MacBook Pro 2021 rumors: Release date, price, M1X and more
A more powerful Apple M1X (or M2) CPU?
This is pretty much a given. Apple’s M1 CPU has made it as far as the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, 24-inch iMac, Mac Mini and iPads, but thus far we haven’t seen any of Apple’s home-grown silicon in systems for power users. Multiple sources agree that there will be a new version of the CPU — and sources indicating that it’s already in production — for the larger MacBook (currently a 16-inch screen version), and possibly for upcoming new desktops.
There’ve also been rumors that there will be two variants of the new chip, both with 10 cores (eight high-performance and two energy efficient), but with different integrated graphics core configurations: 16 or 32. In contrast, the M1 has eight cores, split equally between performance and power saving, and either seven or eight graphics cores. Doubling or quadrupling the number of cores promises significantly better performance that, in combination with the tight integration with MacOS, could rival the performance of a discrete AMD GPU. And it’s unclear whether a discrete GPU remains an option.
Significant changes to the MacBook Pro line are rumored to include a new 14-inch size, more powerful M1X processor, mini LED screen and no Touch Bar.
This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple.
If you’ve been holding off on shelling out for a new MacBook Pro out of FOMO or indecision, this fall may hold the answers you’ve been waiting for. Just not yet. Apple’s big event today only offers a slim chance we’ll get information about the new models — though there may be clues buried in its presentation for the upcoming iPhone 13 and related devices.
It’s highly likely that the company will launch its MacBook Pros or other new Macs in a follow-up event in October, as it has tended to do. (Mark Gurman of Bloomberg corroborates this: “There will be two events,” according to a recent tweet of his.) And based on some reliable rumormongering, there might be some big changes, including a new higher-powered version of Apple’s M1 processor in all models, a new 14-inch MacBook Pro, new mini LED-based screens similar to that of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the return of much-missed connectors and the ditching of the not-much-loved Touch Bar.
A more powerful Apple M1X (or M2) CPU?
This is pretty much a given. Apple’s M1 CPU has made it as far as the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, 24-inch iMac, Mac Mini and iPads, but thus far we haven’t seen any of Apple’s home-grown silicon in systems for power users. Multiple sources agree that there will be a new version of the CPU — and sources indicating that it’s already in production — for the larger MacBook (currently a 16-inch screen version), and possibly for upcoming new desktops.
There’ve also been rumors that there will be two variants of the new chip, both with 10 cores (eight high-performance and two energy efficient), but with different integrated graphics core configurations: 16 or 32. In contrast, the M1 has eight cores, split equally between performance and power saving, and either seven or eight graphics cores. Doubling or quadrupling the number of cores promises significantly better performance that, in combination with the tight integration with MacOS, could rival the performance of a discrete AMD GPU. And it’s unclear whether a discrete GPU remains an option.