Apple hosted its first major second-half press event in mid-September. This is of course the iPhone keynote, where Apple unveiled the iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7, iPad mini 6, and iPad 9. But Apple has a few other exciting products slated for 2021. Reports indicate AirPods 3 and M1X MacBook Pro series are on track for a 2021 launch. Insider familiar with Apple’s plans says Apple is coming this month, Apple is expected to host another event virtual press release in October.
M1X MacBook Pro is the name often associated with the redesigned MacBook Pro models that have appeared in various rumors throughout the year. Some of those reports indicated that Apple wanted to unveil new laptops during WWDC 2021 in mid-June. But that did not happen. Despite this, Apple briefly used an “M1X MacBook Pro” tag on YouTube at the time. The accidental tag seemed to confirm the new name for Apple’s upcoming M-series chip.
The M1X is the likely successor to the M1 System-on-Chip (SoC). The M1 powers the late 2020 MacBook Pro, Air, and Mac mini, the 2021 iMac, and the 2021 iPad Pro. The M1X will offer notable speed gains, including a massive upgrade for the GPU.
Why the MacBook Pro M1X is so exciting
Apple could still unveil the next-gen MacBook Pro via a press release, as has happened in the past. But the 2021 MacBook Pro models won’t just bring the M1X chip. Apple will deliver the first major overhaul of the MacBook Pro in years, according to reports.
The new laptops will feature a flat design and mini-LED displays, a first for the MacBook Pro. A larger 14-inch screen will replace the current 13.3-inch screen on the smaller model. The 14-inch screen will feature smaller bezels like the 16-inch version Apple launched a few years ago.
Both devices will have a few more ports in addition to USB-C connectivity, including HDMI and SD card. The return of the MagSafe charge is also noticeable. At least that’s what the rumors say.
Finally, the TouchBar screen is replaced by a traditional row of function keys.
The October Apple Event
If the rumors are correct, then the MacBook Pro M1X deserves its virtual press event. And Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter that the new laptop “is still expected to launch in the coming weeks.”
“Apple typically makes its major new Mac introductions in October,” Gurman added.
He added in the paid version of the newsletter (via MacRumors) some details on the specifications of the M1X SoC:
The Apple M1X chip, the likely name of a more graphics-oriented and professional M1 chip, is indeed still relevant for 2021. We’ll likely see it appear first in a new line of MacBook Pro next month and a Mac mini. high end at one point. The M1X has been developed in two variants: both with 10 CPU cores (eight high performance and two high performance) and 16 or 32 graphics cores.
As a reminder, the SoC M1 has an 8-core processor and a 7-core GPU (basic Air and iMac models) or 8-core (Air, Pro, mini, iMac and iPad Pro).
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