MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard could be the promised 13-inch model

Apple is equally famous and notorious for its obsession with design and, in particular, making things as slim as possible. Sometimes that has breathtaking results but there are other times when it becomes an infuriating experience. One of the most recent cases, which has actually resulted in a lawsuit, is Apple's reviled butterfly keyboard switches. Apple has finally reverted to using scissor switches in the 16-inch MacBook Pro and now it seems that a new model will soon be out with that same Magic Keyboard.

To be fair, it has always been a question of "when" rather than "if". Given the collective sigh of relief that ensued when the new keyboard was announced, it is almost inconceivable that Apple would be returning to the accursed switches in new MacBook models. It could but it would be shooting itself in the foot, especially with a pending lawsuit.

A filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission reveals that a new MacBook is coming soon. On paper, this model A2289 is described as a "portable personal computer" that runs macOS 10.15 but what other such device does Apple have? Not unless it has an early 2020 surprise but that's also highly unlikely.

Two questions now remain, including which MacBook is destined to debut soon. Ming-chi Kuo predicted that after the 16-inch MacBook Pro would be announced with a new keyboard, it would be followed by a 13-inch MacBook Pro and a new MacBook Air in early 2020. If he was right with one, there's a chance he's also right on the other, especially given his consistent track record. And of the two upcoming models, the 13-inch MacBook Pro sounds like a natural next step in the sequence.

That doesn't yet give us any idea when this new Apple portable personal computer" will come out. Its appearance at the EEC only means it's coming soon but that can take months, especially considering Apple's release schedules.