According to the latest report from Bloomberg by Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a number of new Apple Silicon Macs including the expected new MacBook Pro, a new more powerful Mac mini and a new MacBook Air. We have the details…

New MacBook Pro Laptops Later This Year

As we have reported Apple is planning to release 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops with new Apple Silicon chips.

In our article Apple MacBook Pro M1X Processor Leaked - Find Out More - UPDATED Apple leaker @LeaksApplePro shared the specs of a new 16-inch Macbook Pro with an M1X chip, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 8TB of storage, starting at $2,399.

In January 2021, Ming-Chi Kuo announced in a note to investors that the 14 and 16-inch 2021 MacBook Pro computers will feature a flat-edged design, which Kuo describes as "similar to the iPhone 12" with no curves like current models.

Other features were believed to include the ‌MagSafe‌ charging connector design is to be restored, whilst the OLED touch bar is to be removed, and the physical function buttons are to be restored. There will be more types of I/O, and most users may not need to purchase additional dongles including an SD card reader.

Finally, in January 2021 Bloomberg reported that the new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops would come with Apple silicon chips offering more processing cores and improved graphics compared to the M1 found in the first batch of Apple Silicon Macs.

Based on Bloomberg’s sources, who have proved accurate in the past, in this latest report, published on May 18th 2021, they confirm the new features mentioned above…

“Apple plans to launch the redesigned MacBook Pros in 14-inch (code name J314) and 16-inch screen (J316) sizes. They’ll have a redesigned chassis, magnetic MagSafe charger and more ports for connecting external drives and devices. Apple is also bringing back the HDMI port and SD card slot.

Bloomberg’s report also has more details on the processors…

For the new MacBook Pros, Apple is planning two different chips, codenamed Jade C-Chop and Jade C-Die: both include eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores for a total of 10, but will be offered in either 16 or 32 graphics core variations.

Even better news for us in the pro-audio sector is much more RAM and more ports…

The chips also include up to 64 gigabytes of memory versus a maximum of 16 on the M1. They’ll have an improved Neural Engine, which processes machine-learning tasks, and enable the addition of more Thunderbolt ports, which let users sync data and connect to external devices, than the two on the current M1 MacBook Pro.”

Not All Good News

However, it’s not all good news. In a separate announcement, Mac Rumors is reporting that although these redesigned new MacBook Pro laptops are still on track for a 2021 launch, that they are likely to be in short supply through into 2022. Taiwanese supply chain news website DigiTimes is claiming that Apple suppliers cannot make enough key components for the MacBook Pro following the launch of the new mini-LED 12.9-inch iPad Pro…

Volume production of Apple's miniLED-backlit MacBook Pro series may have to be postponed to fourth-quarter of 2021 or first-quarter 2022 if the sudden surge in the number of COVID infections in Taiwan continues to worsen, according to industry sources.

Having launched its miniLED-backlit 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ in late April, Apple plans to release two miniLED-backlit MacBook Pro products - one having a 14-inch display and the other a 16-inch display - in the second half of 2021, said the sources.

DigiTimes still believe that Apple plans to release the new MacBook Pros in the second half of this year, but implies that much like the new M1 ‌iPad Pro‌ and iMac, they may not be widely available for purchase until a few weeks after their initial announcement. However, DigiTimes also notes that a minimal number of 14-inch MacBook Pros will be produced in the third quarter of this year, likely hinting that supply will be tight, despite reasonably high demand.

More Powerful Mac mini

Mark Gurman’s sources have also shared that Apple is working on a more powerful Mac mini…

“Code name J374, with the same chip as the next MacBook Pro. It’s expected to have four ports versus the pair available on the current low-end version and to sit above the current entry-level M1 Mac Mini. Apple could delay or cancel the new mini’s launch -- as it has in the past -- but eventually the company will likely replace the Intel-equipped version it now sells.”

Redesigned High-End MacBook Air

Bloomberg’s latest report also mentions that Apple is working on a higher-spec MacBook Air with more details of the Apple Silicon M1 successor that will be used in the new MacBook Air…

“Apple is planning a direct successor to the M1 processor. That chip, codenamed Staten, will include the same number of computing cores as the M1 but run faster. It will also see the number of graphics cores increase from seven or eight to nine or 10. Apple is also planning an update to the low-end 13-inch MacBook Pro with that same chip.”

New Mac Pro With Up To 40 Cores

We reported back in January 2021 that Apple is planning Mac Pro 2021 New Models - Half Size And Full Size and we now know more from Bloomberg’s sources. They have revealed that the new Apple Silicon powered Mac Pro will come in two variants, one with 20 cores and the other with 40 cores.

“Codenamed Jade 2C-Die and Jade 4C-Die, a redesigned Mac Pro is planned to come in 20 or 40 computing core variations, made up of 16 high-performance or 32 high-performance cores and four or eight high-efficiency cores. The chips would also include either 64 core or 128 core options for graphics. The computing core counts top the 28 core maximum offered by today’s Intel Mac Pro chips, while the higher-end graphics chips would replace parts now made by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.”

However, the report doesn’t mention the RAM anticipated on these monster System on a Chip powered Mac Pros, but it is likely to be at least 64 GB and possibly 128GB.

Apple Silicon Computers Suitable For Pro Audio

As we have predicted, following on from the starter Apple Silicon Macs with the M1 processor and 16GB of RAM, Apple’s plans clearly include Apple Silicon Mac computers with enough processing and RAM to meet our needs. Not long to wait…