Apple is ‘listening,’ but won’t release a major MacBook Pro upgrade this year

By Jon Martindale Published August 24, 2020

Although Apple’s usual hardware refresh of the MacBook Pro line is expected to take place in 2018, a new report suggests that it won’t make any major changes to the platform. This, despite the fact that the chief design officer at Apple, Jony Ive, recently stated that Apple was “listening” to fans’ concerns over various elements of its Mac hardware lines.

Apple’s MacBook Pro laptops are far from poor. In our review of the latest 13-inch model, we found it to look and feel exquisite, with a beautiful screen, loud speakers, and a great touchpad. However, the keyboard was rather disappointing, battery life leaves a lot to be desired, and that Touch bar addition felt pretty redundant. Apple fans have also previously criticized the range for underpowered internal hardware and a lack of ports.

Recommended Videos

While the hardware may continue to improve in 2018, it doesn’t seem like this year will see anything in the way of a design overhaul. In a discussion with anonymous sources from the upstream supply chain, DigiTimes discovered that Foxconn will have a greater hand in manufacturing 2018 MacBooks. The report also claims that Apple has no plans for a major upgrade to any of the MacBook or MacBook Pro models in 2018, despite the last refresh happening in 2016.

One potential change which could come about though is more favorable pricing. Although it would require Apple to pass on the savings, Foxconn is said to be a slightly more affordable manufacturer than its traditional partner, Quanta. Quanta will still manufacture the majority of 2018 MacBooks, but having Foxconn pick up a larger portion of the supply could open up the door for price cuts.

If all of this (lack of) news leaves you a little despondent about your next upgrade, don’t forget that there are many great alternatives to the MacBook Pro out there. We even put together a guide to the best options for traditional MacBook fans, many of them much cheaper and more powerful to boot.

If you had to ask us what our favorite laptops available today are though, the list is slightly different. Have a look at our guide to see the best laptops to buy right now.

Former Evergreen writer

Jon Martindale covers how to guides, best-of lists, and explainers to help everyone understand the hottest new hardware and…

Topics

Computing

Sci-fi got the gadgets right, but the vibes wrong

Sci-fi got plenty of consumer tech right, but reality keeps delivering the useful, compromised version of the dream

Officer K looking up at a neon-colored hologram in Blade Runner 2049.

I was recently waiting for an Uber when the GPS decided to lie for sport. The car was somewhere nearby, I was somewhere nearby, and somehow both of us were trapped in that modern ritual of wrong pins, slow turns, vague waving, and "I'm here" messages that help absolutely no one.

That was when I had a very reasonable thought: this is exactly where a hologram of a giant arrow pointing at me would be useful.

Computing

Apple could go back to Intel for chips, but not how you would expect (or dread)

Apple MacBook

Apple and Intel are reportedly exploring a manufacturing partnership that could reshape how future Apple chips are produced. But despite the headline, this does not mean Apple is abandoning Apple Silicon or returning to Intel-powered Macs.

According to a new Wall Street Journal report, Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture some chips designed by Apple. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman later clarified on X that there is still no finalized production agreement in place and discussions remain at an early stage. His post also noted that Apple continues to have concerns about Intel’s manufacturing technology and long-term competitiveness.

Computing

Apple wants you to verify your identity before you get Education discount on products

Apple moving the US Education Store off the honor system also seems about making a globally consistent verification infrastructure that could eventually support more aggressive Education Store expansion.

Computer, Electronics, Laptop

Getting an Apple Education discount in the United States used to be as simple as claiming you’re a student or a teacher; it didn’t need a formal verification. That era is officially over.

Starting May 8, 2026, Apple now requires formal identity verification for all Education Store purchases in the US, ending the informal honor system that was in place for years (via MacRumors).