New 14-inch MacBook Pro with mini LED display on the way

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A new 14-inch MacBook Pro is said to be on the horizon from Apple with a cutting-edge mini LED screen

14-inch MacBook Pro
(Image credit: Apple)

If you haven’t heard of mini-LED displays, you will soon. A new report says that Apple has six products on the way that use this cutting edge technology that will debut in 2020 or 2021.

And one of those products is a 14-inch MacBook Pro. This news comes from MacRumors, based on a research note from reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo notes that a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 27-inch iMac Pro, 14.1-inch MacBook Pro, a new 16-inch MacBook Pro, a 10.2-inch iPad and a 7.9-inch iPad are all on the way.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is the most interesting device in the mix because it would be a new size for Apple. It’s a move that makes sense, because Apple moved from a 15-inch MacBook Pro to a 16-inch MacBook Pro without growing the footprint or weight. It mostly just trimmed the bezels.

So it’s reasonable to expect that Apple will trim the fat on the 13-inch MacBook Pro as well, growing the display to 14 inches without bloating the design. We can also assume that Apple will use its new and improved scissor keyboard on this 14-inch laptop, similar to the 16-inch model.

Why mini LED for MacBooks?

There are several benefits to mini LED displays that make them a viable replacement for traditional LCD panels. They’re designed to deliver higher brightness and contrast ratio along with deeper blacks.

This makes mini LED sound similar to OLED, but mini LED also has a couple of benefits over OLED panels as well. In addition, because mini LEDs use inorganic Gallium nitride, the displays are designed not to degrade over time like OLED screens.

Kuo does not say when the 14-inch MacBook Pro will launch, but it could be the fourth quarter of 2020, which the analyst has previously predicted would be the launch date for the new 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Mark Spoonauer
Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.