Last week, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlined his expectations for new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models later this year, including the return of the MagSafe charging connector, the removal of the Touch Bar, a new flat design edges, and the return of more ports built into the notebooks for expanded connectivity.
/article-new/2021/01/2021-mbp-sd-slot-feature2.jpg?resize=560%2C315&ssl=1)
A concept of a modern MacBook Pro with an SD card reader
Kuo hasn’t specified which ports may be making a comeback, but BloombergMark Gurman reported today that the following MacBook Pro models will have an SD card reader for transferring photos taken with a digital camera and other files:
The upcoming MacBook Pro is an example of Apple’s renewed focus on Mac loyalists. The company plans to bring back an SD card slot for the next MacBook Pros, allowing users to insert digital camera memory cards. That feature was removed in 2016, much to the dismay of professional photographers and creators, the main segments of MacBook Pro users.
The latest MacBook Pro models only have Thunderbolt ports, forcing photographers to use an adapter or dock to access an SD card reader.
In his research paper last week, Kuo said that “most users may not need to buy additional dongles” for the next MacBook Pro, so an SD card reader may not be the only port that returns. In 2015, the MacBook Pro also came with an HDMI port and USB-A ports, but it would certainly be surprising to see the latter make a comeback given the tech industry’s transition to USB-C.
Kuo expects the new MacBook Pro models to be launched in the third quarter, which runs from July through September. They would replace the more expensive 13-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in May 2020 and November 2019, respectively. The base model 13-inch MacBook Pro had already been updated a few months ago with Apple’s custom M1 chip.