Apple’s Upcoming MacBook Pro Refreshes Will Feature Design Similar To iPhone 12: Kuo

Those who like the design Apple gave the iPhone 12 series will be glad to know that the company will be using the same design language for one of its signature devices for professionals: the MacBook Pro.

In an investor note seen by MacRumors, noted TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple will use the iPhone 12’s flat-edged design on the MacBook Pro that will be released later this year. This signals a massive departure from the previous design the company used for a few years.

“In terms of casing design, the new models cancel the curvy design of existing models' top and bottom parts and adopt a flat-edged form factor design similar to the ‌‌iPhone 12‌‌,” Kuo wrote.

The MacBook Pro has used flat and long edges for a while now, but its top and bottom are slightly curved. Should the company apply the same design as that of the iPhone 12 series, it appears that this will be the thinnest and flattest MacBook Pro yet.

Further, if the report is accurate, this means the upcoming pro-level notebook could be sleek and stylish, which may pose a problem given that a flat bottom might mean having difficulty in certain situations. MacRumors noted that Apple will need to find a way to help users “finger the edge of the device” to open it up “and pick it up from a surface” like a table.

Apple previously used the same design language on other iDevices. The design was first seen in the 2018 iPad Pro. It was also used in the latest iPad Air, the one with the A14 chip. This suggests a shift in the company’s preferred design, which might possibly be used on other devices in the future as well.

Other details

Previous reports indicated that this isn’t the only thing Apple might change in the upcoming MacBook Pro.

According to anonymous sources speaking with Bloomberg, the upcoming MacBook Pro might feature the return of the SD card port – a feature useful for some users, particularly photographers. The return of the feature is part of the company’s “renewed focus on Mac loyalists.”

Apple, however, might remove the Touch Bar from the upcoming MacBook Pro. It’s currently unclear if this is correct. If it is, it also is unclear if the company will put something else in its place.