TECHNOLOGY
When is Apple presenting the new MacBook?
The tech giant has announced its 'Unleashed' event will be held next week, with new models expected to be unveiled with a faster M1X processor and slimline shape.
Earlier this week Apple announced initial details of its upcoming event, christened Unleashed. Each year the tech giant holds one of its major product releases in fall and this year the special event will take place on Monday, 18 October at 10:00am (PT).
It will be held in the Steve Jobs Theater on the California Apple Park campus but will, once again, be a digital-only event.
Apple is expected to use the Unleashed event to release further details of the redesigned 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which have been teased extensively in recent months. Here’s what we know so far…
New MacBook Pro models may feature new M1X chip
The MacBook Pro brings together the sharpest mobile technology that Apple has at its disposal and boasts the latest computing developments. This time the big progression looks set to come in the form of the M1X chip that has been developed specifically for the new iterations.
The M1 chip was first introduced in November 2020 and has since been utilised in the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has claimed that the new M1X silicon chip will be considerably more powerful than its predecessor and feature a ten-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores.
Interestingly, reports suggest that both the expected 14- and 16-inch models of the new MacBook Pro will include the technology; in the past, the smaller-sized devices have had a more limited processing capability.
What else could be included in the new MacBook Pro?
Website MacRumors has reported several leaked images of the new MacBook Pro and there could be a number of aesthetic changes made to the new machine.
The bezels around the screen are expected to be considerably smaller, increasing the size of the display without losing any portability. The iconic Apple logo could well be removed from the bottom of the screen, illustrating how small those borders could now be.
The design is said to mimic the more streamlined design of the iPhone 13 with a flatter profile. However the OLED Touch Bar, one of the key developments which had been a major innovation on previous MacBook Pro devices appears to have been replaced, with full-sized physical function keys taken its place above the keyboard.
After 18 months of Zoom and Skype meetings, one development that could tempt new customers is a rumoured replacement of the 720p webcam from previous models. The new MacBook Pro is thought to include a 1080p webcam for improved picture quality during video calls.