Well-connected Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Apple is readying redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch Apple Silicon-powered MacBook Pro models. Now, a Nikkei Asia report today appears to agree with that timeframe.
The Nikkei Asia mention of new MacBook Pro models appears in a report that focuses on Apple’s slashing of iPhone 12 orders from suppliers. The article mentions that mass production of two MacBook Pro models has been pushed back from May/June to the second half of the year.
Meanwhile, 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.
Kuo predicted in January that Apple will release two new MacBook Pro models with an “all-new design form factor” and numerous hardware changes in the third quarter of 2021.
Kuo told investors that he expects Apple to launch 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, both sporting a new “flat-edged” look following Apple’s modern design language.
The new MacBook Pro models are expected to return to using MagSafe for Mac, and will drop the less-than-popular OLED Touch Bar in favor of physical function buttons, says Kuo.
The new models will also feature a wider variety of ports in addition to the current USB-C ports. While Kuo did not share exact specifications about the ports but said that he believes most users will no longer need to tote around converter dongles.
Kuo also said Apple will move the new models to heat pipe thermal designs similar to the current 16-inch MacBook Pro, enabling more headroom for high-performance, high-heat chips.
Apple is expected to power both new models with its own homegrown Apple Silicon, leaving Intel out in the cold again.
(Via MacRumors)