Among many other things, 2020 has been a big year for Apple fans. The company hasn't let the advent of a global pandemic slow it down, with huge product launches across its entire range of Macs, iPhones, iPads and more. And, in a surprise turn of events, it seems the iPhone 12 wasn't the last device Apple had up its sleeve for 2020.
Apple has announced yet another event due to take place 10 November, tantalisingly titled One More Thing. And we have a pretty good idea what that 'one more thing' might be. Rumours have been rife that Apple will launch the first MacBooks with Apple's own silicon chips in 2020 – could our best laptops for graphic design list be welcoming a late entry before the year is out?
We haven't heard 'one more thing' since 2017 (Image credit: Apple)
It's notable that Apple has chosen to run with its famous 'one more thing' expression, generally saved for its most exciting releases. Indeed, the last time it was used was in 2017, when Tim Cook revealed the iPhone X – the iPhone's biggest redesign since the original launched 10 years previously.
While Apple is famously tight-lipped about exactly which products are getting updated, it's dropped a pretty clear hint in the form of an AR Apple logo (below). That pivoting motion sure does resemble a laptop lid opening and closing. MacBook it is, then.
This is super cool. The Apple event logo in AR resembles opening and closing a MacBook. A new MacBook powered by Apple Silicon is coming. pic.twitter.com/R6pIpJTWPCNovember 2, 2020
So what big changes are in store for the MacBook range? Apple made quite the song and dance about the move to Apple silicon back at WWDC in June, suggesting it will allow both improved performance and efficiency. The MacBook Pro is already our best laptop for video editing, but faster speeds and longer battery life can only be a good thing for power users.
But while improved performance feels like a given, we're less clear on what Apple silicon could mean for the design of the MacBook. Neither the MacBook Pro or Air have changed dramatically in appearance for years – but rumours suggest the new chips could allow for a super-powerful yet svelte machine (a MacBook Pro in a MacBook Air's body?). Our fingers are crossed that we'll be seeing a brand new, exciting MacBook design next week.
Whatever happens, this is bound to be a big one for creatives. While the iPad range has been given a lot of love this year with a hugely powerful new iPad Pro and completely redesigned iPad Air, MacBook updates have been fairly incremental. Countless users rely on a Mac as their main machine, and although the iPad is incredible for projects such as sketching and photo editing, nothing quite matches the Mac when it comes to intensive tasks such as VFX.
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Regardless of what Apple reveals next week, the current MacBook range is pretty future-proof indeed. If you're looking for a monster machine right here and now, check out the best deals below – and don't forget to check what offers are available as part of Apple Black Friday.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
