MacBook Pro With Notch Was Potentially Leaked Months Ago in Stolen Schematics

We were alerted by a rumor that the upcoming MacBook Pro models of 14-inch and 16 inch could have a notch at their tops. This design may have been leaked in stolen schematics many months ago.


In April, REvil, a ransomware organization, publicly claimed that it had obtained internal information from Apple supplier Quanta Computer in Taiwan. The group demanded payment to keep the information secret. Some of the information is still available, including schematics of unreleased MacBook Pro models. These schematics corroborated the return to an HDMI port, an SD card slot and MagSafe.

We now know that a schematic that was leaked in April shows a MacBook Pro with a notch. The schematic of the notch is actually overlayed on the photo of a MacBook Pro that was leaked earlier in the weekend. Since it is stolen material, we have decided not to share the image of its schematic.

Although it wasn't immediately obvious that the schematic was a notched display, when combined with the leaked photo, the situation becomes more clear. However, Apple has not yet confirmed that a notched display will be the final design of the MacBook Pro models 14-inch and 16.-inch. We'll need to wait for Apple's event to confirm.

The alleged notch in yesterday’s leaked image shows a FaceTime camera, microphone and ambient light sensor for True Tone. Reddit user, earlier this week, claimed that the next MacBook Pro would not have Face ID, despite the fact that it had a notch. However, the Touch ID sensor will likely remain above the keyboard to authenticate.

MacRumors found potential display resolutions for the MacOS Monterey beta last month. These were 3024x1964, 3456x2234 and respectively, 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pros. The resulting resolutions of 3024x1890 or 3456x2160 are a 16:10 ratio. Apple's current MacBooks have a 16/10 aspect ratio. This leads to speculation that the additional 74 pixels may be for a notch.

Apple's virtual event "Unleashed," which begins Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, is the first. Redesigned MacBook Pro models 14-inch and 16 inch will also be available with a faster M1 chip and brighter mini LED backlit displays. The Touch Bar will likely be replaced by physical Fn keys.