The 2021 MacBook Pro could see the return of the long-absent HDMI slot, alongside a much greater variety of ports than the current models. That’s based on a report from a reliable Apple analyst who says the company is going to bring the port back to its laptops five years after it last made an appearance.
The report comes from Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities with an excellent track record (via MacRumors). Kuo has previously claimed that the 2021 MacBook Pro will have much more variety in its ports, and aside from asserting the return of the popular MagSafe port, he had largely declined to say exactly what that will entail — until now.
Specifically, Kuo’s report states: “We predict that Apple’s two new MacBook Pro models in 2H21 will have several significant design and specification changes. Some of the practical changes for users are equipping with the SD card reader and HDMI port.” This report also indicates the MacBook Pro revamp will take the stage in the second half of 2021, likely in October or November based on previous events.
We recently had another MacBook Pro port clue from journalist Mark Gurman, who said Apple is looking to bring back the SD card slot to MacBook Pro models later this year. That is good news if you are a photographer or videographer and need a convenient way to get your content onto your laptop.
Currently, all of Apple’s MacBook devices only offer USB-C slots. While that offers several notable advantages, it also means you might have to rely on MacBook dongles and adapters to hook up your existing peripherals. If Apple is indeed relenting and shifting away from a one-size-fits-all approach to the ports on its MacBooks, there will be plenty of happy Mac users ready to snap them up.
This port overhaul is not the only change said to be coming to this year’s MacBook Pro models. In fact, the laptop is set for a major overhaul, likely bigger than anything since the 2016 revamp that ushered in the butterfly keyboard and the Touch Bar. Speaking of the Touch Bar, that is said to be on the way out, while a flatter design, thinner bezels, and Mini-LED display tech are on the horizon. If you can wait for this model rather than buying a MacBook Pro now, you could be in for a treat.
