Apple MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 enter mass production with M1X SoCs and mini LED displays
The launch date of Apple's next-generation MacBook Pros remains unknown, but they are inching towards market. Supposedly, Apple plans to announce 14-inch and 16-inch models between September and November, following the pattern of previous MacBook Pro releases. The pair's release date could be sooner rather later though, having reputedly been delayed from an initial summer 2021 release.
Citing sources from Apple's supply chain, DigiTimes alleges that Apple has started mass-producing both models, with between 600,000 and 800,000 units manufactured per month. The website adds that Apple hopes to manufacture up to 5.18 million new models this quarter and 5.35 million in the next, thus producing over 10.5 million units from now until the end of December. For reference, these units are expected to account for upwards of 30% of Apple's total laptop sales in the second half of this year.
DigiTimes has not commented on when Apple will start selling its new MacBook Pro models, which recently surfaced on the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). However, both models are believed to feature mini LED displays, a technology that debuted on Apple hardware earlier this year with the latest iPad Pro 12.9. Apple is also expected to equip the pair with an M1X SoC, which could deliver up to twice the processor performance of the M1 and four times its GPU performance.
The changes from current MacBook Pros do not stop there, either. Leaked schematics have already shown that Apple has revamped the keyboard deck by removing the Touch Bar, while the return of an HDMI port and an SD card reader should make this year's models more versatile than their predecessors.
