Apple is hosting its second hardware event of the fall on Monday, October 18th at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET. “Unleashed” is the official title of the event, which many believe is a reference to Apple’s latest custom chip. It was around this time last year that Apple pulled back the curtain on the M1 chip. M1 is an ARM-based system on a chip and the first designed by Apple for Mac computers. Today, we expect to see the next generation of the chip and some of the products it will power.
Rumors suggest that the MacBook Pro will headline Apple’s big October event. Apple will reportedly announce two new MacBook Pro models with 14-inch and 16-inch displays. Both models are expected to feature mini-LED displays, similar to the latest iPad Pro. MacRumors recently discovered two display resolutions of “3456 x 2234 Retina” and “3024 x 1964 Retina” in a macOS Monterey beta, potentially spoiling the specs of the upcoming MacBook models.
Other rumored changes include a new MagSafe charger and the removal of the controversial Touch Bar. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has also tested versions of its new laptops with SD card slots and HDMI ports. Apple has removed many formerly standard ports from the MacBook line in recent years, but they might be making a long-awaited comeback this fall.
Of course, the most notable change will be the chip (or chips) powering the laptops. Gurman claims that Apple will debut a pair of new MacBook Pro chips on Monday. Both chips will have 10 CPU cores: 8 high-performance and 2 energy-efficient. When it comes to the graphics, one chip will have 16 GPU cores while the other will have 32. As Gurman notes, the current M1 chip has just 8 CPU cores and 8 GPU cores. The new chips may also have up to 64GB of RAM vs. 16GB on the M1.
At this point, the biggest mystery surrounding these new chips might be their names. Initially, all the rumors pointed to M1X as the name for the successor to the M1. But now we know that there are two chips. Gurman offers “M1X” and “M1Z” as potential options. Meanwhile, a developer claims to have seen logs that refer to the chips as “M1 Pro” and “M1 Max,” so we have no idea.
In all likelihood, the new MacBook Pro models won’t be the only products Apple reveals today. We also expect to see a new Mac mini with one of the upgraded chips. There’s also a chance that Apple will announce the third-generation AirPods, and we would be shocked if the release date for macOS Monterey wasn’t confirmed. Tune in below at 1 PM ET to find out:
