The latest MacBook rumor could disappoint a lot of people

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
(Image credit: Future)

Apple’s redesigned MacBooks which are rumored to employ Mini LED tech (as seen with the display of the new iPad Pro 12.9) may have been delayed until 2022, according to a new rumor.

These models were expected to launch later in 2021, so if true, this would certainly be a disappointing blow for MacBook fans keen to get the pepped up screen – although let’s exercise more than the usual amount of caution around this speculation.

Firstly, this info comes from DigiTimes, which in our experience isn’t always the most reliable source – although it certainly has been on the money at times in the past – and secondly, the report is just a very brief piece spotted by MacRumors in a (paywalled) preview snippet at the moment (the full report is coming later).

DigiTimes claims that: “Mini LED-backlit MacBooks launch may be delayed”, stating that the “launch of Apple’s mini LED-backlit MacBook series may be postponed to 2022, according to industry sources.”

Note the use of the word ‘may’ here, meaning that even the sources aren’t sure that this will be the route Apple takes. Certainly, everything which has previously come from the grapevine has indicated that Mini LED-toting MacBooks will arrive before 2021 is out.

Sooner… or later?

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most respected Apple leakers out there, has been insisting for a while that we’ll see redesigned MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models with Mini LED screens and Apple’s own processors turn up around Q3 2021, and even DigiTimes was previously thinking these new models would be here sooner rather than later.

That said, we have heard worrying delay-related rumblings from the rumor mill, and specifically a report from Nikkei Asia, floating the idea that MacBooks (and iPads) are suffering at the hands of pandemic-related component shortages, and production of Apple laptops could be delayed – which would fit in with this latest piece of speculation from DigiTimes.

Ultimately, as is always the case, we’ll just have to wait and see, but if a delay really is a looming possibility, we’d expect that we would hear more from other renown Apple leakers (like Kuo) before long.

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).