Tag Archives: MagSafe

2021 MacBook Pro Restores 4 Features Jony Ive Threw Out!

The 2021 MacBook Pro restored four great features that famed designer, Jony Ive threw out!

Well, isn’t it fortunate that he left Apple?

 

2021 MacBook Pro Restores 4 Features Jony Ive Threw Out!

Famed designed Jony Ive did many things right, but he also screwed up the MacBook Pro for many years.

In his obsessive quest for ever THINNER form factors, Sir Jony dumped four great features that MacBook Pro users loved.

  • Physical function keys
  • SDXC card reader
  • MagSafe charging port
  • HDMI port

The good news is – the 2021 MacBook Pro restores all four features that Jony threw out!

Magic Keyboard With Physical Function Keys!

Jony Ive introduced the butterfly keyboard mechanism because it was THINNER. However, it has less key travel (of course) and was prone to failure.

Apple finally gave up on the butterfly keyboard after Jony left, when they introduced the Magic Keyboard with a scissor mechanism in the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019).

But it was with this new 2021 MacBook Pro that nailed the coffin shut for the Touch Bar, which many MBP users considered an expensive boondoggle.

FINALLY, MacBook Pro users have a proper keyboard with physical function keys that provide tactile feedback!

SDXC Card Reader + HDMI Port Are Back!

Many MacBook Pro users are photographers who loved how their MBPs had an integrated SDXC card reader. They can just slot in their SD cards and get to work.

Many users also loved the convenience of an integrated HDMI port, which allowed quick and easy video output to an external monitor or even a projector.

Unfortunately, Jony Ive sacrificed both the SDXC card reader and the HDMI port on the altar of a THINNER profile, forcing users to use USB card readers and dongles.

Well, the good news is the 2021 MacBook Pro restored both the SDXC card reader and the HDMI port!

MagSafe 3 Charging!

Another stupid decision Apple made with their 4th Gen MacBook Pro was to remove the MagSafe charging connector.

Not only does the MagSafe prevent damage if anyone trips over the cable, it also has a very nifty indicator light that quickly tells you its charging status.

Fortunately, Apple just introduced MagSafe 3 in the 2021 MacBook Pro. It is now slimmer, and can support up to 140 watts of power delivery!

Don’t worry – you can still use USB-C charging if you want to.

 

2021 MacBook Pro So Much Better After Jony Ive Left

Now, I do not mean to disparage Sir Jony Ive’s excellent design work. I just think he went overboard with his obsession with THINNESS.

How much functionality is worth trading away to shave off an extra millimetre or two? Never enough in Jony’s book, from what I can tell.

Even with all that gone, he couldn’t even get the MacBook Pro to be thinner or lighter than the Dell XPS 13… so what was the point of removing them???

Hence, it is fortuitous for MacBook Pro users that he is no longer in charge of the design work at Apple.

The restoration of these four long-missed features arguably makes the 2021 MacBook Pro far more functional than its fancy mini LED display or M1 Pro / Max processor could achieve.

Read more : 100% Correct : MagSafe 3, SDXC + HDMI 2.0 In 2021 MBP!

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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100% Correct : MagSafe 3, SDXC + HDMI 2.0 In 2021 MBP!

Back in February 2021, we gave you all a sneak peek at what the 2021 Apple MBP would offer in terms of connectivity.

We said back then that “Apple will not only introduce a new MagSafe 3 connector in the upcoming 2021 MacBook Pro, they will also bring back the SD card slot!

Take a look at what we revealed back then, and what Apple just revealed earlier today!

 

We Were Right About MagSafe 3 In 2021 MBP!

In our February 2021 sneak peek of the 2021 MBP’s connectivity options, we shared that Apple will bring back their long-missed MagSafe connector.

It would be a brand new connector with a slimmer profile called MagSafe 3, which would be bidirectional with 5 pins, and have a slimmer profile.

Take a look at the picture we shared in February, showing MagSafe 3, next to two Thunderbolt ports and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

And take a look at the connectors on the left side of the actual 2021 MacBook Pro. Pretty much the same, right?

 

We Were Right About SDXC Card Reader + HDMI 2.0 In 2021 MBP!

In our February 2021 sneak peek, we also shared that Apple would bring back the sorely-missed SDXC card reader, as well as the HDMI 2.0 port.

Here was the picture we shared in February, showing the SDXC card reader, together with the HDMI 2.0 port.

Doesn’t it look EXACTLY like the actual right side of the 2021 MacBook Pro?

We also revealed back then that the OLED Touch Bar would finally be banished… hopefully for good. It was an expensive boondoggle that MBP users were forced to pay for.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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First Look : 2021 MacBook Pro MagSafe 3 + SD Card Slot!

Exclusive on Tech ARP – the first look at the 2021 MacBook Pro ports, including a brand new MagSafe 3 port and an SD card slot!

Here is the first ever look at the MagSafe 3 connector, the SD card slot, and other ports that will ship with the 2021 MacBook Pro!

 

First Look : 2021 MacBook Pro MagSafe 3 + SD Card Slot!

Apple fans who miss the MagSafe port and the SD card reader in their MacBook laptops will have something to cheer for this year!

Apple will not only introduce a new MagSafe 3 connector in the upcoming 2021 MacBook Pro, they will also bring back the SD card slot!

New Apple MagSafe 3 Connector!

The new MagSafe 3 connector is bidirectional and has 5 pins, and will lock and detach magnetically like the previous two generations.

The MagSafe 3 connector is not compatible with older MacBook computers, and has a pill-shaped design with a thinner profile.

The MagSafe 3 port is located on the left side of the 2021 MBP, next to two Thunderbolt 3 (USB4) ports, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

Ports on the left side of the 2021 Apple MBP | Copyright : Tech ARP (www.techarp.com)

Return Of The SD Card Reader!

We are also glad to report that Apple will (finally) bring back the SD card reader that many photographers LOVED, and bemoaned when Phil Schiller killed it in 2016.

Now that Schiller is out of Apple, it looks like it’s been resurrected for the 2021 MacBook Pro. Utility finally trumped cumbersome!

The SD card reader is located on the right side, together with a third Thunderbolt 3 (USB4) port and a HDMI 2.0 port.

Ports on the right side of the 2021 Apple MBP | Copyright : Tech ARP (www.techarp.com)

 

2021 Apple MacBook Pro : What Else Is New?

So what else is new in the 2021 MacBook Pro, other than MagSafe 3 and the resurrected SD card reader?

14-inch + 16-inch Models

There will be two 2021 MacBook Pro models – with 14-inch and 16-inch displays.

Apple M1X SoC

There will no longer be Intel CPU options, only the Apple M1X SoC.

Nothing much is known about the Apple M1X, other than it is a more powerful version of the M1 that has stunned many with its performance.

But rumours have it that it will have 12 processor cores, split into two performance clusters :

  • P Cluster (Performance) : 8 x Firestorm (?) cores
  • E Cluster (Efficient) : 4 x Icestorm (?) cores

It will have a more powerful GPU than Apple M1‘s 8-core GPU.

Memory

The Apple M1X will use the same unified memory design as the M1, built directly onto the package for near-instantaneous access.

However, it will offer larger memory options – 24 GB and 32 GB are possible – in addition to 16 GB currently available with the M1.

External Display Support

A big limitation of the Apple M1 is its support for just one external display of up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz.

The 2021 MacBook Pro will support at least two external displays, if not more, via its Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI ports.

OLED Touch Bar Gone!

Good riddance to the pointless OLED Touch Bar. That’s gone for the 2021 MacBook Pro models.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Xiaomi Disses 15W MagSafe With 80W Mi Wireless Charging!

Just after Apple introduced their 15W MagSafe wireless charger, Xiaomi unveils the 80W Mi Wireless Charger!

Take a look at how fast a modified Mi 10 Pro recharged wirelessly using this new 80W wireless charger!

 

Xiaomi Disses 15W MagSafe With 80W Mi Wireless Charger!

Apple may have wowed their fans with the new 15W MagSafe wireless charger, but Xiaomi just showed us the future of wireless charging.

Introducing the new 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology by Xiaomi!

As this video showed, the 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology recharges the 4,000 mAh battery of a modified Mi 10 Pro astoundingly quickly :

  • 0% to 10% : 1 minute
  • 0% to 50% : 8 minutes
  • 0% to 100% : 19 minutes

In comparison, last year’s 30W Mi Wireless Charging Technology took much longer to recharge a similar battery :

  • 0% to 50% : 25 minutes
  • 0% to 100% : 69 minutes

 

80W Mi Wireless Charging : May It Come Soon!

Xiaomi has not announced when they will actually introduce 80W Mi Wireless Charging in a production smartphone, or offer the charger for sale.

However, based on the fact that they recently introduced the Mi 10 Ultra with 50W wireless charging capability, we could see 80W wireless charging introduced as early as next year!

 

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