Part shortage may have delayed rumored new mini-LED MacBook Pro, says Digitimes

Macbook Air M1
Macbook Air M1 (Image credit: Daniel Bader / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Apple reportedly has two new MacBook Pro models in the works.
  • It is expected to unveil a new 14-inch and 16-inch model with mini-LED displays and new Apple silicon later this year.
  • A new report claims they may have been delayed by issues with part supply for the new display.

A new report from Digitimes suggests that Apple may have had to delay the production of its long-rumored new MacBook Pro models due to a shortage of mini-LED parts.

A new Digitimes report notes Apple is "expected to roll out two new MacBook Pro models" later this year, with shipments "slated to kick off in the third quarter". The report goes on to say that according to sources, Apple had previously planned to begin mass production of its new notebooks in Q2, but were forced to reschedule due to "weaker-than-expected yield rates" of mini-LED components.

Multiple rumors from leaker Jon Prosser and analysts had tipped Apple to unveil a new MacBook Pro at WWDC 2021, however, no such announcement was made.

That leaves us with the reports indicating Apple is planning to release new MacBooks sometime in the second half of this year. Following the WWDC 2021, keynote Mark Gurman reiterated his own report that Apple could release its new MacBook Pro models "as early as summer". From previous reports, Apple's new MacBook Pro lineup is expected to bring a redesigned, flatter chassis, as well as the return of the MagSafe charger and ports such as HDMI and an SD card slot.

Under the hood, reports indicate a new generation of Apple silicon could debut with a 10-core chip that supports either 16 or 32 graphics cores, as well as up to 64GB of RAM. In April Apple unveiled its brand new 2021 iMac, one of the best Macs currently available.

Even if Apple can overcome reported mini-LED component shortages, Digitimes has previously warned that Apple's new mini-LED MacBook Pro may also face delay should the sudden rise in COVID infections in Taiwan continue to rise.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9