As we approach the announcement of the upcoming 2nd generation Apple Silicon powered MacBook Pro, we are seeing a flurry of leaks providing snippets of information on the latest Apple laptops. In this article, we look at the latest info as well as everything we know so far.

Price And Performance

We will start with the latest news before circling back for the story so far.

Apple Leaker ‘Dylandkt’, who has proven to be very accurate when it comes to predicting accurate leaks has tweeted…

“It’s comforting to note that both MacBook Pro’s that are coming this fall will have the same chip and the same performance. It’s definitely a win for those who like to opt for the smaller size but expect a notable increase in price for the 14 inch over the 13 inch.”

and then followed it up with this clarification…

“Just so that everyone understands, I am referring to the 16 and 14 inch pros both having the same M1X.”

The identical performance is reassuring, but not unexpected. After all the M1 powered MacBook Pro 13”, MacBook Air, Mac mini and iMac all use the same chip. The only difference is that there are options to have either a 7-core GPU or an 8-core on some of them. It should be noted that they are still the same chip, we understand that the 7-core versions are second-grade chips off the production line.

That said, there is also some concern that the new M1X MacBook Pro laptops might not support external GPUs as it is expected that the GPU will be on the same silicon chip as the RAM and the processors. We will have to see.

What is of greater interest is that the price of the 14-inch model will be a higher price than the existing 13-inch Intel-based MBP. Typically when Apple brings out an ‘upgrade’ the pricing stays the same.

‘Dylandkt’ has told MacRumors that the 14-inch MacBook Pro will be priced around the current high-end 13-inch model, which it is expected to replace. The current high-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, which still features Intel chips, starts at $1,799 with an alternate base configuration with 1TB of storage available for $1,999. The current 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is not expected to see a price rise, starts from $2,399. All of this means that the 14-inch MacBook Pro is expected to be in the region of $2,000.

Timing

The Eurasian Economic Commission has revealed some new Apple devices ahead of release thanks to the eagle eyes of French site Consomac. This time, it is about two Mac models that have just obtained their authorization for sale in Russia: they are numbered A2442 and A2485 and run under macOS 12 Monterey. This means we are weeks away from the release.

Mark Gurman from Bloomberg in an edition of his regular Power On newsletter said this about the timing of the release of the new M1X powered MacBook Pro laptops…

“I bought my MacBook Pro in 2019, and it’s still the latest model. I realized while writing this that the 16-inch MacBook Pro launched in November 2019 is Apple’s newest high-end MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, some hiccups have led to production delays for the revamped 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M1X chips. But they should still go on sale by the time the current MacBook Pro hits its two-year anniversary.”

This makes more sense to us than some reports from less reliable leakers suggesting that there will be 2 Apple Events in September, one for new iPhones and iPad and a second for the new M1X Macs. The consensus seems to suggest a Mac M1X event in October, but it may be pushed back to November 2021.

What Else We Know So Far Regarding M1x MacBook Pro Laptops

As we reported in our article Apple MacBook Pro M1X Processor Leaked - Find Out More - UPDATED Apple leaker @LeaksApplePro also reported 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 a research note obtained by MacRumors, from Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, who gathers intelligence from his contacts in Apple's Asian supply chain, translating what he gathers into research notes for clients, has a reliable insight into future products. Ming-Chi said that these MacBook models will feature a new design. However, he did not specify which models these will be, but he has previously claimed that redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon would launch in the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021.

Ming-Chi Kuo also 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 that Ming-Chi Kuo has reported will be in the 2021 MBPs will include…

“The ‌MagSafe‌ charging connector design is restored.

The OLED touch bar is removed, and the physical function buttons are restored.

There is no Intel CPU option for the new models.

They are equipped with more types of I/O, and most users may not need to purchase additional dongles”

He also said that the new MBP models will use the same heat pipe design used by the current 16-inch MacBook Pro model, which Kuo says is much better than the current 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reported more details on the return of MagSafe charging to the MacBook Pro, gleamed from their sources, suggesting that it will have a similar design to Apple’s previous MagSafe design and that return to a dedicated ‌MagSafe‌ will enable faster-charging speeds.

As well as the return of the MagSafe connector, Bloomberg reported that the new MacBook Pro laptops will continue to support USB-C, with two USB-C ports located next to the ‌MagSafe‌ port. Mark Gurman also included a tidbit about the displays on the upcoming MacBook Pro models, indicating they will use "brighter, higher-contrast panels."

Mark also posted more details that the 2021 MacBook Pro models will also feature an SD card reader…

The upcoming MacBook Pro is an example of Apple's renewed focus on Mac loyalists. The company is planning to bring back an SD card slot for the next MacBook Pros so users can insert memory cards from digital cameras. That feature was removed in 2016, to the consternation of professional photographers and video creators, key segments of the MacBook Pro user base.

When it comes to design changes Bloomberg differs slightly from what Ming-Chi Kuo stated with Bloomberg saying the although Apple has "tested" versions of the MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar, whereas Kuo seems more definitive, that the Touchbar will not be in the final design. Bloomberg is also downplaying the significance of any changes, indicating that they will "look similar" to the current models but with "minor design changes."

Ming-Chi Kuo reported, based on supply chain evidence, that Apple is moving across to mini-LED display for their Mac models to be released in 2021 including a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro, and a 16-inch MacBook Pro, saying…

“The trend for Apple’s development and promotion of mini LED are more identifiable in five years. We predict that Apple is currently developing six mini-LED-support products (vs. the previous report of only two products), including a 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, a 27-inch ‌iMac Pro‌ in 4Q20, a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro (upgraded from 13.3-inch), a 16-inch MacBook Pro, a 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌, and a 7.9-inch ‌iPad mini‌ in 2020.”

Mini-LED‌ will enable thinner and lighter products, offering many of the same benefits as OLED like better wide colour gamut, high contrast and dynamic range, and local dimming for truer blacks and superior contrast. However ‌Mini-LED‌ displays are expensive, so it's possible that they will only be available on the higher-end models.

Reliable leaker ‘Dylandkt’ announced that the new M1X MacBook Pro laptops would have a 1080p webcam.

“it’s good to note that the upcoming MacBook Pro will actually be getting an updated improved 1080p webcam for the next model and so will the entire Mac lineup.”

The MacBook Pro has had a 720p FaceTime HD camera for about a decade, but if correct then Apple’s high-end laptop might finally be getting a long-overdue update. Presumably, this will be the same hardware that is now in the latest 24-inch iMac with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera with an M1 image signal processor.

Less than reliable leaker Luke Miani has shared that the SD slot in the new M1X MacBook Pro laptops will have UHS-II support.

UHS-II offers a notable boost in speeds, reaching as high as 312mb/s, compared to 100mb/s with traditional SD card slots. The design is backwards compatible so that you can use UHS-I cards as well and a variety of companies have already released powerful UHS-II SD cards, including SanDisk and others.

The Delay

Then there were reports that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops were going to be delayed.

It started with a tweet from the cryptic but often reliable leaker l0vetodream who in reply to a query seemed to be ruling out an announcement at WWDC 2021, which read, according to Google Translate, “I say no”, which proved to be correct.

In a follow-up tweet, the leaker said “I feel that 14 inches and 16 inches should not be so fast”.

In reports from the supply chain including Nikkei Asia and DigiTimes claimed that mass production of new MacBook Pro models would not begin until the second half of 2021 or even late 2021, with Nikkei Asia reported as far back as March 2021, that the production had been pushed back…

“Apple has rescheduled plans to begin mass producing two new MacBook laptops in the second half of the year, from the previous schedule of May or June, Nikkei has learned. The two MacBooks will be powered by the Apple Silicon processor as part of a two-year transition away from longtime supplier Intel's microprocessors.”

More recently, DigiTimes reported that…

“Apple plans to release two miniLED-backlit MacBook Pro products - a 14-inch and a 16-inch - in the second half of 2021, noted the sources. Judging from the supply of miniLED backlighting applications, volume production of the 14-inch MacBook Pro is likely to begin in the fourth quarter of 2021, and the 16-inch model will start in the first quarter of 2022, said the sources.”

Next, DigiTimes reported the supply chain was gearing up shipments for new MacBook Pro models reporting…

“Apple is expected to roll out two new MacBook Pro models later in 2021, with shipments slated to kick off in the third quarter, according to industry sources. The sources revealed that Apple originally planned to mass-produce the two notebooks in the second quarter, but has pushed the schedule back due to the weaker-than-expected yield rates for miniLED modules.”

There you have it. It looks like we will have pro-audio friendly Apple Silicon powered Apple laptops by the end of November this year.

In Conclusion

What do you think? Are they worth waiting for? Will they tempt you to make the jump to Apple Silicon for your studio computer? Or maybe for your secondary ‘on-the-road’ computer?

Do share your thoughts in the comments below.