MacRumors

Apple today released macOS Big Sur 11.2.1, the third update to the macOS Big Sur operating system that launched in November. macOS Big Sur‌ 11.2.1 comes a little over a week after the release of macOS 11.2.

The new ‌‌‌macOS Big Sur‌‌ 11.2.1‌ update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences.

According to Apple's release notes, macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 addresses an issue that could prevent the battery from charging in some 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models. In an Apple support document released alongside the update, Apple says that a small number of customers with 2016 and 2017 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models have experienced a bug that causes their batteries not to charge past 1 percent, an issue macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 fixes.

Affected customers who ran into the problem with an earlier version of macOS Big Sur will also see a "Service Recommended" notice and will need to contact Apple for a free battery replacement.

Update: macOS 11.2.1 also fixes a significant security vulnerability.

Spotify is now testing its live lyrics feature in the United States, so some Spotify users will see an option to view lyrics synced to the music they're listening to on an iOS device.

Live lyrics have already been tested and launched in other countries, and Spotify this morning confirmed to Engadget that the feature is available to some users in the United States.

"We can confirm we're currently testing our lyrics feature to a select number of users in the US. At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience. Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. We don't have any further news to share at this time."

Spotify's live lyrics feature won't show up for all Spotify users as the company is using A/B testing to determine demand for live lyrics in the U.S. If you have Spotify, you can check to see if live lyrics are enabled by choosing a song and then checking for the lyrics option in the playback controls.

Spotify's live lyrics option is powered by Musixmatch and has previously been launched in 26 markets around the world, including Brazil, Mexico, Hong Kong, Thailand, and India.

It's not yet clear if the live lyrics feature will fully launch in the U.S. because as Engadget points out, Spotify has tested it in markets like Canada and has then not followed through with the feature's release.

Major Spotify competitor Apple Music has a built-in live lyrics option that has been available since iOS 13. The lyrics in ‌Apple Music‌ scroll as a song plays, keeping time with the music, which is similar to how Spotify's live lyrics work.

Adobe today updated its Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco Creative Cloud apps to introduce a new "Invite to Edit" feature that allows for asynchronous editing between collaborators on all devices including desktop, iPad, and iPhone.

Multiple collaborators are able to edit a single shared cloud document one at a time after saving .PSD or .AI files as cloud documents. Shared cloud documents can be accessed on assets.adobe.com and the Creative Cloud Desktop app.

There's also a new Preset Sync feature for Photoshop that is designed to let users sync brushes, swatches, gradients, patterns, styles, and shapes on Mac and Windows, with synced brushes coming soon to the ‌iPad‌ version of the app. There's also a new Rotate Canvas option available in Illustrator for ‌iPad‌.

Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco can be downloaded from Adobe's website, and pricing on the software starts at $9.99 for Photoshop alone and $20.99 for Illustrator. The full Adobe Creative Suite is priced starting at $52.99.

The iPhone 12 mini, the smallest variant in the iPhone 12 lineup, reportedly accounted for only 5% of sales for the entire 2020 ‌iPhone‌ series in the first half of January in the United States, according to Counterpoint Research cited by Reuters.

Counterpoint Research indicates that handsets over 6 inches such as the ‌iPhone‌ 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max outperformed smaller models such as the 5.4-inch ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ for the start of this year. The relatively low sales for the 12 mini is expected to be due to a trend in the overall market where consumers are veering away from smaller displays and opting for larger, more immersive smartphone sizes.

Reports of lackluster ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ sales began emerging in early January, and last week JP Morgan analyst William Yang stated in a note seen by AppleInsider that weak demand for the model could result in Apple cutting production entirely in the second quarter of 2021 to allow it to sell through its existing supplies.

Last month Apple reported its quarterly earnings for the first time following the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 in October. While Apple did not disclose specific sales figures for each of the models in the lineup, the company did report $65.60 billion in revenue for its ‌iPhone‌ business alone, a new quarterly record.

Popular accessory maker Twelve South has today announced the "SurfaceSnap" cable management solution.

SurfaceSnap features a genuine leather band, polished metal button snaps, and a strong semi-permanent adhesive to attach it to a surface. Twelve South assures that SurfaceSnap's adhesive can stick to almost any smooth surface and leaves no residue when removed, allowing it to be repositioned elsewhere.

SurfaceSnap is primarily designed to offer a slim, aesthetically-pleasing alternative to bulky cable managers that use weight to hold cables in place. The button snaps make it easy to add or remove cables, and Twelve South even suggests that the SurfaceSnap is ideal for travel.

Each pack includes two single-button cable managers and one double-winged cable manager. The Twelve South SurfaceSnap is now available online for $29.99 in Black or Dove Gray.

Google today announced that it will be expanding Google Fi's built-in VPN service to the iPhone starting this spring, providing iOS users with another option to ensure that their connection is secure and private on a cellular or Wi-Fi network. Google also said the VPN is exiting beta for Android smartphone users.

With the VPN, users can stream, browse, and download on an encrypted, private connection, which is especially important for unsecured public Wi-Fi. VPNs also prevent websites from tracking a user's location by masking their IP address.

Google Fi, formerly Project Fi, is an MNVO or "virtual carrier" that piggybacks off the T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular networks in the United States, providing users with talk, text, and data plans with more flexible pricing options. Last year, Google Fi rolled out eSIM support for some iPhone users, allowing it to be used as a secondary line.

Members of Parliament (MPs) are calling for the British government to make a bid for Apple to build its long-rumored electric vehicle in the United Kingdom, according to The Telegraph.

James Sunderland, Conservative MP for Bracknell, said that it was a "no brainer" for Britain to build the Apple car, and that the UK government should begin to bid for production contracts with Apple. Nick Fletcher, Conservative MP for Doncaster, added that Apple car production represented an opportunity for "engaging with new, innovative industries that help boost economic growth while helping the environment."

Sunderland, a port city in the north-east of England, is already home to the production of the fully-electric Nissan Leaf in Europe. Marco Longhi, Conservative MP for Dudley North, said Apple could offer a major boost to areas of the UK with long-standing automotive expertise.

"This would be a fantastic investment for the Midlands and the Black Country," he said. "This will mean jobs for people locally and it would be an endorsement of UK plc in a post-Brexit environment."

Considering that the Apple car has not yet been announced, with it looking as though production may not begin for another three years, it is surprising that politicians are already discussing the vehicle. The possibility of Apple car production in the UK may seek to counter the country's loss of a Tesla Gigafactory to Berlin, when Elon Musk was searching for a location for a new European manufacturing hub in 2019.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders, said that the British government is actively working with companies to attract investment into domestic battery gigafactories, and a spokesperson for the UK government's Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy told The Telegraph that they could not comment on speculation around commercial contracts with Apple.

The only location that has seen significant attention for potential Apple car production so far is Kia's West Point plant in the U.S. state of Georgia, but Apple's partnership with Hyundai and Kia on the project has now been brought into question since talks were paused earlier this month.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

The problem of scam iOS apps has dogged Apple's App Store for some years now, but over last two weeks the developer Kosta Eleftheriou has taken to Twitter to highlight that the problem remains as big as ever in at least some app categories – and also offered iOS users a way to spot them.

Taking blatant rip-offs of his own popular FlickType Apple Watch keyboard app as an example of how scammers prey on and exploit the work of genuine app developers, Eleftheriou exposed some of the ways these scams work.

Just a few months ago, I was way ahead of my competition. By the time they figured out just how hard autocorrect algorithms were, I was already rolling out the swipe version of my keyboard, quickly approaching iPhone typing speeds. So how did they beat me?

First, they made an app that appeared to fulfill the promise of a watch keyboard – but was practically unusable. Then, they started heavily advertising on FB & Instagram, using my own promo video, of my own app, with my actual name on it.

According to Eleftheriou, there are several clones of his FlickType app, but one of the most clear non-functional rip-offs was "KeyWatch," which launched with a blank interface and an "Unlock now" button. Tapping the button prompted users to confirm an $8/week subscription for an app that doesn't do anything.

According to Eleftheriou, the scam achieved prominence in the App Store by gaming Apple's algorithmic ranking system through the purchase of fake ratings and glowing five-star reviews, which bumped it up to the top of its app category. It even advertised its software using his own promotional video, which includes his actual name.

Apple has since removed the fake app from the App Store, although the developer account responsible for multiple scam apps remains active. Eleftheriou says that before KeyWatch was taken down, the developers had long benefited from what had become a $2 million-per-year scam that went largely unnoticed by Apple moderators until he personally exposed it.

Since that time, Eleftheriou has been on a mission to expose more scam apps in the App Store, such as the so-called star gazing app that goes by the name "Star Gazer+" and basically uses the same time-proven strategy of masquerading as a genuine app that's barely functional and hoodwinks users into an exorbitant in-app weekly subscription fee.

As of writing, the scam app "Star Gazer+" is still listed on the App Store with 4.5 star average rating and over 80,000 reviews.

Eleftheriou's exposure of the rampant App Store scheme has led many more developers and critics to share their own experiences and hopefully put pressure on Apple to tighten up its app moderation and consider overhauling its billing interface and options, including the suggestion of removing the weekly subscription option altogether.

Update: In a statement provided to The Verge, Apple said that it does not tolerate fraudulent activity on the App Store and that its Discovery Fraud team is actively working to remove violations.

We take feedback regarding fraudulent activity seriously, and investigate and take action on each report. The App Store is designed to be a safe and trusted place for users to get apps, and a great opportunity for developers to be successful. We do not tolerate fraudulent activity on the App Store, and have stringent rules against apps and developers who attempt to cheat the system. In 2020 alone, we terminated over half a million developer accounts for fraud, and removed over 60 million user reviews that were considered spam. As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain the integrity of our platform, our Discovery Fraud team actively works to remove these kinds of violations, and is constantly improving their process along the way.

A follow-up report by security researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk has alleged that Facebook Messenger and Instagram are collecting and using data from link previews in a way that would breach European privacy law.

In October last year, Bakry and Mysk revealed that link previews in popular messaging apps can lead to security and privacy issues on iOS and Android. It was discovered that apps could leak IP addresses, expose links sent in end-to-end encrypted chats, download large files without users' consent, and copy private data through link previews.

In that report, Bakry and Mysk found that Facebook Messenger and Instagram behaved unlike other messaging apps in that they downloaded the entire contents of any link to its servers, regardless of size. When questioned about this unusual behavior, Facebook reportedly said that it considers this to be "working as intended."

Copies of link preview data kept on external servers could be subject to breaches or misuse, which may be particularly concerning for users who send links to sensitive or confidential private data such as business documents, bills, contracts, or medical records.

Now, Bakry and Mysk have found that Facebook has recently stopped generating link previews in Messenger and Instagram for users in Europe to comply with the European Union's ePrivacy Directive. The change also applies to users outside Europe if they communicate with someone in the region.

The researchers suggest that since Europe has "some of the most robust privacy laws" and Facebook has now removed link previews seemingly to comply with the legislation, the company must have been using the data from link previews in a way that would breach the ePrivacy Directive.

It is an implicit confirmation that Facebook's handling of link previews in Messenger and Instagram did not conform to privacy regulations in Europe, otherwise they wouldn't have disabled the feature... Stopping this service in Europe strongly hints that Facebook may be using this content for purposes other than generating previews.

Bakry and Mysk believe that Facebook's link previews may have infringed on articles 4:1a, 4:2, and 5:3 of the ePrivacy Directive. These articles include the requirement that personal data can only be accessed by authorized personnel for legal purposes, the need to inform users of the risks of a data breach, and the need to gain user consent having been provided with "clear and comprehensive information" about how data is collected.

As links may relate to personal data, the ePrivacy Directive prevents Facebook from storing, processing, or using this information without explicit consent from users in the EU. Facebook would also have to make it clear to users why it is downloading the contents of link previews prior to requesting consent.

Bakry and Mysk have demonstrated that Facebook servers download and store the content of links sent through its apps, and if the same link is sent a second time, Facebook generates a link preview without downloading the contents of the link. This purportedly indicates that the content is stored or cached by Facebook and is proven by the amount of data that is uploaded from a user's device.

Link previews continue to be available in Messenger and Instagram for users outside Europe. Facebook's current Terms of Service state that any content users share through any of Facebook's services will be used for various purposes such as personalizing content, ads, making suggestions, and learning about users, both on and off Facebook's products. In Europe, this use of personal data now requires explicit consent from users even if it is approved by Facebook's Terms of Service.

Facebook disabled link previews for users in Europe to comply with new privacy regulations. This confirms our privacy concerns that sending links to private files in Messenger and Instagram is unsafe. While Facebook did disable link previews in Europe, users in other regions should refrain from sending links through either of these apps. The better option would be to switch to other messaging apps which respect user privacy in all parts of the world alike.

Bakry and Mysk are now actively recommending that users outside Europe do not send links in Messenger or Instagram due to privacy concerns, and have even suggested that users move to other messaging apps entirely.

Beyond link previews, the researchers have previously investigated popular iPhone and iPad apps "snooping" on iOS pasteboard data and HTTP security vulnerabilities in TikTok.

Qualcomm today introduced the Snapdragon X65, the world's first 10 Gigabit 5G modem and antenna system for smartphones, enabling theoretical data speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. Apple will likely use the Snapdragon X65 in 2022 iPhones.

While real-world download speeds will likely remain far below the peak of 10 gigabits per second, devices equipped with the Snapdragon X65 should see faster 5G speeds overall. The modem has many other benefits, too, including improved power efficiency, enhanced coverage for both mmWave and sub-6 GHz bands, and support for all global commercialized mmWave frequencies, including the new n259 (41 GHz) band.

As with the previous-generation Snapdragon X60, the X65 can aggregate data from mmWave and sub-6GHz bands simultaneously to achieve an optimal combination of high-speed and low-latency coverage. The modem is paired with Qualcomm's new fourth-generation mmWave antenna module for extended mmWave coverage and power efficiency.

mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas. mmWave support on iPhone 12 models is limited to the United States, but rumors suggest that iPhone 13 models may support mmWave in additional countries.

In 2019, Apple and Qualcomm settled a legal battle and reached a multiyear chipset supply agreement, paving the way for Apple to use Qualcomm's 5G modems, starting with the Snapdragon X55 in iPhone 12 models. Beyond that, a court document from the settlement revealed that Apple will likely use the Snapdragon X60 modem for 2021 iPhones, followed by the Snapdragon X65 in 2022 iPhones.

The Snapdragon X65 could be the last Qualcomm modem used in iPhones, as Barclays analysts and multiple other sources have forecasted that Apple will switch to its own in-house 5G modem for iPhones by 2023.

Bloomberg has published an in-depth piece by journalists Austin Carr and Mark Gurman about the rise of Apple under Tim Cook's leadership, covering several attributes of the CEO that took over from Steve Jobs, including his diplomatic acumen, operational prowess, eye for detail, and manifest success in making Apple one of the biggest companies in the history of modern business.

The story touches on a number of topics in the recent history of Apple's meteoric rise under Cook's leadership, including the political sensitivities of outsourcing production to China, Cook's relationship with current and former U.S. presidents, his cost-conscious approach to new products, and the strategic difficulties of managing Apple's product diversification in a global-spanning supply chain.

Other highlights include:

• Steve Jobs' blunt response when President Obama asked him why Apple couldn't make the iPhone in the U.S.
• ‌Tim Cook‌'s unrelenting work ethic.
• Cook's unlikely friendship with President Trump, and Apple's silence in the face of falsehoods propagated by the former president about Apple production coming back to the U.S.
• Supply chain managers' alarm upon seeing the initial design of the 2013 "trashcan" Mac Pro.
• Internal pressure at Apple to decouple from China over censorship, human-rights violations, and criticism about labor conditions at mainland factories.
• Apple's continued success in the face of the global health crisis.
  

• Apple's fightback against claims of the company's "monopoly power" and its ongoing feud with big name software developers and social media platforms like Spotify, Epic Games, and Facebook.

For all the details, be sure to check out the full long read over on Bloomberg.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

NHS COVID-19, the contact tracing app created by the U.K. government, has alerted 1.7 million users to isolate following close contact with someone who goes on to test positive.

That's according to an official GOV.UK press release from the Department of Heath and Social Care, which has been collating data about the app since it was launched in September 2020.

Over 1.7 million app users across England and Wales have been advised to isolate by the NHS COVID-19 app following a close contact with someone who goes on to test positive, new data published today shows.

The NHS COVID-19 app has been breaking chains of transmission to protect users and their communities since its launch in September.

Like other apps that take advantage of the anonymized Exposure Notification API from Apple and Google, NHS COVID-19 is designed to track who people come into contact with each other using Bluetooth, providing a notification if one of those people later comes down with the coronavirus.

Along with using a Bluetooth-based solution, NHS COVID-19 lets users scan QR codes to register visits to locations like stores and restaurants to aid in contact tracing, with U.K. businesses being encouraged to display QR posters for visitors to scan.

According to the press release, the app has now been downloaded 21.63 million times, representing 56% of the eligible population aged 16+ with a smartphone and was the second most downloaded free iPhone app on the App Store in 2020.

However, only about 16.5 million people are currently actively using the contact-tracing tool, which is 24% below the app's latest download tally. The difference is likely due to users uninstalling the app, disabling contact-tracing, or not activating it all.

Research conducted by scientists at The Alan Turing Institute and Oxford University shows for every 1% increase in app users, the number of coronavirus cases in the population can be reduced by 2.3%.

Research by the Turing/Oxford team into the epidemiological impact of the app also points to a causal link between app use and reduced case numbers, with their analysis suggesting the NHS COVID-19 app has prevented 600,000 cases since it was launched.

"The NHS COVID-19 app is an important tool in our pandemic response," said Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock. "We know it has instructed hundreds of thousands of at-risk people to self-isolate since it launched in September – including me – and this analysis shows it has been hugely effective at breaking chains of transmission, preventing an estimated 600,000 cases."

The NHS did not initially plan to use Apple and Google's ‌‌Exposure Notification‌‌ API and was instead pursuing a different solution, but after the announcement of the API the NHS changed course and decided to work on an app using the Apple/Google API after all.

Zuhlke UK, the firm behind the contact tracing app, told the BBC that despite the positive signs shown in the number of downloads of the app, it was essential for users to start re-activating its features as lockdown measures gradually eased.

"The data suggests that we have made a dent in the overall infection rate," said Wolfgang Emmerich, chief executive of Zuhlke UK.

"What we really have to do now, particularly as we're preparing to come out of lockdown, is to drive that adoption rate back up and to get people to switch [the app] back on again."

Emmerich also told the BBC that his team had put plans to extend the app to older ‌iPhone‌ models on the back burner so as to prioritize other new features, but declined to say what they are.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple supplier Wistron said it plans to restart operations at its iPhone manufacturing facility in India, where workers caused widespread damage late last year over claims of unpaid wages.

In a statement given to Reuters, the Taiwanese company said it was working hard to raise standards and fix issues at the plant in Karnataka's Kolar district.

"We are looking forward to restarting our operations and welcoming back team members and we thank them for their patience and support as we worked through corrective actions,” Wistron said.

In December 2020, disgruntled staff went on a rampage at the plant, upturning cars and destroying equipment and furniture.

Wistron initially claimed that the incident was caused by people of unknown identities from outside who intruded into and damaged its facility with unclear intentions.

However, local media reported that many of the 2,000 employees were involved in the violence, with many claiming that they had not been fully paid for four months and were being forced to do extra shifts.

Following the unrest, Apple placed Wistron on probation while it conducted an audit, which found that the plant showed violations of its "Supplier Code of Conduct."

According to Apple, Wistron had failed to implement proper working hour management processes, which "led to payment delays for some workers in October and November."

The plant was set to hire up to 20,000 more workers to manufacture more iPhone SE devices, but the plan was put on ice and Apple said it would not award Wistron any new business until it addressed how its workers are treated.

The Apple probation has delayed the tech company's manufacturing push into India, where it has pledged to invest $1 billion dollars as it seeks to diversify its global supply chains.

Update: Regarding the restarting of operations at the Wistron plant, Apple has released the following statement (via Reuters):

"For the past eight weeks, teams across Apple, along with independent auditors, have been working with Wistron to make sure the necessary systems and processes are in place at their Narasapura facility," Apple said in a statement.

"Wistron remains on probation and we will monitor their progress closely."

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Controlly, a new app available in the Mac App Store, is designed to turn a gaming controller into a full-featured remote control that can be used with a Mac.

With the app installed and a gaming controller connected, the different keys on the controller can be mapped to various functions such as displaying the desktop, adjusting screen brightness, tweaking volume, controlling media playback, accessing Launch Pad, launching Mission Control, and more.

There's even an option to use the controller in lieu of a mouse with controls for moving the mouse pointer, clicking, right clicking, and scrolling. You can essentially set any function on the Mac to be performed with a click of a controller button, which is handy if you want an alternate input method. There's also an option to create custom shortcuts that can be launched with a controller.

Note that to use the app, you must enable the Accessibility feature that allows apps to control your computer. This is available in System Preferences, and the app setup will walk you through it. Without the control option enabled, Controlly does not work.

Most wireless controllers should be able to work with Controlly after being paired via Bluetooth to a Mac. We tested with the PlayStation 4 DualShock controller and the app worked flawlessly, with the controller able to perform all of the appropriate mapped actions.

Controlly can be downloaded for free and used for seven days to test it out, but after that, there's a one-time $3.99 in-app purchase to unlock full functionality. [Direct Link]

Amid Apple's planned privacy changes that will require app developers to ask for permission before tracking users for advertising purposes, European Commission VP Margrethe Vestager today warned Apple that it must treat all apps equally, including its own.

In an interview with Reuters, Vestager said that if Apple is not treating its apps in the same way when it comes to the privacy requirements, "it can be competition" that could lead to antitrust issues.

Facebook, the most vocal opponent of Apple's upcoming privacy changes, has claimed that Apple's plans are anti-competitive because Apple's own apps are exempt from the rules. Apple plans to force app developers to ask users before accessing the advertising identifier (IDFA) on user devices for ad tracking purposes, with the requirement to be enforced when iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 are released.

Apple has clarified that the opt-out options apply to all developers who track users, including Apple, but Apple will not need to use the pop ups asking for permission because its advertising platform does not track users.

Vestager told Reuters that thus far, she has not received complaints about Apple's changes, and that she thinks it's a good move for privacy. "It is a very good thing to have a clear opt-out option. If you look at the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, these are some of the solutions we are looking at there," she said.

New MacBook Pro models are expected to arrive later this year with some of the biggest improvements to the product line to date, including some surprising changes, so now is not the best time to buy a new ‌MacBook Pro‌.

With major upgrades expected to key features such as the chipset, display, Touch Bar, charging, ports, and design, customers eyeing a new ‌MacBook Pro‌ may be better off waiting for updated models to arrive later this year.

Most of the reliable rumors surrounding the new MacBook Pros are sourced from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who have established reputations for providing accurate insights into Apple's plans. Based on their reports, the 2021 ‌MacBook Pro‌ lineup is currently expected to feature:

• New 14-inch model in place of current 13.3-inch model, facilitated by reduced bezels.
• New, flatter design, said to be "similar to the iPhone 12."
• More powerful next-generation Apple Silicon chips with up to 16 power cores and four efficiency cores instead of Intel processors.
• Potentially a custom ‌Apple Silicon‌ GPU with 16 or 32-cores.
• Updated thermal design for the 14-inch model, currently used by the existing 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, with a larger heat pipe, added thermal pads, and a 35 percent larger heat sink.
• "Brighter, higher-contrast" display panels, with the possibility of a mini-LED option.
• Additional ports to reduce need for dongles, including an SD card reader and an HDMI port.
• MagSafe connector with faster charging speeds.
• No Touch Bar, with physical function key row instead.

Design Changes

The 2021 MacBook Pros are expected to come in 14 and 16-inch sizes, with the new 14-inch model replacing the current 13.3-inch model. It is likely that the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ will retain a very similar footprint to the 13.3-inch model by reducing the bezels around the screen.

Both models are expected to receive a flat-edged design that is "similar to the ‌iPhone‌ 12." While it is possible that the overall look may still be quite similar to current models as Gurman suggests, Kuo says that Apple will eliminate the slight curvature on the top and the bottom, resulting in a slimmer, flatter appearance.

Internal Upgrades

Following the entry-level 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, which gained an ‌M1‌ chip in November last year, all 2021 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are expected to sport ‌Apple Silicon‌ chips, with Intel processors being phased out entirely, to deliver significantly better performance and power efficiency.

The higher-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are highly likely to feature ‌Apple Silicon‌ chips that are more powerful than the ‌M1‌, and Apple is believed to be developing options with as many as 16 power cores and four efficiency cores. Apple is also working on custom GPU technology with 16 and 32-core options, which may be used in the new MacBook Pros.

The 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is believed to adopt the improved thermals of the current 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ model, with a larger heat pipe, added thermal pads, and a 35 percent larger heat sink. This would likely increase the machine's performance potential and allow it to run at cooler temperatures.

Display Improvements

The ‌MacBook Pro‌ is expected to receive a "brighter, higher-contrast" display panel. In addition, there have been multiple suggestions that the updated machines will be the first Macs to feature mini-LED displays, marking a significant improvement in display quality, with an improved wide color gamut, higher contrast and dynamic range, and truer blacks.

Restored Features

Apple is also expected to backtrack on several of its controversial design decisions that were first made with the 2016 ‌MacBook Pro‌. For example, the 2021 models will reportedly gain more ports to reduce the need for dongles. Prior models from 2012 to 2015 included a ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ connector, Thunderbolt ports, USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, before being reduced to just four USB-C ports and a headphone jack in 2016.

Likely in addition to its current selection of USB-C ports, Gurman has said that the SD card reader will be among the restored features. Kuo has since supported this, saying that the SD card reader will be returning, alongside an HDMI port.

‌MagSafe‌ charging is also expected to return to the ‌MacBook Pro‌ this year. ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ connectors were used for ‌MacBook Pro‌ models from 2006, allowing users to easily connect and disconnect the power cable with magnets, before eliminating the feature for USB-C charging alone in 2016.

Both Kuo and Gurman expect the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models to be equipped with a ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ connector for charging, which is also expected to achieve faster charging speeds than via USB-C.

Finally, Apple is looking to remove the Touch Bar and restore the physical function key row. Apple introduced the Touch Bar on the 2016 MacBook Pros, providing a small OLED touchscreen strip along the top of the keyboard to offer customizable controls and different functions on a per-app basis, but the Touch Bar never seemed to catch on with consumers.

Gurman has confirmed that Apple has tested versions of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ that do not have a Touch Bar, and Kuo has gone one step further, saying that the Touch Bar will be removed entirely on the 2021 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, to be replaced by physical function keys.

What About the M1 MacBook Pro or Air?

In November last year, Apple revealed a 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an ‌M1‌ ‌Apple Silicon‌ chip, so some customers may feel compelled to buy this fairly new ‌MacBook Pro‌ now. However, it is important to note that this model is the lower-end ‌MacBook Pro‌, indicated by the fact that it has only two Thunderbolt ports. Apple still offers high-end four-port MacBook Pros with Intel processors, and it is these more powerful machines that are expected to be updated this year.

The ‌M1‌ MacBook Air is very similar to the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ in both features and performance so should be considered if you are looking to buy a machine right now.

Release Date

Multiple sources have placed the new ‌MacBook Pro‌'s launch timeframe in the second half of 2021, with Kuo zoning in on the third quarter of 2021. This means that we could see the updated MacBook Pros arrive as soon as July.

‌MacBook Pro‌ customers can therefore expect to have to wait just five to seven months for the new models. Considering the scale of the update, which looks to drastically affect almost every aspect of the ‌MacBook Pro‌, it certainly seems to be worth the wait.

We have more on the current ‌MacBook Pro‌ models and the upcoming redesigned ‌MacBook Pro‌ models in our dedicated 13-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro roundups.