Normally I'm more excited about new iPhone rumors than MacBooks, but not this year. I'm hoping to enjoy the perks of the MacBook Pro 2021 this year so I can get my hands on the iPhone 13 leaks.

As much as I liked the first Apple silicon MacBook Pro in my MacBook Pro M1 review, it was too similar to the MacBook Air M1 to justify the $300 premium. Sure, the performance is slightly better with more graphics cores, longer battery life, and more cooling space, but not enough for me.

However, the rumored MacBook Pro 14-inch will be the biggest upgrade in a decade, stepping well out of the MacBook Air's shadow. And I can see myself investing my money in what could be the best laptop ever.

The biggest and most obvious upgrade to the MacBook Pro 2021 is probably the new mini LED display. Apple is expected to use the same display on the new MacBook Pro that is found on the new iPad Pro 12.9-inch; the Liquid Retina XDR panel boasts a brightness of 1,000 nits and a contrast ratio of 1 million to 1, providing great image quality and overall overall performance.

We don't know if the MacBook Pro will offer the same level of performance as the iPad Pro, but it should blow away the MacBook Air's screen.

Also, the MacBook Pro 2021 is supposed to offer a 14-inch panel, so it should get more screen real estate and less bezel in a similar size or even more compact chassis. It's about time Apple got in the bezel department. It's time to catch up with products like the Dell XPS 13.

We were also very encouraged by reports that Apple will offer more ports on the MacBook Pro 2021, apparently including an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a high-speed UHS-II SD card reader.

Yes, as multifunctional as the Thunderbolt port is, there are times when a dedicated port is needed to connect a monitor or to connect to a faster Internet connection. Also, photographers and video editors will appreciate the ability to simply plug in the SD card from the camera. (Unfortunately, there is no AirDrop for DSLRs yet.)

Last but not least, Apple is expected to bring back MagSafe to the MacBook Pro. The power cord will be connected magnetically, which should prevent accidental dropping when someone trips over the cable. And while the Touch Bar is reportedly being eliminated, I don't mind it at all.

Apple is reportedly preparing a new M1X chip for the MacBook Pro 2021 this fall, which should be even more powerful than the current M1: up to 10 CPU cores (up from 8) and up to 16-32 GPU cores (up from 8).

There is some debate about the amount of RAM the new MacBook Pro 2021 will support, but we are told it will be between 32GB and 64GB.

At the same time, the MacBook Pro M1X is expected to offer the same or better endurance than its predecessor. In our web surfing battery tests, the MacBook Pro M1 lasted an impressive 16 hours and 25 minutes; the MacBook Air M1 lasted 14 hours and 41 minutes.

While Apple's silicon has improved the quality of the MacBook Pro's 720p webcam, it can only do so much with computational photography tricks; the MacBook Pro 2021 is said to offer a 1080p webcam (according to iOS developer (according to Dylandkt).

A sharper webcam is also a welcome upgrade to take more advantage of macOS Monterey, which offers features like FaceTime's SharePlay. It should also look great when watching shows and movies with friends and family or video chatting using portrait mode.

Taken together with all the rumored improvements, the MacBook Pro 2021 looks to be the biggest upgrade to the lineup I've seen in a long time. And that's a good thing, because my 2019 MacBook Pro 13-inch is starting to show its age. I want more speed, more ports, brighter display, longer battery life. If the leaks become reality, I should be able to have all of that.

At the same time, the MacBook Pro 2021 should create a further gap between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. Apple appears to be making the necessary changes to make the Pro live up to its name.