(Pocket-lint) - Last twelvemonth whitethorn person seen the landmark accomplishment of Apple Silicon connected the MacBook Pro range, but we're expecting arsenic large things from Apple successful 2021.
Since the M1 MacBook Pro models focused connected upgraded, in-house internals, it's apt that a plan refresh is connected the cards this clip astir - particularly since we were already treated to a colourful M1 iMac scope backmost successful March.
Early rumours bespeak determination volition beryllium some 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models to prime betwixt successful 2021, replacing the 13-inch instrumentality that was announced past November.
However, that mightiness not correspond the lone alteration to the lineup, with an adjacent lighter mentation of the MacBook Air besides hinted.
There's plentifulness much MacBook Pro 2021 features, specs and rumours to dive into, though, with an authoritative announcement expected aboriginal this year. So, let's interruption down what we cognize truthful far.
Apple
Release date
- Now owed precocious 2021
- Some rumours accidental Q4
We were expecting the 14-inch MacBook Pro to debut successful aboriginal 2020, but that exemplary ended up being an update to the existing 13-inch. Apple amazed galore by revealing an Apple M1-based MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini successful precocious 2020. It besides retained 2 Intel models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The 16-inch remains Intel-based astatine present.
We're expecting an Apple Silicon mentation of the 16-inch during 2021 - astir apt precocious successful the twelvemonth successful October oregon November. This could coincide with a redesign for some models.
Apple
Features, specs and design
- All Apple Silicon oregon could Intel inactive beryllium offered?
- Mini LED display
We'd expect immoderate 13 oregon 14-inch Pro to beryllium astir the aforesaid size and thickness arsenic the existent 13-inch model, but with smaller bezels. There should beryllium a larger battery, too, promising a afloat moving time of artillery beingness during mundane use, positive 4 Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports and a headphone jack.
We've heard rumours of galore Apple products launching with Mini LED displays, truthful we'd expect the MacBook Pro to beryllium successful enactment for these whenever the caller mentation launches. If the MacBook Pro gets these displays, we'd expect, arsenic we say, acold smaller bezels than presently offered.
It's imaginable that Apple volition inactive connection Intel options for the caller laptops, fixed what it has done truthful acold with the 13-inch. We besides judge determination volition astir apt beryllium an upgraded Apple Silicon chip, astir apt known arsenic M2 oregon M1X.
There are immoderate suggestions that much ports volition return, arsenic well. Specifically, determination whitethorn beryllium an SD paper slot, which would beryllium welcome. There whitethorn besides beryllium four, alternatively than 2 Thunderbolt ports connected the smaller MacBook Pro.
Some suggestions person said this port-fest whitethorn besides see HDMI, though we deliberation that precise unlikely. A batch of rumours person besides suggested that Apple is getting acceptable to dump the Touch Bar, which has been a mixed container astatine champion - and this is 1 rumour that has present been corroborated by manufacture analysts' sources.
We whitethorn already cognize the artillery details, aft 2 filings from Apple supplier Sunwoda Electronic. For the smaller - and, likely, 14-inch exemplary - the artillery for exemplary fig A2519 was rated astatine 6,068 mAh and 11.47V, which is somewhat higher than the 5,103 mAh standing of the existent 13-inch MacBook Pro.
It's besides worthy pointing retired that immoderate caller Mac volition besides present diagnostic the redesigned scissor-switch mechanics keyboard, dubbed the Magic Keyboard. It is an improvement, but it's not needfully caller tech, since it's based connected the Magic Keyboards that person travel with iMac for years.
MacBook Pro 2021 leaks and rumours: What's happened truthful far?
Here is everything we person heard truthful acold astir the caller 14-inch MacBook Pro.
23 July 2021: A MacBook Air with Mini LED surface is connected the way
A caller mentation of the MacBook Air is seemingly connected the way successful 2022 with akin Mini LED exertion to the newest 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This means that it's adjacent much apt we'll spot Mini LED travel to the MacBook Pro during 2021.
8 July 2021: MacBook Pro models to ditch Touch Bar, according to analysts
We had already heard rumours that Apple was considering dropping the Touch Bar from the 2021 MacBook Pro range, and penetration from manufacture analysts and their sources backmost up the claims made successful January.
As elaborate successful a report from DSCC, the steadfast notes however the Touch Bar is presently the third-largest idiosyncratic of OLED displays, with its sources indicating that Apple volition "cancel the Touch Bar" successful an upcoming MacBook Pro.
4 June 2021: MacBook Pro 14-inch artillery details from Apple supplier recovered successful filing database
As uncovered by MacRumors, filings made by Apple supplier Sunwoda Electronic possibly springiness america our champion hint yet that Apple is readying to merchandise a exemplary successful the 14-inch range.
While 1 filing alludes to a bigger model, the different is somewhat larger than the existent 13-inch MacBook Pro. If the filings are to beryllium believed, this indicates that thing with a somewhat bigger artillery illustration could beryllium connected the horizon.
19 March 2021: Could the MacBook Pro travel with a 16 halfway Apple M1X oregon M2 processor?
AppleLeaksPro states the 16-inch MacBook Pro volition person a 16 halfway processor. That seems utmost to us, but we person been truly amazed astatine what Apple managed to bash with the M1, truthful it's possible. Alternatively, 16 cores could besides notation to the graphics processor.
It's besides suggested the MacBook Air volition simply person its halfway number doubled from 4 cores successful the existent M1 to 8 cores successful the M1X oregon M2, immoderate it ends up being called. We've heard earlier that it would get thinner and lighter.
10 March 2021: Two caller Apple Silicon MacBooks coming 2nd fractional of the year, claims report
Nikkei Asia says accumulation connected 2 caller MacBooks is acceptable to commencement successful June. Note that's the opening of production, truthful they whitethorn not beryllium announced by that date. June is usually a cardinal period for Apple though, due to the fact that that's erstwhile it holds its WWDC developer conference.
23 February 2021: The MacBook Pro is getting an SD paper slot erstwhile more
Serial Apple rumour specializer and expert Ming-Chi Kuo has been astatine it again, this clip suggesting that the upcoming MacBook Pro bid volition person an SD paper scholar and HDMI port, too.
15 January 2021: No much Touch Bar?
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the caller MacBooks volition beryllium "similar to the iPhone 12 with nary curved edges but determination is simply a flimsy curve to the lid, truthful that whitethorn go. To beryllium honest, the current-gen Pro is akin to this anyway, truthful we're taking that with a pinch of salt. But what is much absorbing is that these models volition signify the extremity of the Touch Bar era, too, it seems with carnal keys returning.
8 January 2021: More Mini LED rumours
Late past twelvemonth the Mini LED rumours were centred around caller MacBook Pro models for 2021, and things person present moved connected to absorption connected immoderate of Apple's different large sellers, namely some the iPad Pro and Macbook Air.
6 January 2021: Apple envisions a aboriginal MacBook that tin wirelessly complaint an iPhone
The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple two caller patents for two-way wireless charging. The patents, archetypal noticed by Patently Apple, see drawings that amusement Apple envisioned a MacBook susceptible of charging an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
6 December 2020: Apple moving connected Mac CPUs that could outperform Intel successful 2021
Arm-based Apple Silicon chipsets moving 16 powerfulness cores and 4 efficiecy cores are claimed to beryllium successful development. They could marque their mode into caller Mac models by the extremity of adjacent year.
3 December 2020: Apple to merchandise 2 mini LED MacBook Pros successful 2021
Renowned manufacture expert Ming-Chi Kuo states that the Cupertino steadfast volition present 2 Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models with mini LED displays adjacent year, each coming with "new signifier factor" designs.
10 November 2020: Apple introduces the M1-based MacBook Pro
During a "One More Thing" virtual event, Apple announced a caller 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring its M1 Apple Silicon chip. In June, Apple revealed plans to statesman utilizing its ain customized processors successful Macs, and now, it's announcing those Macs and promising industry-leading show per watt. Apple said the M1 spot is the archetypal successful a household of Apple Silicon chips.
The 5-nanometer spot supports Thunderbolt and USB 4, has an eight-core CPU, and boasts the "world's fastest integrated graphics" with a 16-core Neural Engine that tin process 11 trillion operations per second.
3 November 2020 - Apple mightiness motorboat Arm-based MacBook Air and Pro laptops astatine adjacent event
Apple volition reportedly unveil caller Arm Macs soon and is besides making respective more, according to a caller report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
1 September 2020: A 12-inch Apple MacBook seems acceptable to beryllium the archetypal Apple Silicon Mac
The archetypal Apple Silicon Mac could be a 12-inch MacBook, a replacement for the ace lightweight MacBook that existed betwixt 2015-2019. We've thought that the archetypal Apple Silicon Mac would beryllium a thin-and-light laptop ever since Apple archetypal announced that Macs would gradually modulation distant from Intel.
27 July 2020: It looks similar Face ID volition travel to the Mac this year
After its 2017 debut connected the iPhone X. Face ID was long-rumoured to travel to the iPad which it did successful 2018 but inactive hasn't made it to the Mac. However, according to discoveries by 9to5 Mac successful the macOS Big Sur beta code, the caller operating strategy is susceptible of Face ID unlock.
9 July 2020: Apple Silicon Macs volition proceed to usage Thunderbolt, truthful determination volition beryllium an Intel constituent aft all
Apple has committed to utilizing Thunderbolt connected its Apple Silicon Macs, adjacent though it is pulling distant from Intel technologies elsewhere.
22 June 2020: macOS Big Sur is here
Apple has revealed the newest macOS, taking the wraps disconnected a caller ocular redesign for mentation 11.0 of the operating system. There's besides a assortment of caller features that are coming to its laptops and desktops positive the caller OS tin tally connected Intel oregon ARM platforms.
20 June 2020: Could the archetypal ARM-based Macs truly beryllium MacBook Pros?
Apple is moving immoderate of its Mac lineup to ARM-based Apple Silicon processors opening this year. Some rumours are pointing to the caller MacBook Pro being archetypal among these, but we're not truthful definite - we deliberation it'll beryllium acold much apt to beryllium successful the MacBook Air class.
4 May 2020: New MacBook Pro 13-inch official
Apple has announced a refresh of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the latest-generation scissor keyboard and 10th procreation Intel Core processors. Other enhancements see up to 16GB of faster 3,733MHz RAM arsenic modular and treble the storage. Standard retention ranges from 256GB to 1TB, but models tin present person up to 4TB of storage.
11 March 2020: 13-inch MacBook Pro refresh acceptable for the 2nd 4th of 2020
Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities says that a caller MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with the new/old scissor-design keyboard will debut successful precocious March with a motorboat acceptable for the 2nd 4th of 2020.
11 March 2020: Six caller devices with Apple Mini-LED displays successful 2020 and 2021
According to the latest rumours Apple will debut six caller products featuring Mini-LED show exertion implicit the coming months. Among these volition beryllium the 14.1-inch MacBook Pro and an upgrade to the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
13 January 2020: New MacBook Pro spotted successful regulatory filings
Shortly earlier Christmas, Apple submitted immoderate filings to the EC, and 1 of them is for an unreleased merchandise with the exemplary fig A2289.
The institution described it arsenic a “portable idiosyncratic computer” moving macOS 10.15. Add it each up, and it's apt a caller MacBook.
Writing by Dan Grabham. Originally published connected 25 June 2019.