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 (Neutral)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...

Top Rated Comments

DexBell Avatar
55 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
55 months ago
As long as it has NO TOUCH BAR,

we good homie
Score: 63 Votes (Like | Disagree)
magicschoolbus Avatar
55 months ago
Bring back Magsafe
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SkippyThorson Avatar
55 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)
DexBell Avatar
55 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
55 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)