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SHANGHAI, CHINA – 2020/01/12: MacBook Pro in an Apple store in Shanghai. (Photo by Alex Tai / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Photographer: SOPA Images / LightRocket
Photographer: SOPA Images / LightRocket
Apple Inc. plans to upgrade MacBook Pro laptops this year with much faster processors, updated screens and the return of its magnetic charger, according to a person familiar with the plans.
The new laptops are expected to come in two screen sizes, a 14-inch model named J314 and a 16-inch version internally named J316. Both will use next-generation versions of Apple’s internal Mac processors, upgraded with more hearts and improved graphics, the person said, asking not to be named as the products are yet to be announced.
These devices will mark Apple’s first high-end laptops to move away from Intel Corp. components. The company updated its base 13-inch MacBook Pro with its own M1 chip in November, with overall positive reviews.
Beyond the more powerful chips, Apple also plans to step up the screens of its new MacBook Pros with brighter, more contrasting panels, the person said. The new Macs will look like the current versions, but with minor design changes. Apple aims to launch the new MacBook Pros around mid-year.
An Apple spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read more: Apple is preparing the next Mac chips to outperform high-end PCs
A major change in newer computers will be the way they load. For the past five years, Apple has relied on USB-C ports for power and data transfer on its laptops, making them compatible with chargers from other manufacturers. But the company is now bringing back MagSafe, the magnetic AC adapter that means any accidental tugging of the power cable would simply detach it from the laptop rather than pulling the entire computer. This was a favorite feature of the company’s line of laptop PCs which was first introduced in 2006 and recently relaunched for its latest line of iPhones.
MagSafe’s return with the next MacBook Pros will also allow these laptops to charge faster, the person said. The connector will be similar to the elongated pill-shaped design of the old MagSafe port.
Despite abandoning USB-C for charging, Apple will still include multiple USB-C ports on its future Macs.
While developing its next set of Mac laptops, Apple has also tested versions that remove the Touch Bar from its laptop keyboards. The Touch Bar, introduced as part of the latest MacBook Pro redesign in 2016, transforms the keyboard’s top row of function keys into a touchscreen strip that can display a variety of information and a set of changing commands for adapt to applications and tasks. Some business users have reported finding this control scheme less convenient than physical keys.
Apple is also planning a redesigned MacBook Air, but it shouldn’t be released until long after the next MacBook Pros.
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