New MacBook Pro launch soon: Specs, features, M1X SoC, and all that we know so far

Apple recently showcased the new iPhone 13, iPad, iPad mini, and the Apple Watch Series 7 during the "California Streaming" event. But that's not the only hardware rumoured for launch later this year. Leaks suggest that Apple plans to launch a few more products, including the new MacBook Pro, soon.

Another report revealed that the laptop would be available "in the next several weeks". The report mentions that the new MacBook Pro will be offered in 14-inch and 16-inch variants. These laptops will feature a high-end M1 chipset allegedly called M1X, mini LED displays and mag safe charging.

The upcoming MacBook Pro is also expected to get a design refresh with slimmer bezels and a more squared look. Surprisingly, Apple will be removing the iconic touch-bar to make space for physical keys. While that was a brief description of the next-gen MacBook Pro, we have more details to share with you, so let's get started.

New MacBook Pro: specs, features and upgrades

--Apple launched the M1 powered MacBooks in November last year, and it seems like the brand will stick to the same launch timeline for the new MacBook Pro. In a recent newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the new MacBook Pro's could "hit shelves in the next several weeks". Meaning we could see the new MacBook Pro in October or November.

--The same report suggests that the upcoming MacBook Pro will ship in 14-inch and 16-inch configurations. It will be powered by a more M1 chipset which is allegedly called "M1X". Further, it informs that the laptop will come with a mini LED display and mag safe charging.

New MacBook Pro concept render, Photo- AntonioDeRosa

--The new MacBook Pro is tipped to get a design refresh with squared-off edges and minimal display bezels. However, the most important change will be the removal of the touch bar. The touch bar that has been part of the MacBook Pro since 2016 would be replaced by physical keys, popular analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims.

--Apart from this, the new MacBook Pro is hinted to bring multiple port options, including microSD, HDMI and a few thunderbolts. It may also get MagSafe charging and a 1080p webcam. Leaker "Dylandkt" adds more weight to the rumour claiming that both the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 will get upgraded 1080p webcams alongside the entire Mac lineup.

--We have also seen multiple reports about the inclusion of a Mini LED display. The displays are supposedly in mass production now. So we can expect to see the new MacBook Pro with a Mini LED display. If the rumour is true, this will be the first MacBook with a mini LED display.

--A previous report from Bloomberg revealed that Apple is planning two different chips for the MacBook Pros. These chipsets codenamed Jade C-Chop, and Jade C-Die will include eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores. Additionally, these chipsets will be offered in either 16 or 32 graphics core variations. In comparison, the current M1 chipset has four high-performance cores, four energy-efficient cores and eight graphics cores.

New MacBook Pro port options

--There's a lot of confusion about the chipset name. While some believe it will be called M2, others hint towards M1X. Twitter leaker Dylan says that the M1X branding is correct. He further describes the chipset as an extension of M1 with more CPU and GPU cores. The leaker was accurate with the predictions about the M1 iMac, so there may be something to the claim.

--The upcoming MacBook Pro may get up to 64GB RAM. In contrast, the RAM capacity on M1 Macs is capped at 16GB. It is also said to bring an improved neural engine that will be capable of processing complex machine-learning tasks.

--Apple might borrow the improved heat dissipation system from the current 16-inch MacBook Pro model to cool these powerful chipsets. The thermal system of the 16-inch MacBook Pro was improved by increasing the size of the heat pipe, adding thermal pads, and increasing the size of the heat sink by 35 per cent. So, it's possible that Apple will use the same thermal system on the new MacBook Pro.

--While the 13 inch MacBook Pro was an entry-level product, the upcoming model is likely to be a high-end laptop with top of the line hardware. The laptop will target consumers looking for maximum productivity out of their devices.

New MacBook Pro India launch

Mark Gurman said that the new MacBook Pro could launch in the next several weeks in his recent newsletter. Previous leaks have also suggested a launch in October or November. The suggested launch timeline is almost the same as last year. So it's possible that we may see the new MacBook Pro in the last week of October or early November.

New MacBook Pro India price (expected)

Currently, there's no information about the pricing of the new MacBook Pro. However, we may see a price bump on the upcoming models considering the expected changes. The base model of the current-gen 13-inch MacBook Pro sells for Rs 1,99,900. So the new MacBook Pro could be available at a starting price of Rs 2,19,900.