Apple’s next-generation MacBook Pro models, which are expected to be the first Mac units with mini-LED displays, have entered mass production ahead of their official debut, according to a new report.
The new 14- and 16-inch machines, which could also ship with revamped designs and even faster Apple Silicon chips, are scheduled to arrive before the end of the year.
The MacBook Pro was one of the first Mac models to get a custom Apple M1 chip. But aside from the processor change, the device remains largely the same as its predecessor, with the same external design and the same display.
But for the next MacBook Pro refresh, Apple has much bigger plans, recent reports have claimed. And it may not be long before they all become official.
New MacBook Pro enters mass production
Digitimes reports that the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models have now entered mass production ahead of their release. It is believed Apple intends to manufacture as many as 800,000 units a month by late November.
The report, which cites unnamed “sources from the upstream supply chain,” lines up with earlier claims regarding Apple’s next-generation MacBook Pro lineup, which is widely expected to launch before the end of 2021.
Apple has already begun filing for the products with regulatory bodies. Two new MacBook Pro models were last week spotted in the Eurasian Economic Commission (ECC) database, alongside new Apple Watch variants.
Although an earlier Digitimes report suggested the new machines will launch alongside “iPhone 13” in September. It seems more likely Apple will give them their own event later in the fall.
Mini-LED displays and more
The new MacBook Pro lineup is expected to bring the Mac’s first mini-LED displays, as well as refreshed designs and faster Apple Silicon processors. They could also bring back the SD card reader and HDMI port.
We don’t expect this refresh to bring Face ID to the MacBook Pro, though that is a feature that’s expected to come to Mac later on.
