A new MacBook report points to USB 4.0, full-sized HDMI, and more

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Famed Apple supply chain wizard Ming-Chi Kuo is back with another report, doubling-down on some of his earlier predictions for the next MacBook Pro. This note goes further, stating that USB 4.0 will be featured on the new devices.

To recap, the earlier research notes laid out the return of both the SD card slot and full-sized HDMI to the MacBook Pro in the models slated for release later this year. They’ll also have a new design, and 16- and 14-inch sizes. That 14-inch model might even replace the current 13-inch model, as Apple doesn’t like to keep multiple models in the lineup.

Some of Kuo’s other predictions are the return of the Magsafe charger in some form or another, the love-it-or-hate-it Touch Bar, and Mini LED displays. The new range will be powered by the next generation of Apple’s own silicon, and Kuo thinks that there won’t be a single Intel-powered MacBook Pro in this range.

With all of these new changes, he forecasts a jump of as much as 30% in shipments compared to 2020, more driven by the reintroduction of useful ports and the tweaked design. With Mark Gurman at Bloomberg also painting almost the same picture of the new MacBook Pro models, it’s almost certain that the new versions will include all of these features.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Apple crushed it over the holidays, shipping more smartphones than any other company
• Apple could be working on a MagSafe battery pack that attaches to the iPhone 12
• If your MacBook Pro won’t charge past one-percent, Apple has a new service program for you
• Apple is extending its MacBook Pro Service Program for faulty backlighting

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.