New redesigned MacBook Pros might launch in September alongside the iPhone 13

By Alex Blake Published August 23, 2021

It has been a tough time recently to be a MacBook Pro fan. While rumors of an all-new MacBook Pro 14 and refreshed MacBook Pro 16 have been doing the rounds for what feels like an eternity, a series of potential launch dates have come and gone without so much as a glimpse of a shiny new Apple laptop. Now, another possible release date has reared its head.

According to a DigiTimes report, Apple is gearing up to announce its new MacBook Pro models late in the third quarter of this year. The third quarter runs from July 1 to September 30, so DigiTimes’ prediction seems to indicate a September launch date.

macbook pro — Eliezer Pujols/Unsplash

That lines up with another recent forecast, this time from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who has a strong track record of covering Apple news and rumors. He stated in a weekly newsletter that “Apple has a new entry-level iPad for students and revamped MacBook Pros and iPad minis coming later this year.”

Recommended Videos

Gurman also explained that the next few weeks would be quiet on Apple product news, seemingly putting to bed the idea that new MacBook Pros are imminent. A September launch could mean Apple is planning to reveal the laptops alongside the iPhone 13, which is traditionally refreshed in September.

Aside from the MacBook Pro announcement date, the DigiTimes report also outlines its belief that shipments of the new MacBook Pros will peak in October 2021. That suggests that Apple will likely unveil the Macs in September but will not start sending them out to customers until October, and could hint that Apple’s September event is likely to fall in the second half of September, as Apple often allows a week or two between the product reveal and the shipping date.

There was one more tidbit from DigiTimes: Apple is planning to ramp up its investment in mini-LED panels. The MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 are heavily rumored to include mini-LED screen tech, which would significantly improve the display quality, and this latest report seems to corroborate that belief.

Also in the cards for the new MacBooks are a new flat-edged design, more port variety (including the return of MagSafe), and an updated Apple Silicon chip. It looks set to be the biggest overhaul of the MacBook Pro since its 2016 redesign.

Computing Writer

Alex Blake has been working with Digital Trends since 2019, where he spends most of his time writing about Mac computers…

Topics

Computing

10 years ago today, Apple launched a revolutionary MacBook that failed spectacularly

An Apple 12-inch MacBook on a desk.

Ten years ago today, Apple unveiled the 12-inch MacBook to the world, claiming it had “reinvented the notebook” for the better. The laptop almost instantly divided opinion, with fans and detractors at each other’s throats from the start. And sure, it was by no means perfect, but look a little closer and I think you’ll find a device that has had a monumental impact on the world of computing -- not just on Apple, but on the industry as a whole.

The 12-inch MacBook is often seen as a flop and as a product emblematic of the excesses of Apple’s Jony Ive era, where the design guru’s penchant for thinness and lightness ruled all. The fact that this MacBook was discontinued after just four years is seen as proof of this idea.

Computing

Honor MagicBook Pro 14 beats the new MacBook Air in one striking way

The lid of the Honor MagicBook Pro 14 in green

Although its name may suggest otherwise, Mobile World Congress (MWC) is not just a show for mobile devices. The business side touches every facet of the consumer technology industry, and many of the biggest companies unveil new products for the European and wider global markets.

The latest edition — MWC Barcelona 2025 — did oversee a return to form, with more mobile devices launched than in recent years, but one of the non-mobile devices that stood out for me was the Honor MagicBook Pro 14.

Computing

MacBook Air refresh with M4 silicon might arrive within a week

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air seen from above and the side.

A new version of MacBook Air powered by Apple’s M4 processor is right around the corner, it seems, and might be launched within a week. “Apple is preparing to make a Mac-related announcement as early as this coming week,” reports Bloomberg, adding that the reveal is imminent.

The current-gen MacBook Air with M3 silicon was announced in the first week of March in 2024, and it seems Apple is sticking with its refresh schedule rather strictly for its popular entry-level laptop. The machine will likely arrive in 13-inch and 15-inch formats, just like its predecessor.