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New MacBook Pro ditches Touch Bar, adds HDMI port, MagSafe & SD card reader

The new MacBook Pro has a lot of new features, but also a few features that may look familiar.

Ozzie Mejia

October 18, 2021 10:42 AM

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Monday's special Apple Event moved along with a trip back to the past. Everything old is new again with the latest MacBook Pro, as some long-time Apple followers may notice some familiar new features. This includes an HDMI port, MagSafe, and an SD card reader, some of which was removed for more recent MacBook Pro models. On top of that, certain less popular features seem to be no more, as is the case with the Touch Bar.

These classic features, which were originally removed back in 2016, will all be included in the full lineup of new MacBook Pros. Expect to find, in total, one HDMI port, one headphone jack, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SD card reader, and MagSafe 3. Speaking of features that have been removed and are now making a comeback, look for "F" keys to make a comeback, with F1 through F12 now available in new MacBook Pros.

Apple reinserting features that they previously removed themselves reinnovating certain features was recently predicted by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who expected to see the return of the SD card reader.

"We predict that Apple's two new MacBook Pro models in 2H21 will have several significant design and specification changes," Kuo said in a statement originally reported on by MacRumors. "Some of the practical changes for users are equipping with the SD card reader and HDMI port."

As for the Touch Bar, it proved to be a source of angst among Apple users. Users cited a general lack of responsiveness, a repeated triggering of unwanted actions, and a sense of user unfriendliness, especially to those with larger digits. Those users won't have to worry about the Touch Bar anymore, as Apple looks to be moving MacBooks back to a pre-2016 era of design.

The new MacBook Pros will sell at $1,999 USD for the 14-inch model and $2,499 USD for the 16-inch model. Look for more information on they're release window in the weeks ahead.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?