Report: Apple Silicon Macs and redesigned iPad coming later this year

By Alex Blake July 16, 2020

This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage

Apple will launch a new 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air later in 2020, both of which will be powered by Apple Silicon processors, according to DigiTimes. The same report also claims an iPad in a new 10.8-inch size will launch at about the same time.

Recommended Videos

DigiTimes cited sources indicating that backlit units for the MacBooks and iPads will begin shipping in the third quarter of 2020 before the launch of the final products later in the year.

The report comes to a similar conclusion as one recently released by noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Earlier in July, Kuo stated he believes Apple could potentially launch the MacBook Air first. The 13-inch MacBook Pro might come a little later, with Kuo suggesting it could go into production in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Both Kuo’s report and the one from DigiTimes suggest Apple is on track to release its first Apple Silicon Macs by the end of the year. This was something explicitly promised by the company at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2020, where Apple CEO Tim Cook announced it would begin transitioning away from Intel processors and toward its own custom-made chips. This switch would take about two years to complete, according to Cook.

An affordable iPad with a killer feature

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple does not currently sell a 10.8-inch iPad; instead, its closest offerings are the 11-inch iPad Pro, the 10.5-inch iPad Air, and the 10.2-inch iPad. The new 10.8-inch could feature the same redesigned chassis that the iPad Pro received in 2018, with slimline bezels and no Home button to make room for a much more spacious display.

Given DigiTimes’ mention of the upcoming iPad’s low cost, the 10.2-inch iPad seems the most likely candidate for this redesign.

The DigiTimes report also notes that its sources expect the device to sell well: “Sales prospects for the new 10.8-inch iPad devices are also bright as the new lineup, which feature high-performance CPUs, will be available at more affordable prices, the sources indicated.”

According to leaker L0vetodream, that “high-performance CPU” will be the A12 currently used in the iPad Air. In fact, the only iPad not currently on the A12 generation of processors is the 10.2-inch iPad, which uses the A10 processor launched in 2016. That lends further credence to the idea that the 10.8-inch iPad is a redesign of this particular model, bringing it in line with the chip capabilities of Apple’s other iPads.

Equipped with such a powerful chip and a very affordable price, the 10.8-inch iPad could be the tablet to beat when it launches later this year. We will be on hand with our impressions as soon as we get one.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Computing Writer

In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he…

Computing

Which color MacBook should you buy? Here’s how to pick

Apple’s MacBook laptops come in a range of colors, and selecting which is right for you can be a tricky business. Sure, it’s perhaps not as important as deciding which chip to pick or how much memory you should buy, but it’s still a vital part of the equation. After all, you’re going to see that color every time you reach for your MacBook. You don’t want it to be something that fills you with regret.

But how should you pick a MacBook color? And what do the colors even look like in the first place? We’ve got the answers to those questions in this guide. We’d also advise you to go to an Apple Store to take a look at the MacBook colors in person, as some can be hard to appreciate just by browsing Apple’s website.

Computing

Why you should buy a MacBook Air instead of a MacBook Pro

The MacBook Air has officially caught up. Now with the M3 on board, the MacBook Air has gained the benefits of the new chip, which was previously available just on the MacBook Pro and iMac.

Choosing between the M3 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro is tough, and requires an in-depth look at differences in ports, displays, speakers, and more. It's a legitimately hard decision to make.

Computing

The MacBook Air 15 vs. MacBook Pro 14: the easy way to decide

Picking out a new MacBook isn't as easy as it used to be.

The hardest choice in the lineup might be between the 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Both are now offered with the same M3 chip, despite there being a $300 difference in the base models. But when similarly configured, there's actually only a $100 difference between these two laptops.