Apple MacBook Pro (2019): Everything we expect to see from Apple’s next-gen laptop

New update on April 2nd, 2019:  We recently updated the article with new information about Apple MacBook Pro 2019. For more information, check out our article: Apple MacBook Pro 2019 Preview: Same old design, new Intel Chip, and new Radeon Pro Vega GPU

Apple MacBook is among the best laptops you can buy right now on the market. MacBook lineup has been Apple’s main focus for years in an attempt to dominate the laptop market. Apple MacBook gets hardware upgrades on an annual basis. This year, Apple added Intel’s latest eighth-gen Coffee Lake processor to its laptop lineup, delivering a much-improved performance compared to the previous models.

At Apple’s October event, the new MacBook Air finally took the center stage after months of rumors and leaks. The new Air is a huge upgrade over its predecessors out there with a new chip, an improved design, and a Retina display. In reality, the MacBook Air 2018 is the first in the series to come with a Retina display at launch, making it a better choice for users worldwide.

Apple was previously rumored to announce a new MacBook Pro at its October event. However, it was nowhere to be found. This makes sense seeing that the Cupertino firm unveiled a new Pro model in July. In reality, the 2018 MacBook Pro did not have a good start, with most users criticizing its lack of innovation. Sources say that Apple has been working on a new MacBook Pro at its facilities. This adds up to previous rumors that Apple has been testing multiple prototypes which appear to be new MacBook Pro models.

In this guide, we have rounded up everything we expect to see from the new MacBook Pro. For some background, 2018 MacBook Pro is now available worldwide, but it does not come cheap as it sets you back around $2,399 for the model with 6-core Intel Core i7 processor and 256GB SSD storage.

1. Release date and price

Apple MacBook Pro receives upgrades every year when Apple announces a new model. In reality, there is no exact release date for Apple’s MacBook lineup, but we are expecting to see new models in July. This year, the new MacBook Pro was announced in July, 13 months after the major refresh at WWDC 2017. Therefore, there is a good chance that the 2019 MacBook Pro will follow the same pattern as this year’s models.

According to sources, Apple will launch its new MacBook Pro at 2019 WWDC event. This year, Apple skipped the event, instead, unveiling the next versions of macOS, iOS, and watchOS. Therefore, Apple will bring back its MacBook at its annual event. We have heard a lot of speculation that new MacBook Pro will make its debut at Apple’s September event. However, the event belongs to new iPhones.

When it comes to pricing, Apple’s MacBook Pro never comes cheap out there. In reality, buying a brand new MacBook Pro 2018 may burn a serious hole in your wallet. Therefore, we don’t expect to see a price drop for the next generation MacBook Pro. Sources say that the MacBook Pro 2019 will start at $1,799 for the model with a 13-inch display, Touch Bar, and a 256GB SSD. This means that the maxed-out model will retail for up to $2.999 in the US, making it the most expensive MacBook on the market. This won’t come as a surprise as Apple MacBook lineup has seen a steady price rise in recent years.

2. More ports and Touch Bar

All modern MacBook models now support Thunderbolt ports, allowing for faster file transfer and seamless connection. The MacBook Pro 2018 comes with four USB-C ports, one headphone jack, and four Thunderbolt ports. The adoption of Thunderbolt ports allows Apple to cut down the bezels of the machine. However, there are a lot of devices out there that don’t support Thunderbolt. If you are trying to use anything that requires a standard USB – A port, you will need to buy an adapter. So, we are expecting to see more ports coming into the MacBook Pro 2019.

When it comes to the Touch Bar, Apple has been busy improving its Touch Bar since day one in an attempt to offer a better user experience. Basically, Touch Bar is a touch-based OLED bar that sits at the top of the keyboard and replaces the traditional function keys. Touch Bar offers controls depending on which apps you are using on your Mac.

Sources say that Touch Bar will get its exclusive features when the new MacBook Pro releases to the market. Some reports claim that Apple is planning to bring Touch Bar to the Air series. This makes sense seeing how Apple expanded its Apple Pencil availability to its 9.7 inch iPad. In reality, there have been reports of issues with Touch Bar, so Apple has a lot of work to do to improve it.

3. New processor

Apple MacBook receives big hardware upgrades on an annual basis. The 2018’s MacBook Pro is powered by eighth-gen ‘Coffee Lake’ Intel processors under the hood. The adoption of the new chip offers better performance when compared to 2017 models. Sources say that the MacBook Pro 2019 will use Intel’s latest chip built using the 10nm process, allowing for a huge performance boost.

The new chip may make room for new AR features on the MacBook lineup. In reality, Apple has been working on AR technology for years. Sources say that Apple will bring exclusive AR features to its MacBook Series 2019.

• 4. No Touch Bar?

Touch Bar was first introduced alongside the MacBook Pro 2016 and received mixed reviews on the market. Touch Bar is basically a multi-touch Retina display that replaces your Mac function keys, something we have grown accustomed to. However, for some Mac hardcore fans, Touch Bar may take some getting used to. We have heard a lot of speculation that Apple will ditch Touch Bar on this year’s MacBook Pro while retaining the same design as the current models.

Don’t forget to share with your thoughts on what the next MacBook Pro will include in the comments section below.