Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro was quite the showstopper – despite the notch. We were blown away by both the display and the performance of the new machine, and it's arguably one of the best laptops out there for creative pros. But if new rumours are to be believed, the same might not quite be true of its successor.
Said to be the first of Apple's 'M2' MacBooks, the next MacBook Pro is rumoured to feature a smaller 13-inch display (the 2021 model comes in both 14 and 16 inches). And it isn't just the screen that'll be smaller – the feature list will apparently be pared down too. (Want the best MacBook experience possible? Check out the best MacBook Pro deals.)
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro will act as an entry-level machine. This means that despite the 'M2' name, the chip could actually be less powerful than the 2021 model's M1 Pro (confusing, we know).
And while we're expecting the M2 MacBook Pro to borrow the same design as the 2021 version (prepare yourselves, notch-haters), the screen might be much less advanced. Gurman claims the latter's super-smooth ProMotion refresh rate won't make the leap to the smaller MacBook, and the display might not even be mini-LED – we might have to make do with LCD (which means lower contrast and brightness).
The new MacBook Pro's display is one of its best features (Image credit: Apple)
If anything, this only serves to make us even more excited about the prospect of the 2022 MacBook Air. If the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro is a significant downgrade, and the new Air features the same M2 chip (as well as those rumoured fun new colours), perhaps the difference between the two won't be particularly vast.
We can't wait for the rumoured 2022 MacBook Air (Image credit: Renders by Ian)
Time will tell what Apple has in store for 2022, but if rumours are to believed, we won't have long to wait to find out – with an Apple event slated for next month, the product rollouts could begin in mere weeks. Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best Apple deals available now, and be sure to take a look at today's best MacBook Pro deals below.
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Daniel John is Senior News Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of art, design, branding and lifestyle tech (which often translates to tech made by Apple). He joined in 2020 after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more.
