What to expect at Apple’s ‘Hello again’ Mac event

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MacBook Pro
Are you excited for the Magic of the OLED Toolbar?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s been more than 500 days since the last MacBook Pro release, but Apple’s
“Hello again” Mac event will change that this week.

So what should you be expecting to see? Here’s a rundown of everything we predict Apple will reveal at the eagerly anticipated event, which takes place Thursday at Apple’s 1 Infinite Loop campus.

New MacBook Pro

Touch bar
The Magic Toolbar would be perfect for Siri.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The big reveal for the new MacBook Pro is supposedly the so-called Magic Toolbar.

The OLED touchbar will reportedly replace the function keys on your MacBook Pro. The keys that display on the touchbar will change depending on which app you’re using at the time. We first heard about this intriguing update back in May, thanks to some spy photos that were shared with us. (See Cult of Mac’s in-depth video on the Magic Toolbar from when the spy photos were revealed.)

Apple wouldn’t be the first tech company to experiment with this concept, but it could be the first to do it well.

[contextly_auto_sidebar] Also, in keeping with changes Apple has made to its MacBooks, I’d also expect the MacBook Pro to come with four USB Type-C ports. While this isn’t too much of a big deal, as most manufacturers are embracing USB-C, it does mean waving a fond farewell to the much-loved MagSafe power cord in order to save room for the new ports.

In addition, I expect to see a redesigned case, something closer to the design of the current MacBooks — with space gray, gold and rose finishes, and a slightly thinner bezel.

As with every refresh, the latest MacBook Pro should also be more powerful, thanks to the addition of zippy Intel Skylake processors.

Bye-bye, MacBook Air

inateck-ipad-pro-macbook-sleeve - 3
It’s been a good run MacBook Air!
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

There’s also a good chance we’ll see the 11-inch MacBook Air finally fly off to the big Apple museum in the sky, supplanted by the 12-inch Retina MacBook. Simply put: It doesn’t make sense to keep two similar products around at the same time.

Will we get an update to the 13-inch MacBook Air? We’ll have to wait and see.

New iMac?

iMac Apple
Are new iMacs on the horizon?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple typically gives us new iMacs around the time of a new macOS launch, and I don’t expect this year to be any different. Again they’ll be snappier with the updated Skylake processors and DDR4 RAM. (Hopefully, Apple will release them in a range of colors so I can have an iMac that matches my black iPhone 7.)

Two things I’d love to see announced that haven’t been heavily rumored are a new Mac Pro and a 5K Cinema Display.

The Mac Pro hasn’t seen an update in nearly three years. While Apple’s pro computers are still pretty darn fast, they’re in need of a refresh to keep them ahead of the competition.

The Apple Cinema Display could take the 5K Display from the iMac and place it in its own unit.

AirPods released!

airpods
Are you ready for some AirPods? The future is wireless.
Photo: Apple

Last but not least, I suspect we’ll see the release of the new wireless AirPods. They were announced at Apple’s September iPhone event and are due to ship in late October. This is the perfect opportunity for Apple to release them to the world.

That’s all we know — or think we know — so far about Apple’s “Hello again” Mac event. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long to find out for certain.

What are you hoping to see at Apple’s Mac event? Let us know in the comments below. And in the meantime, make sure to like, share and subscribe to Cult of Mac videos so you don’t miss a single one in the future.

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