The new MacBook Pro is one of the most exciting unreleased Apple products of the year. The 2021 Pro variants will feature bigger displays, with Apple reportedly introducing the 14-inch screen option this year. Both devices will pack brand new mini-LED display tech, similar to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s screen. But the most exciting MacBook Pro rumor concerns the design. Various reports claimed earlier this year that Apple will introduce a brand new MacBook Pro design that will fix some of the issues with the current one. Apple will reportedly bring back MagSafe charging and some of the ports it removed on the last redesign. Finally, the 14-inch and 16-inch 2021 MacBook Pro will get a faster Apple M1X processor. As a result, the new MacBook Pro price might increase significantly, and a YouTuber thinks he knows where the new price will start.
A report last week hinted that the new MacBook Pro will be even more expensive than you might think. A leaker said that the cheapest 14-inch MacBook Pro will offer performance in line with the 16-inch MacBook Pro. He added fans should expect a notable increase for the 14-inch model over the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro currently selling in Apple stores.
As a reminder, the M1 MacBook Air starts at $999. The cheapest M1 Pro costs $1,299, while the most expensive model has a $1,499 price tag. Apple also sells an Intel-based 16-inch MacBook Pro starting at $2,399.
14-inch MacBook Pro price speculation
YouTuber Luke Miani wondered whether the 14-inch MacBook Pro might be too good to consider anything below it. The expectation is that Apple will continue to sell the 13-inch M1 Pro at the low-end, alongside the redesigned model. The YouTuber thinks that Apple might charge $1,799 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which might seem like a considerable price hike over the current entry model.
But the 14-inch MacBook Pro should deliver several significant upgrades over the 13-inch version. It’s not just the redesign, the larger mini-LED screen, and the M1X processor.
Miani speculates that the base 14-inch MacBook Pro will feature a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Apple will have a few other M1X variations for the 14-inch and 16-inch laptops. But it might not have as many chip options as during the Intel-only days. Users will have to choose between 16GB and 32GB of RAM and 16-core and 32-core GPUs. The CPU, GPU, and RAM will be built into the M1X System-on-Chio (SoC). The only other thing that would vary would be the onboard storage.
That said, the M1X specs are still a mystery. Apple has never confirmed the SoC, even though it mentioned the M1X by name on YouTube during its WWDC 2021 event. Older rumors claimed the MacBook Pro was supposed to be unveiled during that keynote.
The price point that Miani offers isn’t official either. It’s just an educated guess based on the most recent 2021 MacBook Pro rumors. The YouTuber didn’t provide a similar estimate for the 16-inch model. But it wouldn’t be surprising for Apple to price the 16-inch M1X in line with the Intel-based 16-inch version. Again, the Intel 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,399, offering buyers 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
Miani’s complete analysis follows.
