MacBook Professional 2019: Information, Rumors, Launch Date, Options, and Extra

In a considerably surprising (however very welcome) transfer, Apple up to date the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Professional in early July 2019. This replace introduced the Contact Bar and Eighth-generation Intel processors to the bottom model, bringing it consistent with Apple’s different MacBook Professional fashions. Higher but, this all occurred with out a rise in value — the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Professional nonetheless begins at $1,299, making it a very attractive possibility.

A few months prior, in Might 2019, Apple up to date the opposite 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Professional fashions. The outer design stays largely the identical as earlier MacBook Professional variations, however Apple did add a few vital enhancements and upgraded lots of the inside elements so it might present a extra highly effective pc. You should buy these fashions everytime you need, with the up to date 13-inch beginning at $1,800 and the 15-inch mannequin beginning at $2,400.

Nonetheless, there are nonetheless some attention-grabbing rumors afloat about Apple including much more fashions to the MacBook Professional household within the coming yr or two, together with a totally redesigned 16-inch mannequin that will change the present 15-inch choices. Let’s check out what Apple has modified to this point, and what new adjustments to the MacBook Professional might be on the horizon.

13-inch mannequin up to date: All MacBook Professional fashions now have Contact Bar

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After the launch of the mid-2019 processor replace, we didn’t count on to obtain any further updates to the MacBook Professional this yr. However Apple wasn’t completed there.

Apple’s two most inexpensive 13-inch MacBook Professional fashions had been the topic of this improve. After they had been omitted from Might’s processor bumps, we obtained the sensation that Apple was leaving them as they had been with a purpose to maintain the value down for entry-level consumers — which makes this newest growth all of the extra stunning.

That’s as a result of Apple has not solely up to date the processors on these fashions to the Eighth-generation Intel chips present in its different MacBook Professionals, however has additionally geared up them with the Contact Bar. That now means whichever MacBook Professional you go for, you’ll get Apple’s OLED management strip constructed proper in.

Not solely that, however Apple did all this with out growing the value of the refreshed fashions — they nonetheless begin at $1,299 and $1,499 respectively. That makes them a really tempting prospect for anybody in search of a robust MacBook Professional that gained’t break the financial institution.

Mid-2019 replace: New keyboard and processors

Dan Baker/Digital Tendencies

So, what did Apple change concerning the MacBook Professional in Might 2019? Properly, the design went largely untouched, and rumors about an upgraded display or extra highly effective battery didn’t pan out. Nonetheless, Apple did embody a serious improve for its butterfly keyboard, which is now made with unspecified new supplies. Beforehand MacBook Professional fashions had an unlucky repute for problematic keyboards that might be broken slightly too simply: Apple overtly acknowledged these points, and the brand new era of butterfly keyboard is particularly meant to repair the issue.

On the within, Apple has up to date the processors obtainable for each the 13- and 15-inch fashions, with the 15-inch variations now getting Intel’s Ninth-gen chips. One of the thrilling additions is an eight-core Intel processor obtainable solely on the 15-inch mannequin. Apple says these new chips can present twice the velocity of a quad-core MacBook Professional, and in our testing, we discovered the improve notable regardless of some limitations because of the thermal design.

New 16-inch mannequin on the way in which?

Idea by Viktor Kadar

Along with the attention-grabbing information a couple of 13-inch MacBook Professional, there’s one other rumor by way of IHS Markit that Apple is planning on releasing a fair bigger 16-inch mannequin, presumably in September 2019.

Along with the bigger show, this MacBook Professional is rumored to have an much more highly effective processor, though it could lack an OLED display and as a substitute accept a 3072 x 1920 LCD show. Not a lot else is thought about this 16-inch mannequin to this point, however it could make sense for Apple to supply two MacBook Professional updates on the identical time, particularly if these will likely be introduced collectively at a particular occasion.

A redesigned keyboard

These two new MacBook Professionals that might be coming later this Fall might have discovered their killer function: A brand new keyboard. The troubling and controversial butterfly mechanism keyboard was first launched in 2016. Since then, it’s been iterated on yr after yr, although the issues don’t appear to be going away. We assumed Apple would persist with its weapons, however in line with a brand new report from respected leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, a brand new keyboard is on the way in which.

Based on Kuo, Apple will likely be returning to its “scissor change” keys, which is the know-how utilized in MacBook Professionals earlier than the 2016 redesign. Kuo says the brand new design, which can use glass fiber-reinforced keys, will first seem in a MacBook Air later this yr however might make it to MacBook Professionals as early as 2020. Whether or not or not they make it into certainly one of these new 2019 MacBook Professionals nonetheless but to be identified.

MacOS updates

Dan Baker/Digital Tendencies

MacOS Catalina is that this yr’s replace to MacOS, and it consists of plenty of new options that every one Mac customers can get pleasure from. One of the attention-grabbing is Sidecar. Whereas MacBooks stay with out touchscreens for the foreseeable future, the brand new Sidecar function means that you can pair an iPad along with your MacBook Professional and management your Mac or use your iPad as a second display. Amongst different advantages, because of this folks can use their Apple Pencil to attract or mark up paperwork on their Macs by way of the iPad. Different options embody the introduction of three new cellular apps to interchange iTunes and an up to date Images app.

Regardless that we’ve already seen and used MacOS Catalina, that doesn’t imply we couldn’t get some extra options in a future MacBook Professional, reminiscent of one of many fashions talked about above.

A patent from 2017 indicated that Apple might be contemplating including hand and eye monitoring to MacOS. It’s been obtainable in Home windows 10 for some time, and this may be a function that would presumably make its means over to new MacBooks. Moreover, it could be good to see if Apple might add in help for FaceID to MacOS. We’ve seen this on the corporate’s newest iPads and iPhones, and contemplating that the majority Home windows laptops already help facial recognition with Home windows Hey, it’s a evident omission from the Mac.