Apple is expected to deliver new 13-inch MacBook Pro in May

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2019 MacBook Pro
The first with a Magic Keyboard?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s much-anticipated 13-inch MacBook Pro refresh will arrive next month, according to one popular tipster.

Recent reports claim it will be Apple’s first 13-inch MacBook Pro with a vastly improved Magic Keyboard. The refresh may also bring faster Intel processors, improved speakers and perhaps even a larger display.

Apple replaced its 15-inch MacBook Pro with a brand-new 16-inch model late last year. It’s vastly improved in every way, with faster chips, better speakers, studio-quality microphones and a brand-new thermal design.

Most importantly, that 16-inch model also ditched Apple’s universally hated butterfly keys for a significantly better Magic Keyboard with scissor switches. That same keyboard subsequently made its way to the MacBook Air and iPad Pro (via an accessory).

Understandably, 13-inch MacBook Pro fans have been asking when their favorite notebook would get the same kind of treatment. According to tipster Jon Prosser, the wait will end next month.

13-inch MacBook Pro refresh coming in May

“If everything goes well … New 13-inch MacBook Pro (codename J223) coming next month,” tweeted Prosser, founder of YouTube channel Front Page Tech, on Saturday.

Prosser said the machine will be a refresh of the current 13-inch model, and that a 14-inch display upgrade is a “big possibility.”

Reliable TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously made similar predictions about a larger display for the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Kuo also reported that Apple plans a MacBook Pro refresh for the second quarter of 2020.

It is possible, however, that the focus of Apple’s next refresh will be that Magic Keyboard, while a larger display is held back for the Mini LED display tech Apple is rumored to be developing for a number of its flagship products.

Magic Keyboard a must-have

Prosser proved reliable in the past with leaks about Google products. However, his accuracy for predictions about Apple remains to be determined. (He also claims Apple’s new iPhone SE (iPhone 9?) will debut on April 15.)

With or without that larger screen, though, the next 13-inch MacBook Pro is likely to be an incredibly attractive upgrade for fans of Apple’s most portable powerhouse. The removal of butterfly keys alone will drive plenty of upgrades.

With that and all the other improvements we expect, the 13-inch MacBook Pro should once again become a compelling alternative to its larger sibling. As things stand, it’s a hard sell with other Magic Keyboard options now available.

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