Many Apple watchers expect the MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021 to arrive later this year — possibly as soon as next month's Worldwide Developer Conference. So anticipation about the new MacBook Pro is swirling.
The rumored Apple laptop would be the first 16-inch MacBook Pro to debut with the company's custom silicon, which has already delivered significant performance improvements in the MacBook Air with M1 and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1.
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Rumors suggest the new 16-inch MacBook Pro will come with an improved M1 chip currently known as M1X, and now concept designer Antonio de Rosa has mocked up some compelling renders based on leaks and rumors that paint a stunning portrait of what a new M1X-powered 16-inch MacBook Pro might look like.
We won't know for sure what a new 16-inch MacBook Pro will look like until we see it for ourselves, but based on recent MacBook Pro leaks it's likely that the laptop will include an upgraded M1X chip, a 1080p webcam, an SD card port, and an HDMI port, as well as several Thunderbolt ports. If true these would be welcome accoutrements on the 16-inch MacBook Pro's lengthy chassis, and sure enough they're modeled in these new renders.
Rumors also suggest that the new 16-inch MacBook Pro will be redesigned in a way that slims the bezels around the screen and flattens the edges of the chassis, a la the new iPad Pro. The laptop may also sport a powerful mini-LED display like the one which debuted in this year's 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which could be a big deal since mini-LED displays are capable of achieving better contrast ratios and brightness levels than standard LED displays.
The rumored redesign is also expected to eliminate the controversial Touch Bar from the 16-inch MacBook Pro, replacing it with a row of function keys. If true, this would be a welcome change since, as we pointed out in our 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 review, the Touch Bar's dynamic shortcuts — while occasionally useful — mostly just get in the way.
You can view the full gallery of renders over on Antonio de Rosa's website, where he's also taken the liberty of mocking up some potential ad copy for the 16-inch MacBook Pro based on the torrent of leaks and rumors currently circulating through the industry.
Even with the speculation that Apple could show off the new laptop during the June 7 WWDC keynote, we may have to wait at least a few weeks to see if any of these rumors pan out. Some reports suggest the 16-inch MacBook Pro's 2021 debut will be pushed back to later this year due to component supply chain issues and COVID-19 delays.
