Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro refresh will welcome not just the SD card reader but the HDMI port too in an overhaul for the series

Apple was roundly criticised a few years ago for replacing all ports but the headphone jack on the MacBook Pro with the new USB Type-C standard. Until 2015, the MacBook Pro series had USB Type-A ports, Thunderbolt, HDMI and an SD card reader, not to mention Magsafe charging. Last month, Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Magsafe would be returning in some form and that Apple would ditch the Touch Bar.

Now, MacRumors reports that Kuo believes Apple plans to bring back two ports that it dropped from the MacBook Pro as of 2016. Supposedly, Apple will include an HDMI port and an SD card reader in this year's MacBook Pro series, which would seem a strange move for the company that has, historically, been one the pioneers in removing ports from its devices. However, the idea of Apple returning to the SD card reader fits with claims that Mark Gurman made last month.

Based on past reports, Apple plans to release 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in 2021. These should also feature Apple Silicon chips and a new flat-edged design borrowed from the iPhone 12 series. If all these rumours come to fruition, then the 2021 would mark the biggest upgrade for the MacBook Pro series in five years.

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