Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is out with a new investor note today focused on what to expect from Apple for the rest of this year. According to the analyst, we can expect six new Apple products with mini-LED, including a new 14.1-inch MacBook Pro.
According to Kuo, the 14.1-inch MacBook Pro will replace the 13-inch model in Apple’s lineup. This comes after Apple replaced the 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 16-inch version last year. In addition to the mini-LED panel, we can also expect the 14-inch MacBook Pro to feature Apple’s new scissor switch Magic Keyboard.
But the 14-inch MacBook Pro is said to be just one of the mini-LED products Apple will release in 2020. The others include a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a 27-inch iMac Pro, a 16-inch MacBook Pro, a 10.2-inch iPad, and a 7.9-inch iPad mini.
Kuo doesn’t offer specific release dates for any of the products other than the iMac Pro, which he says is coming in Q4. This will be the first update to the iMac Pro since its introduction in December of 2017. There had been doubts about the future of the product, but Kuo says an update is coming.
The analyst also notes that Apple’s plans to release new mini-LED products are “unaffected” by the coronavirus outbreak and that research and development is moving along. Kuo had previously predicted new iPad Pro and MacBook models with mini-LED displays for Q4 2020 or Q1 2021. Today’s note, however, seems to imply that Apple’s development is moving along quicker than expected.
One thing that’s unclear is whether the 14-inch MacBook Pro will represent the next revision to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, or if there will be an update in between the current model and the eventual mini-LED model. Evidence has suggested that a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard will be here sometime soon.
Kuo has said that Apple is interested in adopting mini-LED screen panels as they offer a rich wide color gamut, high contrast ratios, high dynamic range, and localized dimming. mini-LED is also believed to result in thinner panels that are more power-efficient, and they do not suffer from burn-in like OLED.
You can read our full explainer of mini-LED technology here.
