Apple's new MacBook Pro lineup could be the first to feature a notch

[nanoguy]

In context: Apple will hold its “Unleashed” fall event on Monday, where the company is expected to unveil new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered by the successor to the M1 chipset, AirPods 3, and more. There have been a slew of last-minute rumors popping up online, some of which confirm earlier leaks and rumors, and others that could be quite polarizing for Apple fans if they turn out to be true.

The new MacBook Pro lineup is said to be powered by the “M1X” chipset, which will come in two variants that will differ in terms of their GPU specs. The 14-inch MacBook Pro will supposedly ship with a 16-core GPU while its bigger sibling will get an “M1Z” chipset that integrates a 32-core GPU.

Otherwise, both chipsets will integrate a 10-core CPU with eight performance cores and two energy-efficient cores. RAM amount is less clear, but Apple reportedly tested M1X chipsets with as much as 64 gigabytes of memory. As for performance, the leaked benchmarks so far paint a positive picture, but it's possible that most of the gains over the M1 will be in the graphics department.

Potential buyers may also be tempted by higher-resolution Mini LED screens on both models, not to mention the return of the MagSafe charging connector as well as the HDMI port and SD card slot. At the same time, these new models might lose the Touch Bar.

Image source: Weibo

Perhaps the most intriguing rumor came in over the weekend — the new MacBook Pro lineup might feature displays with a notch at the top. The company may obscure the change in marketing materials with wallpapers, which is the same trick the company used when introducing the first iPhone with a brow, the iPhone X. However, this new notch won’t house Face ID hardware. Instead, it will just allow Apple to reduce the bezels and thus the size of the chassis for the two MacBook Pros.

That last rumor should be taken with a heavier grain of salt than all the others. Still, it was able to stir some negative reactions already, with some pointing out that a notch will require developers to account for it in their apps and most people thinking it’s yet another design change from the “form over function” category.

Either way, we’ll find out what Apple has in store for MacBook Pro fans later today, so stay tuned for coverage of the “Unleashed” event, which you can watch here.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91792-apple-new-macbook-pro-lineup-could-first-feature.html

 

[Dimitriid]

Oddly enough, given the size needed for the notch vs the screen size of a laptop I wouldn't mind it nearly as much as I do on the phone side: If they go for that Dell XPS look I'd be all for it even with a bit of a notch.

 

[m4a4]

I hope not. It's not a tiny form factor with limited space. No need to skimp on the screen bezel for an ugly notch.

 

[Carmaine]

Guys. The event is in 2 hours. Not 2 weeks. Y'all couldn't just wait?

XD

 

[VitalyT]

I've just checked the prices for the new 16"...

So they dumped Intel's chip for their own CPU that costs them nothing. They dumped third-party GPU-s, for their own M1 graphics, which again costs them nothing. They now make cheaper SSD-s.

And guess what, the start price for 16" in Europe is 3,850 euro, HFS. I imagine it costs them probably about $200 to make one, at most.

 

[Lew Zealand]

I've just checked the prices for the new 16"...

So they dumped Intel's chip for their own CPU that costs them nothing. They dumped third-party GPU-s, for their own M1 graphics, which again costs them nothing. They now make cheaper SSD-s.

And guess what, the start price for 16" in Europe is 3,850 euro, HFS. I imagine it costs them probably about $200 to make one, at most.

While that Apple price is hideous, please show me where you get this for $200:

5nm 10-core CPU
1TB SSD
32GB memory ("200GB/sec" whatever that means)
2200p HiDPI display

Because even at $400 that would be a 50% margin, which is above Apple's average margins. I'm looking for this machine and I'll even go as high as $500!