybe the best on the market, but the new generation of MacBook Pro needs some visual improvements. I am almost sure that the new MacBook Pro will look a lot like 12-inch MacBook. Basically, I would be happy if Apple just take the 12-inch MacBook and make it bigger.
Performance
As usual, Apple will definitely equip the newest MacBook Pro with the fastest processors on the market, probably based on a Skylake architecture. I would really love to have completely fanless MacBook Pro, but Core M chips are not powerful enough for a pro device, so the fan is here to stay, for now.
Personally, I hope that Apple will completely retire the 128GB storage option for its MacBook Pro lineup. I hope the base model of 13.3-inch MacBook Pro come with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Display
I do not expect Apple to change the size or even the resolution of the displays in the MacBook Pro. We will see the 13.3-inch model with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, and the 15.4-inch model with a resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels. At the same time, I expect to see the thin bezels around the display, making the form factor of the MacBook Pro smaller, while keeping the same size of the display.
[caption id=”” align=”alignnone” width=”1174.0"]
12-inch MacBook. Source: Apple.com [/caption]
Keyboard, trackpad and speakers
It took me a couple of weeks, but I got used to the keyboard on my 12-inch MacBook, and actually like it now. But there are also a lot of people who hate the new keyboard, so I hope Apple will equip the new MacBook Pros with a keyboard similar to the 12-inch MacBook, but with a bit of added travel.
Trackpads have been always great on MacBooks. I am sure the new MacBook Pros will also have an industry-leading Force Touch trackpad.
The speakers of 12-inch MacBook sound better than any other MacBook I have ever heard, so I will be happy to get the similar speakers in MacBook Pros.
Connections and expansion
Well, ports are the most talked part of the 12-inch MacBook, or should I say the absence of them. I do not think Apple will get rid of the ports on MacBook Pro, and instead, concentrate on upgrading them to the new generation.
I expect to see the following ports in the new MacBook Pro:
- MagSafe charging port
- Two USB-C ports with a support for Thunderbolt 3
- Regular USB 3 port
- HDMI port
- SDXC card slot
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
Finally, I hope the new MacBook Pro will have at least 12-hours battery life. The more energy-efficient processor and the new terraced battery design will definitely help improve the 10 hours I am now able to get out of my 13-inch MacBook Pro.
