Almost a year after Apple wowed us with the performance and efficiency of the MacBook Pro with M1, we are eager to see what Cupertino can do with the next generation MacBook Pro packed with Apple silicon.

We, too, have heard plenty of credible rumors that give us ample reason to get excited. From the return of MagSafe charging to the addition of a brilliant mini LED display, the MacBook Pro 2021 looks to be the best laptop on the market. What's more, two size options may be on the way: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the new MacBook Pro to arrive by November of this year at the latest, and will be available in both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes.

Now that we've spent a lot of time with our ears to the ground, read on for a list of the five most exciting MacBook Pro 2021 upgrade rumors, culled from a laundry list of reliable rumors we've heard this year.

As much as we love the 2020 MacBook Pro with M1 and MacBook Air with M1, we can't help but be a little disappointed by the thickness of the bezels on each laptop. It may seem trivial, but thick bezels can distract from what's happening on the screen and hinder your efforts to engage with the latest game, movie, or Disney Plus show.

That's why we're excited about persistent rumors that the MacBook Pro 2021 will be redesigned to flatten the edges of the chassis and slim down the bezels around the screen. We have now seen fan renderings of what such a redesigned Pro would look like.

While we love the 2020 M1 MacBook Pro, we didn't like the fact that it has only two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports on the left side and one headphone jack on the right side. This is barely enough ports for the average user, and is extremely disrespectful to photographers, video editors, and others who need to connect an external monitor or SD card.

That is why we are so excited about the rumors that the 2021 MacBook Pro will feature an expanded port selection, including HDMI ports, a high-speed UHS-II SD card reader, and Ethernet ports. Such an array of ports would make the 2021 MacBook Pro an unstoppable productivity machine.

If you, like many of us, are nostalgic for the days before Apple switched to USB-C for MacBook charging, there is reason for renewed hope.

This is because (in the good old days) the power cord was connected magnetically, minimizing accidental drops and damage to the ports when someone (or someone's beloved pet) tripped and pulled things while the MacBook Pro's power cable was connected This is because it could be kept to a minimum. Imagine how much wear and tear could be avoided if MagSafe charging were to return in the 2021 MacBook Pro, either as a dedicated charging port or as part of a magnetic USB-C port.

Now we are getting into some really exciting upgrade possibilities. This is because we have seen several credible rumors claiming that the MacBook Pro 2021 with mini LED display may be released this fall.

This would likely be the same mini-LED display technology found on the new iPad Pro 12.9-inch, featuring a Liquid Retina XDR panel that delivers 1,000 nits of brightness and a million-to-one contrast ratio.

Of course, if our experience reviewing the iPad Pro's mini-LED display is any indication, one must watch high-quality HDR content to enjoy the full power of this display.

The Apple M1 chip added to the 2020 MacBook Pro brought a frankly incredible improvement in its processing power and battery efficiency. That's why we're excited about multiple reports claiming that Apple will produce an M1X chip for the MacBook Pro 2021 this fall, which should be even more powerful than the M1.

According to rumors and leaked M1X benchmarks, the M1X is currently expected to have up to 10 CPU cores (up from 8 in the M1) and up to 16-32 GPU cores (up from 7-8 in the M1). If this comes to fruition, the 2021 MacBook Pro will offer unparalleled performance and excellent battery life.

Last year's MacBook Pro M1 recorded an impressive 16 hours and 25 minutes in a battery test that tested the laptop's staying power by having it set to 150 nits brightness and endlessly browsing the web via Wi-Fi. new with the M1X chip. 2021 MacBook Pro will be available, it is reasonable to expect it to last even longer.

With all of these rumored improvements laid out, the MacBook Pro 2021 looks like it could be the biggest upgrade the MacBook Pro series has gotten in a long time.

Whether we see a 14-inch MacBook Pro or a 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021 (why not both?), it is clear that Apple has plenty of room to improve on the already impressive specs of the current M1 MacBook Pro.