Apple's transition away from Intel processors in Macs is officially underway with this week's introduction of new 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini models with Apple's custom-designed M1 chip, and these three systems are just the beginning.
Following its virtual event on Tuesday, Apple reiterated that the transition to Apple Silicon will take about two years to be completed. Apple did not reveal which Macs will be getting M-series chips next, but here's what has been rumored so far:
- 14-inch MacBook Pro: In July, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted that new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon and an all-new design will launch in the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021. Kuo has previously suggested that these notebooks may feature Mini-LED displays.
- 16-inch MacBook Pro: Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu reported that a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon is in development, but the report did not provide a release timeframe. As mentioned above, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon and an all-new design to launch in the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021.
- 24-inch iMac: In June, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted that Apple would launch a 24-inch iMac with an all-new design in the late fourth quarter of 2020 or early first quarter of 2021 at the earliest.
- A smaller Mac Pro: Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu reported that Apple is developing a new Mac Pro that looks like the current design at about half the size. The report said it's unclear if that Mac will replace the current Mac Pro or be released as an additional model.
With an 8-core CPU, up to an 8-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, unified memory architecture, and more, Apple says the M1 chip delivers up to 3.5x faster system performance, up to 6x faster graphics performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning, while enabling battery life up to 2x longer than previous-generation Macs.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini are available to order on Apple.com and through the Apple Store app, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability set to begin November 17. Pricing starts at $1,299 for the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, $999 for the new MacBook Air, and $699 for the new Mac mini.
