It’s been six years. Six years since you’ve been able to take a memory card out of your camera and simply place it in the MacBook Pro. But it looks like this feature is making an overdue comeback for the MacBook Pro 2021.
According to a report in Bloomberg (opens in new tab), Apple is reviving the SD card slot for the MacBook Pro 2021. Yes, you’ve been able to attach a USB-C cable to your camera for transfers, but an SD Card slot is simply easier. Every single DSLR camera and mirrorless camera has continued to feature SD card slots, so we have no idea why Apple has taken this long to see the light.
But, there's other big changes on the way.
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Bloomberg also reports that the MacBook Pro will lose the Touch Bar, which frankly has not added much value to the Mac experience. While it offers contextually relevant shortcuts, the Touch Bar mostly just gets in the way and makes it harder to do things that should be easy — like adjusting the brightness or muting the volume.
There is some bad news, however. It doesn’t look like Face ID will be making it into the MacBook Pro 2021, which would make it much easier and faster to log in. Currently, MacBook Pros use a Touch ID button in the top right corner of the keyboard. Meanwhile, the best laptops that run Windows have been offering Windows Hello face unlocking for years, although it’s not as secure as Face ID.
Another bummer. Don’t expect to see 5G connectivity on the MacBook Pro 2021. Bloomberg says that even though Apple has been working on “the ability to connect to the internet via smartphone networks” the feature is not coming soon.
Based on other rumors and leaks, Apple is reportedly readying both a 14-inch MacBook Pro 2021 and a 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 model. They will get even faster Apple Silicon chips and likely MagSafe charging, which is also reportedly coming to a new MacBook Air for 2021.
We’ve also seen leaks that Apple could be moving to mini-LED displays for the MacBook Pro 2021, which would offer richer colors and deeper blacks while being more power efficient.
But even with all of these upgrades, my guess is that MacBook Pro fans will be most happy with the return of the SD Card slot.
For all of the latest news, rumors, and updates, be sure to check out our Macbook Pro 2021 page.
