Reports say that the new MacBook Pro models with Apple-designed silicon will arrive this fall. I can’t wait to see what Apple will do with large Mini LED displays paired with the blazing-fast M1 chips. While my 2019 Macbook Pro 16-inch is fast enough for most tasks, I’ve been spoiled by the incredible speed of my M1 iMac. I’ve also become a convert to the stunning Mini LED display on my iPad Pro 12.9 inch. Combining the processor of the iMac and the display of the iPad seems like it could result in the best personal computing experience to date.
Coming Soon?
Apple is notoriously coy about its release dates, so analysts and amateur detectives are left to sift through tea leaves to determine when the next big thing will arrive. But well-sourced Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said in his most recent newsletter that production problems with the new MacBook Pro models had been overcome. Gurman said that the new laptops would be available by the time the 16-inch MacBook Pro hits its two-year birthday of November 13, 2019. I’ll be saving my pennies for a mid-November release date. The Bloomberg report is bolstered by similar recent claims from the well-connected website Digitimes, which says that Apple suppliers have begun producing new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. Sources tell the site that there are plans to ship as many as 800,000 monthly laptops by the end of November. Even better, Gurman claims, the new MacBook Pro will get a speed boost over the current 13-inch MacBook Pro. He calls the new processor the M1X and says it will have eight high-performance CPU cores and two efficient CPU cores. There will be two flavors available; one with a 16-core GPU and another with 32 GPU cores.
A Worthy Upgrade?
I’ve been saving up for a new MacBook even though my current daily drivers aren’t exactly sluggish. Having more speed can only be a good thing, but it’s hard to believe there’s much use for the average user at the moment for a faster M1. My months using the iMac running the M1 chip have left me thoroughly impressed. Programs seem to launch nearly instantly, and every feature in the Mac operating system just works more smoothly. If the future upgrade turns out to be just a speed boost, I don’t plan to bite. My pre-M1 MacBook Pro works just fine for Chrome, Word, and a half dozen other programs all running simultaneously. I can live with my current level of speed, at least for now. The killer feature for me will be the rumored new Mini-LED display. I was late to the party with Mini-LEDs and initially thought they would be overkill for most scenarios. But when I started using the M1 iPad Pro 12.9 inch with its Mini-LED display, I realized I could never be happy with a standard display. The deep blacks and stunning colors on the Mini-LED screen of my iPad make my MacBook Pro look sickly and washed out. I’ve been trying to convince myself that there’s no need to have such a gorgeous display as a Mini-LED on a work machine, but it’s a losing battle the more I compare it to the iPad. So, if all goes according to the rumors, my itchy credit card finger will have to decide between clicking on the new 14-inch MacBook Pro or the 16-inch model. It’s a tough decision because both sizes have their advantages. While a 14-inch screen will be more portable, the bigger display will win out in my book as those extra inches mean more productivity. While Apple hasn’t announced any product launches yet, the fall is when the company throws open the doors to refreshes. I can’t wait to see what Apple will do with the new MacBook Pro models. My credit card is ready.
