M1X MacBook Pro Launch Still On Track For 2021, According To Analyst

Apple's September event focused entirely on its mobile family, both iPhones and iPads, but not all of its customers are in the market for a new portable device. These are probably still waiting for the new MacBook Pros to land after having been rumored all throughout the year. That's still happening and probably in a few weeks even, and it will come with a new Apple M1X Silicon that could further widen its lead over equivalent Intel chips on MacBooks.

When Apple finally launched the first generation of M1-powered Macs last year, there have been even greater expectations on what the company would do next. For the past months, the 2021 MacBook Pro has been making rounds in the rumor mill, mostly covering a much-anticipated redesign. It turns out that the 14-inch and 16-inch sizes are just the tip of the iceberg for this year's MBPs.

According to famed Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, the new MacBook Pros are just around the corner, probably launching in just a few weeks. He elaborates that Apple often holds its separate Mac-centric event in October, giving hope that there won't be further delays. The latter is especially concerning these days due to delays caused by the global semiconductor shortage.

Gurman also sheds some light on the upcoming Apple M1X chip, noting that it will be a 10-core system-on-chip (SoC) with eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores, a significant step up from the octa-core Apple M1. There will also be two variants of this chip based on graphics capabilities, with 16 or 32 graphics cores to be offered to buyers.

Other expected changes to the 2021 MacBook Pro include the return of an HDMI port and the removal of the controversial Touch Bar. There have also been rumors of support for 64GB of RAM, but Apple might be taking that down a notch and limiting the maximum RAM to 32GB only. Either way, it will still be an exciting announcement for Mac fans who will finally get their turn this Fall.