Leaker: Upcoming MacBook Pro to See Price Hike Over Current Model, Equal Performance Across 14 and 16-Inch Sizes

[theluggage]

I like the Mx performance, but the rest of the machine really needs to keep up to justify this price hike.

There's no evidence of a price hike. The only (coherent) claim in this rumour is that the 14" M1X MBP will replace the $1800 Intel MBP 13 rather than the low-end $1300 M1 MBP, which has been pretty obvious since last November.

The big doubt about the M1X is whether it can match the top end 16" MBP and 5k iMac configurations with 5GHz i9s and upgraded CPUs. It's really not hard to believe that it can thrash the Intel 13" MBP with its low-power i7 and Intel integrated graphics - the M1 already challenges that on performance, so all it has to do there is support 32GB RAM and a second external display.

 

[boak]

Did the MBP receive a price hike since the 2016 redesign?

 

[lambertjohn]

The planet is one big rumor mill. Nothing is in stone until it actually happens.

 

[skaertus]

Wth Apple?? I’m done with this rip off company.. price hike for what? Using their own chips and removing the Touch Bar and still jacking up the price😡😡

I am so annoyed with Tim Cook always keeping „last years model“ to justify price increases on updated versions. Steve Jobs didn’t do it. He wanted his users to actually experience to best they can offer and didn’t settle with „last years models“. However, from a business perspective it’s smart of course but jeeze, I don’t even want to think of the Euro prices.

Cria cuervos y te sacarán los ojos.

It is a Spanish saying that means "Raise crows and they will gouge out your eyes". Many people keep feeding Apple's hype. But Apple is not doing these people any favors. Worshipping Apple will only lead to higher and higher prices. The profits and the market cap will break further records while the products will become nearly prohibitive.

 

[CWallace]

Cria cuervos y te sacarán los ojos.

It is a Spanish saying that means "Raise crows and they will gouge out your eyes". Many people keep feeding Apple's hype. But Apple is not doing these people any favors. Worshipping Apple will only lead to higher and higher prices. The profits and the market cap will break further records while the products will become nearly prohibitive.

One can argue this is why Apple "keeps around" older products at lower price points - to cater to those people who still prefer to use Apple technologies, but either cannot afford the latest products or do not see a sufficient value proposition from them to justify spending the price required to acquire them.

 

[macsplusmacs]

oh god. what if the 14" has only 1 thunderbolt channel but the 16" has two.

someone walk me back from the ledge please.

 

[jterp7]

well without the old school cpu and gpu upgrades (and even screen upgrades) I suspect things like more ports, or better webcam will be the differentiators

 

[Orionfox]

Sadly, since Apple seems to not care for GPU performance and their price premiums, I doubt my future purchases will be in the Apple ecosystem. For the cost of an M1 system with adequate storage, I could replace my mac mini with an Intel machine, my iPhone with an Android, my Apple TV with a Roku (or TV with built in Apple TV app), my iPad with an Android tablet, and my HomePod with a Google home app.

Will I get the great apple experience? Of course not, but I am no longer the young person who has tons of extra dollars to throw at tech to be replaced every year. I wish Apple wanted to sell to everyone like they did early on instead of trying to be a lifestyle brand.

 

[CWallace]

oh god. what if the 14" has only 1 thunderbolt channel but the 16" has two.

someone walk me back from the ledge please.

It has been reported that Apple's TB controller on the M1 is single channel (Intel controllers drive two channels) so presuming this is the same on "M1X", the 14" and 16" will each have (at least) three controllers to drive the three USB4/TB ports (since we're losing one port for MagSafe). There will also be two Intel JHL8040R TB re-timers as each re-timer handles two channels.

 

[macsplusmacs]

<walks back from ledge happily>

 

[Falhófnir]

One can argue this is why Apple "keeps around" older products at lower price points - to cater to those people who still prefer to use Apple technologies, but either cannot afford the latest products or do not see a sufficient value proposition from them to justify spending the price required to acquire them.

Seems more of an indictment of Apple’s 2010s strategy of focusing almost exclusively on the MBP lineup, while simultaneously jacking prices… leaving ‘consumer’ level customers scratching about between an outdated (or post 2018, pretty poor effort) MBA, tiny underpowered MacBook or ponying up for the MBP.

The M1 machines have begun to amend this, but some more choice for the consumer lineup would free them to charge any amount they like for the ‘Pro’ computers. I’m sure those who use them for video editing or the like will pay almost any amount If they can justify it being for work, and therefore making them money. But for everyone else Apple is sorely lacking in computers between the $1,000 and $1,999 price point and something like a 15” Air or 14/16 inch ‘MacBooks’ would fit in there quite nicely.

 

[boak]

Seems more of an indictment of Apple’s 2010s strategy of focusing almost exclusively on the MBP lineup, while simultaneously jacking prices… leaving ‘consumer’ level customers scratching about between an outdated (or post 2018, pretty poor effort) MBA, tiny underpowered MacBook or ponying up for the MBP.

The M1 machines have begun to amend this, but some more choice for the consumer lineup would free them to charge any amount they like for the ‘Pro’ computers. I’m sure those who use them for video editing or the like will pay almost any amount If they can justify it being for work, and therefore making them money. But for everyone else Apple is sorely lacking in computers between the $1,000 and $1,999 price point and something like a 15” Air or 14/16 inch ‘MacBooks’ would fit in there quite nicely.

I believe that's where the M2 MBA comes in. It will be the iPad Air of MacBooks; the M1 MBA will be the iPad.

 

[Lemon Olive]

That’s cool. It still is a good use case for a touchscreen on a Mac more than a trackpad/keyboard, if the ability to use iOS apps is going to be used at all.

Not everyone has an iPad or iPhone.

I don't even know how to respond to this.

1. It isn't a use case at all. And it certainly isn't a reason to do it. Apple isn't going to make a major shift like touchscreen display on a Mac "just in case someone wants to use an iPhone app on it and also touch it." They don't do things like that.

2. Yes, "everyone" does have an iPhone or iPad. Much more so than those with a Mac. Can't believe you even said that. You're actually saying that building a touchscreen into a Mac would be good so that Mac users without an iPhone can use iPhone apps. Wow. You're fired.

 

[Think creative]

but it also has a mini LED display (new tech) and will be one of the fastest notebooks on the planet.

without burning your lap.
without a vacuum sound blowing out its side.

Don't forget the battery life reports are nuts. Like 20 hours of real use case. I could go for a three day camping trip and not bring a charger and get work done for three days no problem.

 

[Falhófnir]

I believe that's where the M2 MBA comes in. It will be the iPad Air of MacBooks; the M1 MBA will be the iPad.

Maybe, but that will still be just another 13” thin and light, I expect quite unremarkable over the current model. I was thinking making the core MacBook lineup perhaps a super-miniaturised 13” Air (like as close to a 12” MacBook as the display size allows) with a roomier 15” option, or maybe 14 and 16 inch MacBooks that are similar hardware wise to the Pro models, but without some of the shinier bells and whistles (more basic LCD displays, maybe fewer ports, less power, lower RAM and storage caps etc). The latter option would be kind of like the 12 vs 12 Pro iPhones.

 

[Michael J]

I find this all rather interesting. My M1 MBP13 is twice as fast as the 2020 Intel version that it replaced (subjective) and the battery life is at least twice as long, closer to three times (objective). Why would I want to get any new computer in the next several years? I am so happy.

Also as a photographer, I'm not in favor of those SD card slots. In the past they were fiddly and usually broke within a year. Far better to replace/upgrade a dongle than the entire computer. Likewise, real pro's are switching to CFExpress cards which do not fit in the standard SD card slots.

Likewise the one - and only one - thing I miss from my 2020 Intel MBP is the four USB-C slots.

 

[boak]

Maybe, but that will still be just another 13” thin and light, I expect quite unremarkable over the current model. I was thinking making the core MacBook lineup perhaps a super-miniaturised 13” Air (like as close to a 12” MacBook as the display size allows) with a roomier 15” option, or maybe 14 and 16 inch MacBooks that are similar hardware wise to the Pro models, but without some of the shinier bells and whistles (more basic LCD displays, maybe fewer ports, less power, lower RAM and storage caps etc). The latter option would be kind of like the 12 vs 12 Pro iPhones.

Probably wouldn’t make sense if the 14” MBP can already capture most of the potential 15” MBA market.

If the M2 Air base model is 8/256 and sells at $1299, the 16/512 will probably sell at $1699. There is very little room for another price point if the M1X Pro 16/512 sells at $1999.

 

[TheMadCow]

Rather than join in the great gnashing of teeth over non confirmed specs. I'm going to wait. I need a new MBP to replace my 2012 MBP warhorse. The way I look at it. My ROI is off the charts. I paid $2k and have added an SSD over the years, so I'd say I got my $$ worth.

 

[Eorlas]

True, but that's like asking Apple to drop the price by installing Windows. LOL

i dont see macOS as superior *enough* in the ways that i do appreciate it over windows to consider it worth a higher cost on the machine, but i appreciate the funny.

what i dont find amusing is how *much* more apple marks up their discount bulk ram over what one can get in a PC running windows, and also how much better that is for the consumer than what apple has to offer.

apple with current ddr4 offering, is over double what i could pay for the same amount in desktop ram. (i bought high quality 32gb ddr4 for half of what apple would charge for 16gb in their current upgrade paths)

 

[CWallace]

what i dont find amusing is how *much* more apple marks up their discount bulk ram over what one can get in a PC running windows, and also how much better that is for the consumer than what apple has to offer.

The PC OEMs charge similar amounts to Apple to upgrade RAM at the factory.

That being said, the catch with Apple is that the laptops solder the RAM to the systemboard so you cannot add third-party RAM.

They clearly see advantages to doing this besides the common refrain of "screwing over the customer" since they do allow easy RAM upgrades on the iMac 5K and Mac Pro and less-easy upgrades on the Intel Mac mini. If the goal was to soak the customer for all they can, then those platforms would be soldered, as well. And soldering the RAM increases Apple's own warranty repair costs because it requires a full systemboard replacement which is far more expensive than swapping out a DIMM. So there is a direct and negative impact on Apple's bottom line by soldering.

My presumption is they solder the RAM for packaging and reliability issues (soldered RAM cannot come loose like socketed RAM conceivably can).

 

[jdb8167]

My presumption is they solder the RAM for packaging and reliability issues (soldered RAM cannot come loose like socketed RAM conceivably can).

The LPDDR4X RAM in the M1 Macs are soldered because that model off RAM isn't designed for DIMM packaging. Apple uses it because it is very fast, low power RAM. The RAM is soldered to the same chip carrier as the M1 SoC. All of this is to make for a fast system that sips power. Low power and high performance is the crowning achievement of the first generation of Apple silicon.

 

[theluggage]

My presumption is they solder the RAM for packaging and reliability issues (soldered RAM cannot come loose like socketed RAM conceivably can).

Maybe on the 16" Intel MBP, but the LPDDR RAM used in modern ultraportable laptops - including the 13" Macs and most PCs that you'd compare them with - isn't available in plug-in modules and has to be soldered in, keeping the connections to the CPU as short as possible for power/performance reasons. Apple has gone one further and integrated the RAM into the M1 system-on-a-chip, again for performance reasons - and of course the M1 is now being used in desktop machines. Presumably the M1X will do the same for the 14" and 16" machines. So there's a reason - and performance payoff - for the soldered-in RAM.

The problem with Apple is (a) the amount they charge for the "upgrades" and (b) on some models, the pitful amount of RAM/SSD on the base spec machine: especially things like the (Intel) 5k iMac and Mac Mini where even the higher-end options start at 8GB. As I've said in another post - 16GB RAM and 512GB HD shouldn't be an expensive luxury in 2021.

(I'm kinda hoping/expecting that the M1X machines will start at 16GB because under any sane economics it wouldn't make sense to even make an 8GB M1X package)

Anyway, just because "HP and Dell do it" doesn't make it right, and my impression is that others are not so bad in that once you start to pay Mac-like prices for PCs it is common to find 16GB/512GB as standard and/or that upgrades are bundled in with CPU/GPU options. That's always going to be a bit subjective when it involves trying to compare M1 processors with Intel - not to mention too much cruel and inhuman punishment trying to compare specs and prices on the abomination unto Berners-Lee that Dell calls a website. Apple try to charge $200 per 8GB upgrade even for the Intel Mini and 5k iMac where it is just bog-standard SODIMMS - most of the places (not HPDellenovo...) that I'd be likely to buy a desktop from just charge list price for the DIMMS.

 

[skaertus]

One can argue this is why Apple "keeps around" older products at lower price points - to cater to those people who still prefer to use Apple technologies, but either cannot afford the latest products or do not see a sufficient value proposition from them to justify spending the price required to acquire them.

Yes, you are right, Apple keeps the older products around for this reason. However, these older products usually offer very poor value. When a preference for Apple turns into a religion, that interferes with pricing. If a costumer develops some sort of passion for Apple products or aversion to non-Apple products, Apple turns these emotions into a goldmine (as nothing reasonable is driving these prices up).

 

[meboy]

You forget that they're gonna come with miniLED display, it's not cheap to manufacture

You forget they raised prices by $300 for the touchbar.
I expect that to be reduced from the price if they remove it.

 

[macsplusmacs]

You forget they raised prices by $300 for the touchbar.
I expect that to be reduced from the price if they remove it.

And if the mini LED costs 300$ more than the old screen????


It doesn't but unless one has the apple parts and price list for the M1X MacBook Pro....

yada yada...