Two New MacBook Pros Are in the Works

An upcoming supply-chain report from DigiTimes claims that supplier Global Lighting Technologies is set to ship the first batch of mini-LED display backlight components for next-generation MacBook Pros in the third quarter of 2021.

Not much else was know at post time because DigiTimes only shared a short preview ahead of the full, paywalled report. DigiTimes is a Taiwanese trade publication with a mixed track record in reporting Apple’s moves. It usually publishes accurate tidbits of information sourced from Apple’s vast network of suppliers, but its timeframes could be more reliable.

If the new mini-LED iPad Pro is anything to go by, then those upcoming MacBook Pros should file as the first Apple notebooks capable of rendering true HDR video.

Mini-Led vs. LED: Which Is Better?

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro features over 10,000 LEDs spread across the entire back of the display. This mini-LED array is capable of delivering 1000 nits of full-screen brightness and a whopping 1600 nits of peak brightness with a one million-to-1 contrast ratio. The technology yields a display performance that’s closest to OLED in terms of screen brightness and contrast although OLED continues to rule in terms of deep blacks.

Despite Apple’s recent M1-powered consumer Mac notebooks, demanding customers have been waiting for an Apple silicon refresh to the high-end MacBook Pro lineup.

The 2021 MacBook Pro Features

But worry not, Apple fans, as Apple silicon-based MacBook Pros are just around the corner.

Provided rumors are correct, Apple could take a major step forward with these MacBook Pros in 2021. Just like we saw with other recently updated Mac systems, taking advantage of Apple silicon will result in fewer components and thinner notebook enclosures.

More important than the looks and speed gains, however, those upcoming machines should bring back the missing features such as an SD card slot, an HDMI port, magnetic charging, and additional Thunderbolt 4 ports. There might also be a new keyboard.

As for that ill-fated Touch Bar, it should be supplanted by a row of physical function keys along with a Touch ID button like on the M1 Macs.

When Are These New MacBooks Arriving?

Reliable sources like revered Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have said that 2021 would bring us a new 14-inch MacBook Pro model alongside a refresh to the current 16-incher. So, there appear to be some mini-LED Mac notebooks in the cards. But when might they launch?

Apple’s release schedule for notebooks has never been set in stone like the launch timeframes for the iPhones and iPad—the exception being the MacBook Pro lineup which would typically get updated in October. Assuming DigiTimes is correct, Apple fans should see a pair of redesigned, re-engineered MacBook Pro notebooks dropping in the fall.

Apple in the summer of 2019 announced a major switch from Intel’s chips to its own silicon for the Mac computers. The transition from Intel chips to Apple silicon would take approximately two years to complete, the company said at the time.

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