Kuo: New MacBook Pro Models With HDMI Port and SD Card Reader to Launch Later This Year - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Kuo: New MacBook Pro Models With HDMI Port and SD Card Reader to Launch Later This Year

Apple plans to release two new MacBook Pro models equipped with an HDMI port and SD card reader in the second half of 2021, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who outlined his expectations in a research note obtained by MacRumors. The return of an SD card reader was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month.

2021 mbp sd slot feature2
"We predict that Apple's two new MacBook Pro models in 2H21 will have several significant design and specification changes," wrote Kuo. "Some of the practical changes for users are equipping with the SD card reader and HDMI port."

Last month, Kuo said Apple is planning all-new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with several changes, including the return of the classic MagSafe charging connector with a breakaway power cable, the removal of the Touch Bar, a new flat-edged design, and the return of more ports built into the notebooks for expanded connectivity. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman echoed many of these details in his reporting.

Kuo said Taiwan's Genesys Logic will be the exclusive supplier of the SD card reader in the 2021 MacBook Pro models.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Apparently Cancels Plans for Two New MacBooks

Thursday September 3, 2026 7:12 am PDT by
Apple has canceled plans for a foldable MacBook and a larger OLED MacBook Pro model, according to research firm Omdia. In a new research note, Omdia said Apple has scrapped development of a large foldable MacBook that would have measured between 16.1 and 18 inches when unfolded. It was previously reported that this device had already slipped out of its original 2026 production window, with...
macOS Golden Gate HDR

macOS Golden Gate Seems to Hint at MacBook Pro With OLED Display

Tuesday September 1, 2026 12:34 pm PDT by
As noted by Broadcasts developer Steven Troughton-Smith, many Liquid Glass interface elements on the macOS Golden Gate beta have an even glassier appearance on certain high-end OLED displays with HDR support than they do on ordinary displays. Apple reportedly plans to release new MacBook Pro or "MacBook Ultra" models with an OLED display by early 2027, so it is likely that macOS Golden Gate...
macbook ultra

'MacBook Ultra' Coming Soon With Touchscreen and 5 Other Changes

Tuesday August 25, 2026 4:43 am PDT by
Reports and rumors suggest the next high-end MacBook Pro that Apple will release might not be a ‌MacBook Pro‌ at all. It could actually be something altogether new and more exciting – a "MacBook Ultra" – marketed as the company's top-tier laptop offering. The device is likely to sit above the current M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, rather than replace them, suggesting that they will remain on...

Top Rated Comments

72 months ago

bringing back the sd slot is such a stupid idea. for professional cameras, plenty of them use CFAST cards and a lot of them are moving over to USB-C SSDs.

let's move on from SD.
No, they don’t. I’ve been a professional photographer for 16 years. The vast majority of cameras on the market still use SD cards. Probably 90%, even most the high end ones recently released.
Score: 88 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
72 months ago
As long as it has NO TOUCH BAR,

we good homie
Score: 63 Votes (Like | Disagree)
magicschoolbus Avatar
72 months ago
Bring back Magsafe
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SkippyThorson Avatar
72 months ago
Just a basic HDMI out so that presentations in higher education are possible without a stupid dongle.

Not to mention I have never been more infuriated with a design update that turned changing my volume into a 2 step process I know need to pay close attention to. Function key; press. Done. Ugh.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
72 months ago

You misread. I never said the majority didn't use SD. But the trajectory is going down and suitable alternatives are going up.

This is no different than MacBook Air killing the CD/DVD drive. >90% computers had the DVD drive when the MacBook Air was released, but Apple rightfully killed it off.
they aren’t just bringing it back on a whim. Apple is a smart company and everything they do is intentional. There must be big demand to have SD card slots back. Every, single pro photographer/videographer I know uses SD cards, although many use card readers too.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blazerunner Avatar
72 months ago

As long as it has NO TOUCH BAR,

we good homie
Is there a way to like your comment twice? This really deserves greater recognition. Touch bar is trash.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)