Apple seem to have moved the aesthetics of their devices lower in their priority list lately. It’s not that the latest iPhones and MacBooks didn’t look good – they did. But many fans of the company seem to agree that their older generations of devices felt like there was a lot more thought going into their visuals, and Apple could benefit from revisiting those times to some extent. And according to recent reports about the upcoming MacBook Pro 2016, this could be exactly the case with the new device.
The rumors are not confirmed yet – as is the usual case with Apple’s upcoming devices – but there are claims that the company has decided to redesign the laptop, in some ways fundamentally. This could mean many things, obviously, and it could also be aligned with other rumors that Apple could be considering a reorganization of their laptop lines.
More specifically, the rumors claim that Apple may want to combine the MacBook Pro and Air lines into one, as there have been some overlaps between them in their recent editions. On one hand, the MacBook Air has been getting more and more powerful, and isn’t as limited as it used to be. On the other, there have been various improvements in the portability and form factor of the MacBook Pro, and some users are claiming that it won’t take too much effort to combine the two devices.
The question is which side of the equation will have to be compromised, because it obviously can’t happen while preserving both lines intact.
Indeed, there are some claims that Apple have already cancelled the new edition of the MacBook Air, along with the iPad Air. It’s not known if that’s true or not, but we’ve noticed a certain quietness on that front lately, so it’s possible that this is where things are headed. If Apple don’t announce anything for their Air line by the end of this year, we would assume that they don’t have any serious plans for it right now.
Other rumors about the new MacBook Pro 2016 claim that it could come with support for the more advanced edition of USB-C, USB 3.1 2G. Apple have already been moving towards implementing USB-C technology in their models, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see something like that in their new laptop. Especially if Apple are aiming to make the device as versatile as possible in the modern market, as various smartphone manufacturers have started to adopt the new technology as well.
We’re mostly curious to see the alleged changes in the aesthetics of the new laptop, as this could really attract large numbers of Apple fans to the device, and make it an extremely popular release on the market. Lately, various other companies have started to make very bold moves in the visual design department, jeopardizing Apple’s reputation as the leader in this area. Even Microsoft have learned quite a lot about making their devices pretty, and it shows.
The operating system that powers Apple’s desktops and laptops has certainly been evolving quite nicely in this regard, so it’s even more puzzling why we don’t see any innovative, creative designs from the company anymore. It seems like they are standardizing everything about their different product lines, and every new edition is starting to look more and more like its predecessor. This trend definitely has to stop if Apple are to retain their fan base.