MacBook Pro 2016 Release Date Nears as 2015 Models Discounted by High $500? (Photo : Image Credit: Martin Hajek)
Rumors have it, with some analysts in agreement, that Apple is rolling out significant MacBook upgrades in time for the 2016 WWDC in June. And among the feature upgrades to unpack with the next-generation OS X laptops on release date are a reimagined keyboard and the latest GPU muscles around.
The slimmest MacBook ever
Reports say that the 2016 MacBook will debut in 13-inch and 15-inch screen sizes with the build and design based mostly on the 12-inch 2015 MacBook. The upcoming bunch promises to be the slimmest Macs ever thanks mostly to the engineering of the device.
And as suggested by a new Apple patent, it appears that the trimmed-down MacBook design will be partly achieved by eliminating the physical keys on the laptop keyboard. According to Business Insider, "a future MacBook could have a flat surface that you can type on."
Apple's new keyboard invention talks of "a configurable, force-sensitive input structure for an electronic device," that makes use of technologies already used on existing MacBooks - haptic and Force Touch. This increases the chance of the key-less keyboard making the final cut of the upcoming Macs.
The Force Touch keyboard is designed to light up when in use to help in accurate typing. Despite its supposedly advanced features, the reimagined MacBook keyboard is far from being a battery drain, thus optimizing its productivity use.
Graphic muscle car
The 2016 MacBooks could mark not only Apple's switch to Skylake processing chip but also to the latest graphic engines that are best described as GPU muscle cars. The AMD Polaris and Nvidia Pascal graphic architectures are slated for mass availability this year with both utilizing the 14nm and 16nm FinFET processor nodes. The jump from 28nm will mean for end-users "significant improvements in graphics performance," MacRumors reported.
The report also noted that the AMD and Nvidia GPUs are coming out summertime, which fits with Apple's Mac rollout calendar. Any of the MacBook Pro or Air could be introduced through the 2016 WWDC in June with the release date seen to follow shortly. It is likely that the MacBook Pro or the desktop Mac will be the first to rock the next-generation graphic chips, MacRumors said.
