Since the overhauling of the MacBook Pro's design was already made towards the end of 2016, a processor upgrade from Intel's Skylake to its new Kaby Lake processor would not be much of a big deal once it updates this year. This was after a review revealed that the improvement would not constitute a huge performance gain.
A tech expert noted that there has not been much difference between the Kaby Lake and the Skylake in terms of performance when she compared Dell's Skylake-based XPS 13 and its Kaby Lake XPS 13 variant, Forbes reported via MobileTechReview. The same publication solidified the claim when it compared the processor and SSD performance of some computers installed with Skylake and Kaby Lake processors.
The report pointed out Intel's reason for the upgrade is not entirely inclined with performance improvement but with power efficiency for the most part. This therefore sums up that the tech company is focusing in improving their computers' battery life and heat dissipation.
In terms of release date, the 2017 MacBook Pro is rather likely to launch towards the end of the year as its new upgrade is still fresh after unveiling in late 2016, Mac Rumors noted. Although the WWDC would happen in June, an update is possible in the second half of 2017 or even later, the report added.
The speculations were backed by KGI Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo when he claimed that mass production for the upgraded MacBook Pro would still start in July. Aside from the current 13-inch variant, the infamous analyst also revealed Apple is preparing a 15-inch type with a 32 GB RAM processor. Kuo said this variant would start its mass production by September.
Meanwhile, the same report also claimed the upcoming iteration would only receive minor improvements in processing power. After cross-referencing Intel's line-up of processors with the currently available motherboard, the publication was able to determine that the 13-inch laptop would likely receive the i5 series processor, while the 15-inch type would be installed with the i7 series.
For other details and speculations about the MacBook Pro 2017, watch the video below.