A new report from DigiTimes claims that Apple is preparing to release new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with more energy-efficient Mini-LED displays before the end of this year. According to sources, Apple is expected to ship new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro devices in the fourth quarter of 2023, using miniLED backlights that can increase display brightness by 10% compared with first-generation specifications.
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Perhaps counterintuitively, the increase in brightness that comes with the enhanced Mini-LED display is said to not improve the MacBook Pro's image quality, but is primarily focused on extending battery life.
Sources say Apple has not made major changes to its specifications since it introduced miniLED backlight technology to tablets and laptops. But the upcoming MacBook Pro devices will use miniLEDs that are 10% brighter than previous products without changing the number of miniLED chips in the backlight module. The brightness enhancement is not to improve image quality but to save power and extend battery life, the source said, adding that the new devices will start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Of course, there are good reasons to be skeptical of DigiTimes' latest supply chain report. Apple updated the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in January, and most rumors have the updated models launching next year, so the timing is in doubt. For example, the next versions of the two machines are expected to feature the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips and will "likely" launch as late as mid-2024, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.