Last week, trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo set out his expectations for new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models later this year, including the return of the MagSafe charging connector, the removal of the Touch Bar, a new flat-panel design , and the return of more ports built into notebooks for extended connectivity.
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A concept of a modern MacBook Pro with an SD card reader
Kuo did not specify which ports might return, but did BloombergMark Gurman announced today that the following MacBook Pro models will include an SD card reader for transferring photos taken with a digital camera and other files:
The upcoming MacBook Pro is an example of Apple’s renewed focus on Mac loyalists. The company plans to bring back an SD card slot for the next MacBook Pros, allowing users to insert memory cards from digital cameras. The feature was removed in 2016, to the dismay of professional photographers and video creators, key segments of the MacBook Pro user base.
The latest MacBook Pro models only have Thunderbolt ports, forcing photographers to use an adapter or dock to access an SD card reader.
Kuo mentioned in his research note last week that ‘most users may not need to buy additional dongles’ for the next MacBook Pro, so it’s possible that an SD card reader might not be the only port to return. Back in 2015, the MacBook Pro was also equipped with an HDMI port and USB-A ports, but it would certainly be surprising to see the latter return, given the transition from the technology industry to USB-C.
Kuo expects the new MacBook Pro models to launch in the third quarter from July to September. They will replace the higher 13-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in May 2020 and November 2019, respectively. The base model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro was updated a few months ago with Apple’s custom M1 chip.