Redesigned MacBook Pro 2016, 13-inch MacBook Air Confirmed for Imminent Release Date with Intel Skylake? (Photo : Martin Hajek)
Apple has essentially confirmed that a big event will happen September 7, which likely will introduce the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and the software to power the new devices - iOS 10. But aside from the flagship phones and the latest iOS version the tech giant will formally announce the 2016 refresh of both the MacBook Pro and Air, a new report said.
Apple Insider picked up a new report from Bloomberg that claimed the Apple news briefing next week will not only highlight the 2016 iPhones. Likely to steal the thunder are the new Macs that the same report said will be made public on the same day that the next iPhone is revealed.
Leading the pack is the MacBook Pro 2016, which the report said will come out of the box significantly trimmed down from the past versions. Jammed into the super-slim chassis of the MBP 2016 are the combo of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports and OLED touch panel. The latter will chiefly serve as function keys to "display both a virtual row of function keys and app-specific commands," the AI report said.
Bloomberg also confirmed that Apple has subjected the upcoming MacBook Pros to a design overhaul, which analysts said may have caused the device's late 2016 arrival. The MBP 2016 redesign is also seen as a prelude to the eventual discontinuation of the MacBook Air line as the Pros will pick up the role as Apple's new ultraportable.
However, Bloomberg shot down the rumors that the MacBook Air will be discontinued. The report hinted that the laptop will see an upgrade alongside the MacBook Pro and a preview will be provided next week. But apart from teasing that the new Air will have a multi-function USB port, no further details were provided.
In the same event, Apple will reportedly unveil a 5K monitor that will be made by LG and a new software that will increase the productivity features of the iPad Pro when using the Apple Pencil, the same report said.
No mentions were made of the specific Intel chip that will power the new Macs but speculations are rife that Kaby Lake will not make it in time for the MacBook Pro and Air 2016 debut. Instead, Apple will opt for Skylake and deck up the laptops with Intel integrated graphics card and AMD Polaris GPU, the latter likely reserved only for the high-end 15-inch MacBook Pros.
With Skylake and MacOS Sierra as the MacBook Pro 2016 main engines, the device release date is seen to happen no later than November this year and the likely the same applies for the MacBook Air upgrade.
