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Digitimes: mini-LED 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro set to launch late in the third quarter

Digitimes today reported that Apple is bringing on suppliers ready for the production ramp of the highly-anticipated 2021 MacBook Pro lineup. The report says new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are currently scheduled to launch late in the third quarter of 2021, which presumably means September.

The laptops will feature mini-LED panels, similar to the screen technology seen in the 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Whereas traditional LCD panels use a single large backlight, mini-LED screens features thousands of independent dimming zones allowing for super high peak brightness whilst delivering contrast levels similar to OLED displays.

Apple’s upcoming MacBook Pro machines are expected to be new in almost every way. The computers will feature Apple’s next-generation of Apple Silicon chip. The M1 excelled at consumer performance and the upcoming chip (colloquially referred to as ‘M1X’) will be aimed at leading the market in prosumer/professional workloads as well.

Bloomberg previously reported that the MacBook Pro chip will feature a ten-core CPU design, and up to 32 GPU cores. The laptops will be configurable with up to 64 GB RAM. Other restrictions about the M1 architecture, such as support for only one external display and a maximum of two Thunderbolt 3 ports, are also expected to be lifted.

We also expect to see a new industrial design, with the laptop chassis sharing design cues from Apple’s recent iPad, iPhone and iMac designs featuring flatter sides. The laptops are also expected to include dedicated I/O ports for HDMI and an SD card reader, as well as see the return of a MagSafe power connector.

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.


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