The second wave of MacBooks with the just-announced Apple M1 processor will have an “all-new form factor,” according to a trusted analyst. And there’ll supposedly be a new size option.
That’s likely to please anyone who was disappointed that the first M1-based MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are nearly indistinguishable from their predecessors.
To be clear, this isn’t new information. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted months ago there would be “new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models equipped with the Apple Silicon and all-new form factor design in late 2Q21 or 3Q21.”
But the prediction of Apple’s 2021 plans takes on extra authenticity because Kuo also said months ago that a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with an Apple processor would debut in the fourth quarter of 2020. At the same time, the analyst revealed there’d be a MacBook Air with Apple Silicon in the fourth quarter of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021. Both of those were unveiled Tuesday, right on Kuo’s schedule.
Plus, other leakers have pointed to a 14-inch MacBook Pro in 2021.
Looking ahead to redesigned M1 MacBook models
Kuo wasn’t able to say more about what the “all-new form factor” will entail, but some of it is obvious. Apple doesn’t currently make a 14-inch MacBook Pro, so the current 13.3-inch model is supposedly going to grow a bit. But perhaps only the display will expand.
Apple’s current 13.3-inch MacBook Pro has relatively wide screen bezels. If these shrank, Apple could fit in a larger display without enlarging the chassis very much. This happened before — the 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2019 is only slightly larger than the earlier 15-inch model because of smaller screen bezels.
It’s not clear what Apple’s design plans might be for the first 16-inch macOS laptop with an M1 processor. Adding Face ID is a real possibility, though.
Other M1 Mac plans
All the design work isn’t going into MacBooks. Apple is redesigning the iMac, too, according to a recent report from Bloomberg.
The Mac Pro desktop is allegedly getting a face-lift as well. This could result in a unit that’s half the size of the current model.
