MacBook Ultra could be very good news for MacBook Pro users

Rumors indicate Apple’s long-expected MacBook Pro redesign will be branded ‘MacBook Ultra’ instead. Here’s why this could be good news for MacBook Pro users in light of a previous redesign misstep.

MacBook Pro redesign history has examples of success and failure

Apple’s current MacBook Pro is, in many ways, an apology model.

The MacBook Pro design we still have today first arrived in 2021. And it gave users exactly what they’d been asking for after years of a highly unpopular previous design.

In 2016, Apple unveiled a new MacBook Pro that proved problematic in several ways.

The infamously unreliable butterfly keyboard was a big part of that. But the new model also removed several ports that creative professionals rely on, switching to an all USB-C setup. The Touch Bar also proved controversial for replacing function keys. And the new design was thin, which isn’t ideal for pro users who value performance and battery life.

It took five long years before another redesign arrived. But when it did, Apple gave pro users everything they’d been asking for.

The 2021 MacBook Pro bulked up to maximize performance and battery life, it fixed the keyboard, ditched the Touch Bar, and added ports like HDMI, SDXC card, and MagSafe.

Now, the time for another redesign is almost here.

But per the latest rumors, Apple might take an unusual path: branding its newest design as ‘MacBook Ultra’ while the current MacBook Pro design lives on.

Here’s why that could be good news for MacBook Pro fans.

Adding ‘MacBook Ultra’ means the MacBook Pro can keep prioritizing what pros want

Apple clearly learned its lesson after the 2016 MacBook Pro debacle. However, some of the rumors about its next MacBook design sound eerily familiar.

Per Mark Gurman, the new model will be thinner and lighter than Apple’s current MacBook Pro. That could impact performance and battery life, and also might mean it lacks some ports offered by the MacBook Pro.

And it will have a touch screen, which some users might see as a useless ‘innovation’ like the Touch Bar before it.

I’m confident Apple doesn’t have another 2016 disaster on its hands. However, I do think using ‘MacBook Ultra’ branding could be a clever way to avoid history repeating itself.

If Apple does launch this new model as the first MacBook Ultra, rather than being a new MacBook Pro, it will accomplish two things:

1. The current MacBook Pro design will continue being available unchanged
2. Apple’s new design won’t have to follow the ‘Pro’ standards

By splitting the lineup and creating a new MacBook Ultra, the MacBook Pro can continue being exactly what it is today: the thick, performant, port-heavy model for “pros.”

Meanwhile, the MacBook Ultra can pursue innovation and push the Mac forward in new ways without risking alienating professionals.

MacBook Ultra vs Pro: wrap-up

Personally, I’m very excited by the prospect of a MacBook Ultra because it sounds like a model that’s more geared to my needs.

I want a Mac with cutting-edge, innovative technology. So the prospect of OLED, a touch screen, an all-new design, and possibly a cellular option all sound great.

Battery, performance, and ports all matter to me, but I’m happy for the Ultra to strike a different balance with those features than the Pro does.

If Apple replaced the current MacBook Pro with its new design, it could upset a lot of Pro users once again. But by splitting it out as an Ultra model, hopefully it can keep professionals onboard while also pushing the Mac forward in exciting new ways.

What do you think of Apple’s rumored MacBook Ultra naming for its new model? Let us know in the comments.

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