Apple is reportedly working on a major update to most of its computers and iPads
- Apple reportedly has a new size of its long-running MacBook Pro laptop in the works: a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro is expected by the fourth quarter of this year, according to a new note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
- Currently, Apple offers just two versions of its more expensive laptop models: a 13-inch and a 16-inch model.
- This new, 14.1-inch MacBook Pro is intended to outright replace the smaller of the two current models - part of a larger screen update to most of Apple's computer and iPad lineup.
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Apple has a new laptop in the works, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
But don't get too excited just yet: The new, 14.1-inch model is intended as a replacement for the current 13-inch MacBook Pro, according to Kuo, rather than an outright new model.
It's one of several Apple products that's reportedly getting a new type of screen technology, called mini-LED - tech that could replace existing OLED screen technology in the coming years, and make Apple's screens look better than ever.
According to the note from Kuo, a string of Apple products are expected to get the mini-LED update: the 16-inch MacBook Pro, every iPad model, and the 27-inch iMac Pro. That's the vast majority of Apple's computer and iPad lineup, excluding only the MacBook Air model.
The new analyst note builds on a previous note from Kuo issued in December, which also pointed to mini-LED tech showing up in a variety of upcoming Apple products.
But what does mini-LED do? Simply put: It produces richer, more vibrant visuals in a potentially thinner screen.
My colleague Antonio Villas-Boas dug into tech in late 2019 - here's what he had to say:
"Mini-LED screens are essentially an updated version of today's traditional LCD screens - both technologies use a panel of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to shine through a layer of liquid crystal, which make up the colors you see on a video you're watching.
The main difference here is that mini-LED screens have more LEDs in that backlight panel that are smaller and packed tighter together to shine through the layer of liquid crystal. With those extra, tightly packed LEDs, and with good local dimming control, a mini-LED TV can do a better job of shining bright for the bright parts of a video scene, while dimming down for the darker parts of the scene."
The long and short is that mini-LED is an evolution of existing screen technology, and it can produce a wider range of dynamic lighting.
Apple has yet to officially announce updates to any of its existing products, nor has the company announced a 14.1-inch version of the MacBook Pro. Representatives did not respond to a request for comment as of publishing.
