Apple's rumored new MacBook Pro 2021 laptop was nowhere to be seen at Monday's WWDC, but the official YouTube video of the keynote includes hints that it might still be there.

The terms "M1X MacBook Pro" and "M1X" were spotted by Twitter user Max Balzer (via 9to5Mac) among the many tags on the video, along with tags like "iOS 15" and "wwdc 2021". While it is possible that Cupertino simply knows how to play the Google search traffic game - it may indicate that Apple had a new laptop to show off at some point.

Rumor has it that Apple will unveil two new MacBook Pros this year: the MacBook Pro 2021 14-inch and the MacBook Pro 2021 16-inch, both with M1X or M2 chips.

Balzer used the Chrome extension TubeBuddy to uncover all the terms and tags in Apple's keynote video on YouTube. We tried it ourselves and were able to confirm that the tags were present.

Prior to WWDC, prominent leakers and analysts, including Jon Prosser, Mark Gurman, and Ming-Chi Kuo, all stated that Apple would announce a new MacBook model at Apple's keynote. With information coming from so many sources, the MacBook announcement was a certainty until just before the event.

Many of these rumors suggested that the new hardware would feature the so-called M1X chip. This would be the second generation of Apple's in-house designed chipset, or at least an update to the original Apple M1 chip found in the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and most recently the iPad Pro 2021.

It is possible that these claims were true at one point, but at the last minute Apple decided not to reveal the MacBook. One possible reason for this is the ongoing global chip shortage, which may have forced Apple to reconsider the timing of the MacBook release to meet demand.

However, a less exciting explanation is also possible. Because of the many prominent claims about the new MacBook, search traffic for related terms would have been high. In other words, Apple may have simply used the tag to direct people to the keynote video so that Apple fans could hear the official news (or rather the lack thereof) for themselves.

In any case, now that the dream of a WWDC announcement has died down, our thoughts turn to when we might see the rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, if indeed they exist.

The latest prediction by Nikkei Asia claims a vague date of late 2021, rather than May or June as others have previously stated. This covers Apple's big fall release window, including the expected September launch of the iPhone 13, and the first anniversary of the original M1 MacBook, which will be unveiled in November.

If the new, more powerful M-series chip isn't enough to make you want the rumored new MacBook, there are other features that are said to be on the way. For example, the next-generation MaBook Pro is said to feature a mini LED display like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with brighter, richer colors and contrast, and Apple may bring back the MagSafe power connector that was removed several years ago.

But if you want a MacBook Pro now, check out the Amazon Prime Day deals for 2021.