The 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021) with Apple's new M1X chip is one of the most eagerly awaited Apple products of the year, and someone known for correct (and incorrect) leaks in the past says it could appear as early as this August.

The release of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro is a big deal because it is one of the last MacBook models awaiting Apple's silicon upgrade; the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 and the MacBook Air with M1 Now that Apple has confirmed that the M1 can be used to improve the performance of hardware like the M1, it's hard not to be excited to see what improvements Apple can make to the venerable 16-inch Pro.

This week, LeaksApplePro posted a tweet saying that it had heard from sources that Apple plans to release "at least one model" of the new MacBook Pro in week 31. If accurate, this likely refers to the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but it could also refer to the long-rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro that many expect Apple to release this year.

As for timing, LeaksApplePro claims that week 31 refers to the number of weeks in 2021 (not Apple's fiscal year, which ends in September), and thus the launch week for the new MacBook Pro could be August 2-8.

However, there is good reason to be skeptical of all these predictions: LeaksApplePro denies the prediction in the original tweet, noting that it is "likely to change due to chip supply fluctuations. It will probably be moved up or down, but this is the "date" as of today," he stated. And as WCCFTech points out, the leaker is not always correct, casting further doubt on the summer release. [It's a slimmer bezel, a mini LED display like the one on the 12.9" iPad Pro 2021, and an M2 chip that is reportedly in production.

We hope to see similar features in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which we expect to come within $200 to $300 of the current $1,299 price of the 13-inch Pro. It is very possible that both the new 16-inch and 14-inch Pro will be released later this year.

If you want a reason to believe this latest LeaksApplePro confirms earlier rumors that Apple will release both laptops simultaneously. However, the global chip shortage seems likely to make the execution of such a plan more troublesome.