The 2020 MacBook Air on the left versus the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro on the right.
Todd Haselton | CNBC
Apple is planning to release redesigned MacBook Pro laptops with an updated version of its in-house processor sometime this summer, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The update will be followed by new versions of the MacBook Air, the Mac Pro desktop and the entry-level MacBook Pro, likely later in the year, the report said.
It shows how Apple is quickly working to capitalize on using its own chips after announcing last year it would transition away from Intel processors. The Apple M1 processor made its debut in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini last year and is also used in the new iMac, which launched this spring. The computers will reportedly use newer and more powerful versions of Apple’s processor.
Apple’s MacBook customers seem to like the new chip so far. Paired with the at-home work environment of the pandemic and a crop of new M1 computers, Apple’s fiscal Q2 Mac revenue jumped 70.1% year over year from $6.86 billion to $9.1 billion. Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC last month that he expects the business to continue to perform well, even after people return to office work.
The new MacBook Pro will look different from the current model, according to the report. Its design has been relatively unchanged for the last several years.
Apple will add a 14-inch screen, replacing the 13-inch one on the current models, and features such as MagSafe, according to the report. MagSafe, which snaps the charger into the side of the laptop and prevents tripping over the wire since it pops out easily, was last used in the 2017 MacBook Air.
It will also include some ports professional users miss from earlier versions, such as an SD card slot for cameras and an HDMI port for easily attaching the computer to another display or a TV, the report said.
An Apple representative was not immediately available to comment on the report.
