A MacBook Pro design refresh is probably years away
Malcolm OwenAn example of a current-gen MacBook Pro
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Apple probably won't be changing the design of its MacBook Pro for a few more years, as the company continues to increase the longevity of its products.
Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are iconic in the world of notebooks. But, when consumers look for new features and designs to justify upgrades, Apple is pretty much sticking to what it already has.
The MacBook Pro uses a form factor that was introduced by Apple in 2021, making it three years old. According to Bloomberg estimates on Sunday, the next major refresh of the design may not happen until 2025 or 2026.
Likewise, the MacBook Air was last redesigned in 2022. Another design change will probably take years to arrive, based on Apple's usual timescales.
The iPad Pro, another productivity-focused product, has only just been given a big update. However, that was an update that took approximately six years to become a reality.
With Apple's continued push to make its hardware as long-lasting as possible, this makes it a great proposition for consumers to buy hard-wearing hardware, the report reasons. However, it's also making it harder for consumers to regularly upgrade.
The upshot is that Apple still has the potential to bring in customers, thanks to software and AI upgrades.
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14 Comments
Until the current design restricts them from what they want to accomplish it probably won't receive a completely new design for some time. That being said, I'm sure they are looking to make it thinner and lighter though. The current design is a little bulky. Perhaps sometime after the M4 when they don't have to worry so much about thermals and fan speeds.
I don't really need the MacBook Pro to be less bulky per se, and not at the expense of the speakers or functionality, but weight reductions are always welcome. The current MacBook Air is a dream for what it is. I'm always surprised by how light it feels. The only improvement I'd reasonably ask for is another Thunderbolt port on the other side for extra convenience.
Was it not one week ago that the rumor was that MacBooks were slated to get thinner due to the M4 SoC’s perf/W?
No need to redesign. The current one will look awesome 10 years from now and has room to grow in terms of performance overhead. She’s a keeper.
I would like to see the Dynamic Island on the MacBook. Either that or just eliminate the camera altogether. I don’t use it for anything — and if needed, I will just use my iPhone. Waste of screen real estate.