If you ever had a chance to use a MacBook, in any given capacity, you would be able to relate to this excitement. The new MacBook Pro is only a few weeks from being unveiled and I have quite a good lead over others when it comes to ascertaining the exact specs sheet.
The Current State
Despite being one of the more fulfilling laptops, the older 16-inch MacBook hasn’t been getting a lot of traction of late. The new line of smaller MacBook Pros and even MacBook Airs with the proprietary M1 chipset are currently hogging the limelight. For all that matters, the M1 chipset is still one of the better laptop-specific resources and already has had massive success, courtesy of the deliverance from the processing laggards.
All things fine but there is a tiny issue that needs to be addressed. As much as I adore the M1 variants, they are one of the more affordable lineups ever launched by Apple, often at the expense of top-notch processing performances.
Wait, are the performances bad? Not by a long shot. The Apple M1 laptops are fast, power-efficient, and good enough for most regular tasks. However, we all need some additional juice or rather machines on steroids to get through CAD-based tasks, 3D rendering, BIM designing, and more.
This is where the rumoured 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 comes into the scheme of things and you will shortly see why I have such high expectations from this processing behemoth.
What’s in the Pipeline?
The new, purported MacBook Pro is expected to get a new, Apple Silicon chipset. Nothing against the M1 SoC but the new variant is supposed to be performance-oriented and highly enterprising. Plus, the inclusion of the custom chipset is expected to ramp up the prices a bit.
In addition to the redesigned processor, you can even expect the new MacBook Pro to give most Windows laptops a run for their money, courtesy of the mini-LED technology. For those who aren’t aware of this concept, mini-LED will further the performance of Apple’s proprietary Retina Display technology.
Existing Models
The present line of MacBook Pro comes in two variants, with the more affordable one featuring an Intel Core i7 chipset, 512GB solid-state drive, 16GB RAM, and the professional-grade, Radeon Pro 5300M GPU. Looks similar?
Well, the specs sheet seems like a rip-off of the immediate predecessor but surely with some design and display-specific changes. However, the premium variant of the currently retailing MacBook is way more resourceful. Coming to the hardware, you get 8TB of SSD support, 64GB RAM, Radeon 5500M graphics, and an i9 processor.
New Design or something Better!
Yes, you can expect a lot more in terms of design-specific improvements. The new MacBook Pro, regardless of the variant you wish to purchase, is all set to bring in physical keys to get rid of the debatable Touch Bar.
- While I personally liked the Touch Bar, I still feel that the overall user experience would be much better if Apple gets rid of the fractional touch support to drive home a standard and conventional clamshell.
- The touch bar, however innovative, is still unnecessarily cumbersome and is better off as eliminated and replaced by physical keys.
If you are lucky enough, you might just get hold of some additional ports. However, it would be interesting to see how Apple manages to put together those extra orifices. At present, there are four TB 3 ports in play followed by a headphone jack. As per claims, the 2021-model will feature a microSD slot, Type-A input, and even an HDMI slot to offer comprehensive functionality, much like some of the other more sought-after Windows laptops.
I am also upbeat about the MagSafe charging support, which would eliminate the wired hassles and make refilling easier than ever. However, the form of implementation is still unclear. Overall, the new MacBook Pro isn’t going to showcase an out-of-the-ordinary overhaul when new and improved physical appearances are concerned. However, the nature of these minimalistic changes is expected to be subtle, nuanced, and highly functional.
What about the Display?
I am not belittling Apple’s existing LED display technology but it doesn’t match up to the exceptional OLED panels projected by high-end Windows laptops. In the quest of being brilliant in all aspects, the LED is expected to be replaced by the mini-LED technology.
While OLEDs are still quite good, the concept of mini-LED technology ensures that the picture and even moving visuals are projected in a far superior fashion, courtesy of the inclusion of several smaller light-emitting diodes for a more balanced experience. With Mini-LED, the MacBook Pro 16 plans on achieving better contrast and even black levels.
However, the surprises are still far from being exhausted as the mini-LED display is expected to feature only on the low-tier variants, and the premium unit i.e. might still bring in an OLED panel. But then, the OLED inclusion might be a speculative comment and you shouldn’t read way too much into it. At least, not yet!
Expected Performances
While the design and display-specific improvements are more than confirmed, there have been a lot of mixed reviews concerning processors. As per the current set of rumours and nearly confirmed speculations, I am looking at the M1X chipset or the M2 model, which is a 12-core processor, further segregated into 4 efficiency and 8 performance-specific cores.
The 16-core GPU is expected to make way, allowing professionals to get a sizable bite off the powerful hardware. If these expectations hold true, only 16GB RAM would be enough to showcase some of the best processing performances. But then, Apple will surely follow suit and launch models with 32GB and even 64GB of high-speed RAM.
Storage-wise, you can expect 512GB, 1TB, 4TB, and 8TB storage units. Finally, as far as the graphics support is concerned, the M1X integrated GPU is known to be more powerful than the discrete AMD variant, which in a way is even expected to amplify the power efficiency.
Bottom-Line
While I am not exactly sure of the release date, you might want to keep watching this space for an announcement, any time soon. However, if you are still reading along for a date, expect the new MacBook Pro 16 to arrive by September or even October, first week.
As far as the pricing is concerned, I shall keep you updated once I get a confirmed peek into the manufacturing standpoint and launch date. However, the inclusion of the proprietary chipset is expected to push the prices down considerably.
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