Starting this March 2016, Apple fans are holding their breath for the likely sneak peeks of the MacBook Pro and Air 2016 upgrades but a new report is saying that the super-slim Air is likely not getting a refresh this year. Instead, all focus will be on the upcoming MacBook Pro models that eventually will become Apple's ultraportable bet.
It is unlikely that Apple will unveil a MacBook on its March 22 event as the stage on that day has been reserved for three product revelations - the 4-inch iPhone SE, the 9.7-inch iOS tablet that likely will be called iPad Pro Mini instead of iPad Air 3 and the second-generation Apple Watch. The next MacBooks will have to wait until the third quarter of 2016.
Indications coming from analysts and supply chain sources in Asia, according to Macworld, that new batch of MacBooks will not debut until the third period of the year, theoretically starting July 2016. And it makes sense that the notebook will be formally announced via Apple's WWDC event in mid-June, the report added.
But the safe bet would be to manage expectations and that means expect only a MacBook Pro unboxing. This is in light of the emerging trend of hybrid devices or laptops with detachable screens that can then function as stand-alone tablets. The same report pointed to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro as Apple preparing the way for full-blown involvement in the new market segment.
The Macworld report painted the following scenario: For starters, the 11-inch MacBook Air will be retired and Apple will re-train consumers' attention on the original iPad Pro and its upcoming smaller sibling - the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The two devices are expected to share identical features that are optimized for productivity.
Then the MacBook Pro 2016 builds will start coming out, totally redesigned for enhanced portability and to compensate for the impending loss of the MacBook Air. And the feature upgrades for the bunch will be across the board, meaning all models will be on Intel Skylake and will get hardware bumps such as USB Type-C with the rumored killer features - Force Touch on the trackpad as well Touch ID that will mark the entry of biometrics into the system.
Siri will also be part of the deal thanks to OS X 10.12 and likely touchscreen too. But a detachable screen would be a long-shot as that has been taken care of with the iPad Pro tablets, for now.
There will be three screen configurations that will be rolled out in installment. Apple fans can expect a 17-inch MacBook Pro with 4K display, a 15-inch model with Retina and a 13-inch flavor minus the high-resolution display. The latter will serve as the budget MacBook Pro build.
As for the MacBook Pro price tag on release date, no solid details yet on the subject but one thing is clear - if the MacBook Air will not get upgrades the current sticker price will get significant discounts.