Rumor: New MacBook Pro to Ditch Regular USB Ports

Rumors that Apple will launch a new MacBook Pro at the end of October gained steam today thanks to blog reports that the upcoming laptop will ditch standard USB ports in favor of USB-C.

Citing information from Japanese blog Macotakara, the Boy Genius Report claims that Apple will only include the next-generation connectors, which are also found on the MacBook.

That notebook includes just a single USB-C port and a headphone jack, to the consternation of early adopters who had to buy adapters for their conventional USB peripherals when it first appeared on the 2015 version. But more than a year later, USB-C is much more prevalent, showing up on smartphones, tablets, and laptops, as well as hard drives and other peripherals.

Still, the svelte, gold-colored MacBook is a niche product compared to the more workaday MacBook Pro, which is favored by mobile videographers and photographers who often tote many external drives. So ditching traditional ports on the next MacBook Pro would likely raise as many eyebrows as the iPhone 7's lack of a headphone jack.

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Macotakara's report also suggests there will be no dedicated MagSafe charging port on the MacBook Pro. As with the MacBook, recharging the battery would be accomplished through a USB-C power cable.

The new MacBook Pro and a minor MacBook Air refresh are reportedly coming on Oct. 27. Adding fuel to that fire, Apple recently changed the date of its fourth quarter earnings call, moving it from Oct. 27 to Oct. 25 because Oct. 27 had turned into a "scheduling conflict."

The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air have gone a relatively long time without major updates, prompting some Mac fans to question whether Apple is planning to abandon its notebook line. In September, a concerned user reached out to CEO Tim Cook via email to ask if the Cupertino tech giant is "pulling away from the Mac line." Surprisingly, Cook responded, assuaging those concerns.

"I love the Mac and we are very committed to it. Stay tuned," he wrote in the message, which was obtained by MacRumors.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.