Apple is planning to launch its new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by the upgraded M1X chip later this fall, according to a report that comes just ahead of the company's September 14 event. The Cupertino giant may consider this week's launch event only for the new iPhone models and new Apple Watch. These are rumored to be the iPhone 13 series as well as the Apple Watch Series 7. However, a separate event is likely to be hosted sometime in October where we could see Apple launching its new M1X MacBook Pro models.
Apple MacBook Pro M1X Chip
According to 9to5Mac, in the second quarter of 2018, Apple started developing a new model chip called M1X for the next generation MacBook Pro. The M1X chip would replace the Kaby Lake-U processor as found in the previous generation 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models. This replacement has also been confirmed by a teardown report released last month that analyzed the chips in the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The Kaby Lake-U processor includes a new 8th gen Intel Iris Plus 640 graphics unit, Bluetooth 5.0, and dual Thunderbolt 3 ports. According to 9to5Mac, it is also possible that Apple could launch a variant of the M1X chip with the seventh-gen Kaby Lake processors which includes a 6-core Intel Core i5-8250U, a six-core Intel Core i7-8550U, and an eight-core Intel Core i9-8950HK processor.
What to Expect in the Next Few Weeks
The new MacBook Pro models that may be launched with the upgraded M1X chip are said to come in 15-inch and 17-inch models, according to MacRumors. Some of the notable upgrades that these MacBook Pro models will pack include Radeon Vega graphics. The Radeon Vega graphics on these Macs are said to be similar to that of the new MacBook Pro models being launched by Apple's arch rival in the notebook industry, Microsoft. Apple, however, has not revealed any details yet as to what the updates include. Interestingly, the Radeon Vega graphics in the new MacBook Pro models are said to support AMD's FreeSync technology, which the tech giant has yet to introduce on its PC range, including the MacBook Pro.
Price and Specifications
The Apple MacBook Pro M1X is believed to be powered by the 7th Gen Intel Core processor. The current generation MacBook Pro series is powered by the 6th Gen Intel Core processors, which is much outdated when it comes to performance. Also, according to a post on Reddit, the new chips will reportedly provide users with faster boot and instant login times as well as 60% faster graphics than the current generation MacBook Pro models. The new MacBook Pro is also expected to offer twice the amount of RAM compared to its predecessor, making it capable of handling demanding apps. As it is expected to be the Apple's cheapest MacBook Pro models, the new lineup is likely to be targeted at a wider audience than its current generation models.
Conclusion
It is quite clear that the M1X chip is making rounds in the rumor mills because Apple may need the improved CPU for the refreshed MacBook Pro models. The major reason why Apple had not updated the MacBook Pro lineup for the last two years was because it did not want to compromise on the MacBook Pro's performance. However, the improved CPU should help Apple enhance the performance of its MacBook Pro lineup without compromising on the overall performance. Since the MacBook Pro will probably not be a part of the Apple event, we should not expect the launch of the next generation iPad Pro model or any other new tablets. The rumor mill does not hold much hope for the launch of the three new iPhones either. However, a larger display variant of the iPhone X could launch later in the month.
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