Apple Rumors: MagSafe is Back, Mini Mac Pro, Bye-Bye TouchBar, and More
Late last week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman published multiple Apple rumor stories that reveal some of the computing giant’s biggest decisions for its coming hardware. While many Apple rumors are shots in the dark, Gurman has a pretty good history of getting things right.
The Return of MagSafe
In addition to obviously including new Apple Silicon, the company is finally bringing back MagSafe to its laptops. While we technically got MagSafe back with the iPhone 12 series of phones, the technology is more “mag” than “safe,” since if you trip over the charging cable you’re most certainly going to bring the iPhone with you. Those who remember the original MagSafe on the MacBook products will recall the idea behind the charger was that it would disconnect from the computer with very little force, meaning you could never drag the MacBook off a desk if you accidentally tripped over the charging cable.
Apple did away with MagSafe charging in order to consolidate ports with USB-C. Gurman reports that despite the last five years of USB charging, Apple is going to bring back MagSafe in its 14- and 16-inch high-end MacBook Pro devices. The dedicated charging found with MagSafe will supposedly allow the computers to charge faster than USB-C currently allows and will look similar to the MagSafe ports of old.
Goodbye TouchBar
The much-maligned Apple TouchBar appears to be on the way out, as Gurman also reports that the two new MacBook Pros that will integrate MagSafe are also going to be ditching the TouchBar. While there are some who love that mini touchscreen to scrub through YouTube Videos or access personalized features for specific applications, the general sentiment is that the TouchBar was a bad idea.
If we do indeed see the TouchBar go, that will also mark the end of touch on Apple laptops, which the company has repeatedly said that it will not implement on its MacBook displays.
iMac Redesign
Gurman has confirmed what many other Apple reporters and reviewers have been speculating for some time: Apple is finally going to redesign the iMac. While also packing it with new Apple silicon, Apple is going to finally address the unchanged look of its desktop machines. The current iMac design has been in place for a decade and, compared to other Apple products and the entire market, look very old. The bezels on the iMac are huge and the large “chin bump” below the base of the screen are both extremely dated, and Apple is reportedly going to adjust this in the 21.5- and 27-inch designs coming later this year.
The new iMacs will look similar in design to the Apple Pro Display XDR, which is a far more modern, boxy look with slimmer bezels.
A Mini Mac Pro
The iMac isn’t the only desktop product to get a redesign: Apple is also going to add a new Mac Pro to its lineup. While Apple still apparently plans to keep the current Mac Pro design in place (and stick with Intel processors), it will also be releasing a smaller Mac Pro that runs on Apple Silicon and has a look designed to evoke nostalgia for the Power Mac G4 Cube.
In addition to the new computer, Apple is also apparently going to release a more affordable display to go along with it. Apple’s Pro Display XDR is priced well beyond what most people would consider for a monitor at $5,000 (before adding a $1,000 stand), so seeing Apple go cheaper would be a welcome change.
Image Credits: Header photo by Alex Bachor.
