MacBook Pro 2021 reportedly enters mass production — and it could be this big

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Apple said to be prepping 800,000 MacBook Pro units for launch this fall

MacBook Pro 2021 may have entered mass production
(Image credit: Intel)

It looks like a MacBook Pro 2021 announcement could be coming this fall, as a new report from DigiTimes  claims that mass production of the new laptop is underway. 

Citing supply chain sources, DigiTimes reports that come November, Apple could ship up to 800,000 new MacBook Pro models, in both the reportedly new 14-inch size and redesigned MacBoook Pro 2021 16-inch variants. If legitimate, this tip would suggest a big MacBook Pro launch will be some time between September and November.  

The report doesn't spill many more details about the upcoming MacBook Pros. But there have been plenty of rumors and tidbits that have given us a fairly good idea of what to expect from the new models. 

We’re expecting to see the new MacBook Pro 2021 sport a new design, notably with the 14-inch model fitting a larger display into a 13-inch chassis and effectively replacing the current MacBook Pro 13. And that display is tipped to use a mini-LED panel, just like the one in the 12-inch iPad Pro 2021, to deliver improved brightness contrast and colors. We’re also expecting the next 16-inch MacBook Pro to go the mini-LED route. 

More ports are also expected with the return of the SD card reader and HDMI port. And we could see a new form of MagSafe charging on the MacBook Pro 2021. Apple is also tipped to make things interesting in terms of power. 

The new MacBook Pros are expected to use the M1X chip. This slice of silicon will be reportedly be a more powerful take on the Apple M1 chip found in the current MacBook Pro M1 with up to 10 CPU cores and 16 cores for the GPU; that would be a hefty boost on the octa-core CPU and eight-core GPU of the M1 chip. 

More power, a better display, more ports and a redesign could boost the appeal of Apple’s pro laptops even further, making them new contenders for our best laptops list. 

We’re expecting to see the iPhone 13 make its debut in September, potentially alongside the Apple Watch 7 and iPad mini 6, so we’d expect the next-gen MacBook Pros to get their own launch event, potentially in October. Stay tuned to Tom’s Guide for more as we hear it. 

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Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.