The new MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch laptops are expected to hit the market in fall 2021 along with a host of upgrades, including an improved version of Apple's remarkable M1 chip. According to Leeker, who has now been right about Apple several times before, the new Pro will come with the same M1X chip in both sizes.

If this report proves to be true, it would be a major change from the way Apple has sold Pro laptops in the past. Back when everything was sold with Intel CPUs, only the 16-inch MacBook Pro could be configured with the most powerful CPU and GPU options; those who preferred the smaller size of the 13-inch Pro had to be content with the lower end of the power spectrum.

According to a recent tweet from leaker and iOS developer Dylandkt, that is not the case with the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Instead, they claimed that both sizes of the Pro "have the same chip and the same performance," clarifying in a follow-up tweet that "I am referring to the 16" and 14" Pros both having the same M1X (chip).

Given the impressive speed and battery efficiency of M1-equipped laptops like the M1-equipped MacBook Air and the M1-equipped 13-inch MacBook Pro, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the improved M1X chip is an unexpectedly It will no doubt offer high performance. However, Dylandkt also states that the new MacBook will be priced higher than its predecessor, arguing that for the MacBook Pro, "we should expect a more pronounced price increase for the 14-inch than the 13-inch."

How much of a price increase is likely remains to be seen. The current 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro starts at $1,299, while the older Intel-based model starts at $1,799. It was reasonable to imagine that the price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro, redesigned with Apple silicon, would not be much higher than the 13-inch M1 model. It was reasonable to imagine that the price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1X would not be much higher than the 13-inch M1 model, but now it seems reasonable to expect the price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1X to be much higher than $1,299.

Of course, if the rumors of Apple's upgrade prove true, it would be worth the higher asking price. In addition to the improved M1X chip, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is rumored to be slimmer with a redesigned screen that may utilize the same mini LED display technology Apple used in the eye-catching 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2021.

In addition, the 14-inch Pro will again feature MagSafe charging (finally!) The Ethernet port may also make a comeback, and the 14-inch Pro will reportedly have more ports than the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro, including an HDMI port and an SD card reader. Last but not least, the new MacBook Pro 2021 will have a significantly upgraded webcam, and one of the MacBook Pro's long-standing weaknesses may finally be addressed.