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macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 beta includes references to 3 unreleased Macs ahead of Apple Silicon

Apple yesterday released the first developer beta of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, despite the fact that macOS 11 Big Sur is not yet available to the general public. The first beta Big Sur 11.0.1 focuses primarily on bug fixes and performance improvements, alongside new wallpapers, but there are also references to three unreleased Macs included in the update.

Within the /System/Library folder in macOS, Apple includes a variety of bundle files to identify different Mac models. For instance, there are files related to the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the 2020 27-inch iMac. In fact, these files were one of the early indications that a new 16-inch MacBook Pro was on its way back in 2019.

In the first beta of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, there are two brand new files here that reference two unreleased Macs. There is also another file that was present in the 10th beta of macOS 11 Big Sur, but it went unnoticed until now. The new files only present in macOS Big Sur are:

  • MacHardwareTypes-2020f.bundle
  • MacHardwareTypes-2020g.bundle
  • MacHardwareTypes-2020h.bundle

The new files were first highlighted by HarckerTech on Twitter.

For additional context, the MacHardwareTypes-2019f.bundle and MacHardwareTypes-2020d.bundle files represent the 16-inch MacBook Pro, while the MacHardwareTypes-2020a.bundle is for the 2020 MacBook Air, and the other files refer to the 2020 iMac and the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Unfortunately, we can’t discern any information about the specific new Macs that the newest files represent, but they add yet more fuel to the fire that new Apple Silicon Macs are coming as soon as sometime in November. Hypothetically, it could suggest that we can expect three new Macs, but it’s also possible that different bundle files all relate to the same model.

Currently, rumors indicate that Apple will hold a special event on November 17 to announce its new Apple Silicon Mac hardware. Apple recently registered a handful of new Macs with the Eurasian Economic Commission this month, which has proven to be a reliable indicator of Apple products that will soon be launched.

As we pointed out yesterday, it’s very likely that Apple is saving the public release of macOS Big Sur 11.0 until it has made the Apple Silicon announcements in an effort to prevent leaks. This is similar to what it did with iOS 14.1 and the iPhone 12 earlier this month.

Rumors are currently split on what to expect from the first Apple Silicon Mac. An earlier report suggested that one of the first ARM-powered Macs will be a revamped version of the 12-inch MacBook, but other reports have indicated that the first Apple Silicon Mac would be a 13-inch MacBook Pro or perhaps even a new 24-inch iMac.

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com