The Apple Beat: Mighty MacBook Pro up for redesign

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The 13-inch MacBook Pro and its 15-inch variant are undoubtedly two of the greatest laptops ever made. My 2013 13-inch MacBook Pro has been dropped multiple times, has survived chaotic press scrums, and traveled with me all over the world and it still runs like a clock.

The size, amount of ports and combination of processing power and portability, plus the ability to run the latest version of Mac OS X and that class-leading Retina Display, makes the MacBook Pro one of the most compelling notebook options out there. So how can it be improved?

The last time the MacBook Pro received a makeover was in 2012, with a thinner profile and Retina Display, the line has been updated with various processors and has been improved overall, even if the general design, look and feel remains the same.

We now have some leaks that hint at some big changes coming to MacBook Pro but as a fan of the line and someone who will likely go and buy the next generation MacBook Air, here are some feature requests I have in mind. Mind you, there isn't much the MacBook Pro line needs but here are features I would love.

Feature requests from a MacBook Pro user

Could the next MacBook Pro be a mix of the MacBook Air and the Retina Macbook?

- Thinner enclosure but without sacrificing ports and robust build

- Better MagSafe connector

- USB Type C ports and Thunderbolt 3 ports

- Edge to edge display

- Don't mess with the keyboard

- a non-backlit Apple logo a la the Retina MacBook

- Faster charging, improved battery life

- User upgradeable RAM

- Colour options 

- The latest Intel processors

Rumoured updates

Photo from CultOfMac

The rumour mill continues to grind away and while Apple seems to favour iOS devices since these are the bigger business, the company continues to improve sales of their Macs, specially the notebooks. 

OLED Touchpad - One of the latest leaks shows that the new MacBook Pro might come with an OLED touchpad replacing the function keys (which also offer a variety of short-cut controls for volume, playback, brightness, Mission Control and Power).

Being a display and possibly a multi-touch component, this means that this strip can offer limitless functionality. It can replace the dock for app icons, which, means more dedicated on screen real estate, it could also expand functionality of specific apps as well as notifications.

Photo from CultOfMac

USB Type C- The same leak, from CultofMac, shows a thinner enclosure with four USB Type-C ports, which looks to replace MagSafe power, and various I/0 ports. While it is great that Apple is embracing USB Type-C, I'm already adding up the small fortune in dongles and connectors that will be needed to give the new MacBook Pro the same functionality it has today.

While leaks are easy enough to fake, I do think that the MacBook Pro will benefit from some of the technology we've seen from the Retina MacBook including Force Touch, better display technology and overall thinness and lightness which is a given for Apple.

The MacBook Pro has mostly led the notebook market, but PC competition is very aggressive and usually priced lower, so I'd expect big things for the next MacBook refresh hopefully by the fall.

No live coverage for WWDC 2016

Canadian Reviewer is taking a break from WWDC live coverage this year but expect some analysis on announcements post show

For the first time in five years, I won't be at the Apple World Wide Developer's Conference to cover the event live. This year dub-dub happens to fall in between Lenovo Tech World (also in San Francisco) and E3 in LA which I will be covering. I am delighted at the opportunity to immerse myself in the latest innovations in consumer technology and the next few weeks do promise to be intense. 

That said, I'll save my thoughts and opinion on WWDC's revelations, the keynote, products as well as the state of Apple in 2016 for later posts.

There will be a lot to talk about and rather than join the Greek chorus of Apple news coverage, I'm opting to reserve my input and opinion for after the show. Hope you'll join me then.