Apple Inc. today announced an upcoming event titled “Unleashed” where executives are expected to detail upgraded MacBook Pro laptops with a speedy new chip, as well as a faster Mac mini.

The event is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. PDT Oct. 18. Apple hasn’t shared any details on what products will be making their debut. But the reports that have emerged over the past few months provide a wealth of information on the new hardware the iPhone maker is likely preparing to announce.

It’s believed that the main highlight of the event will be the introduction of new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. The laptops are said to feature a streamlined design with a larger screen flanked by thinner bezels. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is rumored to feature a display with a resolution of 3024 pixels by 1964 pixels, while the 16-inch edition will reportedly offer a resolution of 3456 pixels by 2234 pixels.

The most significant improvement, however, will be made to the laptops’ processor.

Current MacBook Pros ship with an Apple-designed system-on-chip dubbed the M1 that features multiple types of computing modules. The chip’s built-in central processing unit is described as 3.5 times faster than its predecessor, while the integrated graphics card offers up to six times higher performance. The upcoming MacBook Pros that could debut on Oct. 18 will reportedly include a new, even faster version of the processor dubbed M1X.

Apple is said to have developed two different editions of the M1X. The first is believed to feature 10 CPU cores and 16 graphics cores, a big upgrade over the original M1, which includes eight of each. The second edition of the forthcoming chip will offer even more processing power: It’s reported to combine 10 CPU cores with no fewer than 32 graphics cores.

Apple has reportedly also changed certain other aspects of the chip’s design. 

There are two sets of CPU cores in a MacBook Pro. The first set is designed to maximize performance while the other trades off some speed for increased power efficiency. Applications that require a limited amount of processing capacity can run on the more efficient cores to extend the laptop’s battery life.

The M1 in current-generation MacBook Pros features four high-performance cores and four power-efficient cores. The upcoming M1X chip is expected to place a bigger emphasis on processing speed: up to eight of the chip’s 10 CPU cores will reportedly be based on a high-performance design, which would give the upcoming MacBook Pros yet another boost in computing capacity.

A revamped version of the Mac mini could reportedly debut alongside the new laptops. According to recent reports, Apple will upgrade the compact desktop computer from the M1 chip with which it currently ships to the M1X. 

All three machines, the two MacBook Pros and the new Mac mini, are expected to feature more memory than previous-generation devices. Reports indicate that the M1X’s improved chip design will enable Apple to attach up to 64 gigabytes of RAM to machines based on the processor. 

Image: Apple