The next MacBook Pro — here’s what I want to see

The adjacent MacBook Pro — here's what I want to see

(Epitome credit: Apple)

I bought my last MacBook nine-plus years ago, and the MacBook Pro 2021 (14-inch) is the Mac I had been waiting for. On top of the speedy M1 Pro and M1 Max chips and brilliant Liquid Retina XDR display with a ProMotion 120Hz refresh charge per unit, information technology regained (most of) the ports any professional laptop should take. This includes both MagSafe charging and real Function keys (adieu Touch Bar, you won't be missed). Truly, these are ii of the best MacBooks in years, and these models are likely earning high spaces on our best laptops listing.

But while the MacBook Pro 2021 represents a mix of Apple's own advances and its willingness to undo the unpopular changes information technology fabricated in the 2016 to 2019 MacBook Pros, there is nevertheless piece of work to be washed. Because during these terminal 5 or then years, the PC laptop earth has been doing things that make Mac users, such as myself, rather envious.

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And while I wish the new MacBook Pro had a USB-A port, that's not what I'yard talking most.

And so, Apple engineers, I humbly submit this list of suggestions for your next MacBook Pro. I know some of these may non be what you're thinking about, but all are for good reason and would only meliorate Mac.

A bear upon screen and an easel hinge

This is probably my biggest ask from Apple tree. The company has, for years, rejected the notion of a touchscreen laptop, whereas it's become mutual on PC. And, to an extent, I understand Apple's bespeak of view. macOS, even back when it was chosen OS 10, is designed to exist used with a small mouse cursor, non the larger touch on of a finger. You can come across it in the interface, where all the buttons are mostly on the small side.

Windows, though, has adapted over the years for larger "affect targets," making its interface a scrap blockier. Apple tree may not want to do this, but the public'south acceptance of touchscreen laptops, I'd contend, shows a possible need. And as someone who's been using a touchscreen PC regularly, I can say I appreciate the added convenience of being able to tap the screen when versus reaching over to the trackpad and dragging the cursor across the screen.

And Windows 11 shows the states there's a way to do this. And Apple has not been shy about taking other company'southward ideas and claiming it as its own, and then the work has already been done.

When you switch a Surface device from laptop mode to tablet mode, the interface changes subtly to better fit fingers borer. Icons get a lilliputian larger and more spaced out. Touch targets become larger, to make it easier to grab corners of windows to movement and resize.

Why do I want a touch screen? Well, have you seen the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio? It'south one of a few laptops (run across likewise the excellent Acer ConceptD vii Ezel and HP Elite Folio), with a pull-forward display that uses an easel-like design to bring your screen closer to you lot.

I've been able to use this in the ConceptD 7 Ezel, and establish that you gain condolement by reducing the infinite you need to stretch your arm. And for those request, but what nearly the keyboard? Well, some of us prefer external keyboards, and you don't e'er need one when you use a touchscreen.

For example, Microsoft has spoken language-to-blazon tools in Windows 11, and Apple has its own dictation — though information technology's Siri-based, so there'due south probably room for improvement.

5G connectivity

This seems like the most possible selection at the moment. Just expect at the iPad Pro 2021, which runs on Apple's M1 arrangement-on-chip. The MacBook Pro 2021's M1 Pro and M1 Max chips may be more demanding, but since the two lines of hardware share a similar brain, it'due south non incommunicable to think cellular connectivity is coming to the portable Macs at some indicate soon.

And why is this important? Well, even though yous will go less battery life from a laptop running on cellular than on Wi-Fi, the simple truth is that Wi-Fi is not as ubiquitous as ane might want. Wi-Fi is also neither reliable nor secure.

If you had a MacBook Pro with cellular connectivity, you could get piece of work done at any cafe, regardless of if the green and white java roaster's Wi-Fi was working or not. You could even work in a park — though I bet video and photo editors would balk at the idea of trying to judge colors when their screen is in directly sunlight. Apple'southward True Tone engineering science on the Mac can only do so much.

Face up ID

MacBook Pro 2021's notch in the Apple event — (Image credit: Apple tree via YouTube)

OK, about the MacBook Pro notch. I'm OK with information technology considering of all the bezel space we get back. But I really wish we got more in exchange for the notch. So, I'd love for Apple to find a way to catch up to Windows Hello for Face up ID in the MacBook Pro.

It may be harder than you'd think, though, as technology author and podcaster John Siracusa explained on a recent episode of Accidental Tech Podcast. He noted that the Face ID sensors nosotros use in our iPhones and iPad Pros operates with a very close proximity, and so information technology might not be as easy for a laptop, which is a less intimate device for many. I tested this out on the latest iPad Pro, and found that the sensor said I was too far abroad when my face was ii.5 feet away.

That said, Windows Hello on the Microsoft Surface Book iii recognized me from more than ii.5 feet away. So, I'thousand challenging Apple to figure this out.

Right at present, the Touch on ID sensor is neat, only what if those artistic professionals Apple is targeting want to connect their MacBook Pro to an external monitor and employ it with an external keyboard? That Impact ID sensor is now a attain away, when making eye contact with your laptop would be more convenient.

And there's i more thing Apple needs to deliver

For all the power of the M1 Pro and M1 Max — which I'd bet will be succeeded by M2, M3 and M4 versions of these Pro and Max fries in the coming years — the speed of the MacBook Pro is (slightly) going to waste. That's because the Mac'due south gaming deficiencies have still yet to exist fixed.

Looking at the height 10 most popular games on Steam, simply 4 accept Mac support. And they're not new games (from Team Fortress two in 2007 to Dota 2 and Rust in 2013) either. And expect at the biggest games of 2021 that are on PC: yous can't play Resident Evil Village, Hitman 3 or Mass Event Legendary Edition on a Mac. Sure, yous could utilize a solution such as Parallels to run Windows on a Mac, but nobody loves that solution.

A first-person shooter running on the MSI Katana GF76. — (Paradigm credit: Tom's Guide)

Yes, Apple Arcade exists. But, no, I don't ever hear anyone gushing about why it's a must-have.

I don't know how to ready this. If Apple tree could somehow solve its issues with game studios and developers, the adjacent MacBook Pros would truly sit on a high tier in the computing world.

Apple calls the 2021 MacBook Pros "game-changing," but the support of game developers would be the true game-changer the MacBook Pro needs.

Read more: MacBook Pro 2021 16-inch has a secret weapon 14-inch MacBook Pro lacks

Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide roofing streaming media, laptops and all things Apple tree, reviewing devices and services for the past six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom'due south Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's too covered the wild world of professional person wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.