The MacBook Pro 2016 release date is happening soon, likely no later than November this year, but the refresh will skip Intel's seventh-generation Kaby Lake chip, a new report said. Powering the new Mac notebook instead is Skylake with the GPU muscle provided by both Intel and AMD.
In spite of the persistent rumors that Apple has slightly pushed back the 2016 arrival of the new MacBook Pros due to Kaby Lake, Apple Insider is convinced that the laptops will be unpacked in the next few months and all running on Skylake. "We don't think that the imminent MacBook Pro refresh will have the seventh generation of the Intel Core-series processor in it," the report said.
The same report suggested too that AMD Polaris 11 GPU will be used with select models of the MacBook Pro 2016, specifically the 15-inch premium editions. Analysts have been saying that Apple will roll out the MBP 2016s in 13-inch and 15-inch form factors with slimmer and lighter build than ever, and the latter will be the exclusive recipient of AMD's latest mobile graphics card.
"Given the state of the GPU market, continued use of AMD GPUs seems likely with the "Polaris"-series chip seemingly obvious for the new MacBook Pro," Apple Insider reported.
The rest of the MacBook Pro 2016 variants - the more affordable 15-inch models and 13-inch builds - will be powered by the combo of Intel Skylake and the chipset's integrated graphics. Apple stuck with Skylake as Kaby Lake is unlikely to be ready for the MacBook Pro specifications anytime soon. And the tech giant seems unwilling to further stretch the already delayed upgrades for the MBP.
As for the choice of integrated graphics for majority of the MacBook Pro 2016 models, Apple seem headed to the right direction, the report said. "Integrated graphics chipsets are greatly more advanced, and feature higher performance than in years past. Advantages in power consumption for omitting a dedicated GPU cannot be denied," Apple Insider explained.
Rumors indicate that Apple might just introduce the MacBook Pro 2016 with the iPhone 7 in September but MacWorld said that such a scenario seems a remote possibility. The new MBPs are thought to be packed with numerous monster upgrades - ultra-slim build and design, renamed MacOS Sierra, OLED touch bar, Touch ID-enabled power button, Apple Pencil support on the device trackpad and Siri for Mac - that the revelation is likely set as a separate event.
Introduction of the MacBook Pro 2016 is possibly set between late September and anytime in October with the actual release date happening no later than November.