After months of rife speculation, Apple finally unveiled the 16 inch MacBook Pro at a low-key press event. The major takeaway from the new laptop is the improved keyboard mechanism which is not prone to fail in a couple of months of use. However, the company did not update the 13” MacBook Pro to include the much improved keyboard. The question now is: when will the smaller pro laptop get the same treatment?
2019 has almost ended and we don’t expect Apple to update anymore of its products this year. So we are definitely looking at a 2020 release of the 13” MacBook Pro with scissor key mechanism keyboard. The rumours suggest the company to release the product in the first half of 2020.
Return of the much beloved keyboard
The 16” MacBook Pro was a longtime coming, it brings back the much beloved scissor mechanism keyboard from the 2015 MacBook Pro. The key caps however have been inspired from the wireless keyboard Apple bundles with the iMac, the Magic Keyboard.
With the 2016 MacBook Pro, Apple switched to butterfly mechanism keyboard which takes up less space but also offers less key travel. However, the bigger problem with the butterfly keyboard is that, due to its less key travel, dust particles could get stuck between the keys and they would stop working altogether in most cases.
TouchBar fails to find its purpose
Apple also brought back the “esc” button on the 16” MacBook Pro after severe backlash from the developer community. According to Phil Schiller, Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing, the resurrection of the “esc” key was the most requested thing from MacBook Pro users. The TouchID has also been separated on the 16” MBP to make it easier to use and it also doubles as a button to physically power-on & power-off the machine which was missing on the post-2016 MacBook Pros.
We are eagerly waiting for the 13” MacBook Pro. We hope Apple offers the 13” MacBook Pro without the TouchBar as it would be much more affordable (savings of $200-$300) and it’s not something that everyone finds use of.
