A leaker claims the new MacBook Pro will be unveiled next week during the main WWDC 2021 keynote. It’s rare but not unusual to see hardware announcements during Apple’s developer conference. Unveiling the new MacBook Pro makes sense for several reasons. First of all, the 2021 upgrade is already a highly anticipated one, as Apple reportedly planned a massive redesign for the year. Secondly, many professionals use MacBook Pros for work, including developers that attend shows like WWDC.
Even if the new MacBook Pro models are unveiled next Monday, the laptops might take their time to reach stores. A new report from Asia says one of the key components for the 2021 MacBook Pros will start shipping only in the third quarter of the year. If the data is accurate, this indicates the new MacBook Pros will launch much later this year.
Several MacBook Pro rumors have painted the same picture so far. Apple is expected to launch redesigned laptops this year, which might borrow design elements from the new iMac and the iPad Pro.
More interesting than the chassis redesign is the rumor that says the ports are coming back to the MacBook Pros. Joining USB-C Thunderbolt connectors are HDMI and SD card ports, according to these rumors. MagSafe charging will also return to the MacBooks, one of the MacBook features long-time users might miss most. The keyboard might get a notable change as well, with the Touch Bar display about to be replaced by a standard row of keys.
The high-end MacBook Pros will feature 14-inch and 16-inch displays, with the former replacing the 13.3-inch size. The new displays are supposed to be of the mini-LED variety, just like the brand new 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Mini-LED screens will bring over a better image quality than the previous LED screens, including better blacks, better brightness, and improved contrast ratio.
Finally, the high-end 2021 MacBook Pros will feature an improved M-series processor that should be faster than the M1 powering the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, Air, Mac mini, and iMac.
It’s the mini-LED screens that will only ship next quarter, according to a Digitimes report (via 9to5Mac). The report doesn’t offer a precise timeframe, and the third quarter could mean anything from July through September 2021. That’s assuming Digitimes has access to accurate information about the mini-LED supply for Apple devices.
Some of the previous MacBook Pro rumors claimed that Apple might only launch the new laptops in late 2021, so this wouldn’t be the first time a report insinuates the highly anticipated MacBook Pro upgrade isn’t set to launch soon. On the other hand, Bloomberg said recently the new Pros might drop this summer.
Even if the actual retail launch will be delayed, the new MacBook Pro might still be warranted a WWDC introduction. If Apple does unveil the new notebooks next week, it’ll probably tell us exactly when the new computers will be available for preorder.
