Source: Daniel Bader / Android Central
The M1 iPad Pro (2021) was the first Apple device to feature a mini-LED. Announced earlier this year, we’re now expecting Apple to bring its exciting new display tech to the MacBook lineup, in what promises to be one of the biggest changes to the MacBook Pro, maybe ever! Big internal upgrades through Apple silicon, the return of pro ports like HDMI and an SD card slot, and a new chassis are all reportedly in the pipeline. Here’s what we know so far.
Size: A new contender
It is rumored Apple will replace its 16-inch MacBook Pro with a new model, whilst also introducing a new 14-inch form factor, it seems this new size will sit between the existing models, rather than serve as a replacement for the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Design
Apple is expected to shift the design of the new MacBook Pro somewhat, eschewing the curved design for a flatter, squarer form factor on the top and bottom. From previous reports:
In a note seen by iMore, Kuo reiterated that Apple will release a new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in Q3 of 2021. They will feature a new chassis design with a flat, right-angled top and bottom cover akin to that of the iPhone 12, rather than the slight curve of previous models.
Display
As noted, one of the biggest features of the new MacBook Pro models will reportedly be a mini-LED display promising a big upgrade in performance.
Ports
Apple will reportedly bring back the HDMI port and the SD card slot in the new MacBook Pro, whilst also bringing back MagSafe charging. Mark Gurman claims the new Macs will retain more than two USB-C ports as well.
Processor: Apple silicon
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, there will not be an Intel version of the new MacBook Pro, with new Apple silicon chips expected to bring a big leap in performance. We’ve heard Apple is preparing a new variant of its M1 chip, colloquially referred to as the M1X. Mark Gurman says this new chip will feature 10-cores, including 8 high-performance cores, support for 16 or 32 graphics, and up to 64GB of RAM.
Touch Bar?
Apple is rumored to be testing new MacBooks without its love-hate Touch Bar, and there is good reason to suspect the new models might see the end of Apple’s Touch Bar experiment.
Release date
Reports indicate that Apple’s new MacBooks are on course to begin mass production in Q3 of 2021, possilby indicating they could debut towards the end of summer of in September.