Redesigned MacBook Pro 2016, 13-inch MacBook Air Confirmed for Imminent Release Date with Intel Skylake? (Photo : Martin Hajek)
This is not the best time to buy the current MacBook models as rumors continue to swirl that Apple intends to drop the big upgrades soon - the MacBook Pro 2016 release and the refreshed MacBook Air. The unveiling is set October 27.
The move by Apple, according to The Motley Fool, seems smart and deliberate. "By refreshing its Mac products ahead of the holidays, Apple would help set itself up for a big holiday quarter. Combining new Macs with a recent launch of the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, Apple would have a shot at returning to year-over-year revenue growth in Q1."
It appears too that Apple will take advantage of the excitement generated by the MacBook Pro and Air in the past months, thanks to the generous leaks and rumored feature upgrades. According to ZDNet, both devices are likely to ditch the MagSafe 2 power port and all the other connectivity ports. Instead, both Macs will boast of USB-C ports that are integrated with Thunderbolt 3.
The latter would mean that all expansions (connecting accessories such as monitor or external hard drive), data transfer and power charging will be accommodated through the USB-C ports.
The same report also indicated that the MacBook Air refresh will be limited to the 13-inch form factor as the smaller screen profiles will give way to the 12-inch MacBook.
ZDNet is in agreement too with the prediction by analyst Ming-chi Kuo that the MacBook Pro 2016 will take the role as Apple's high-end ultraportable with its new slimmer and lighter build. Kuo has maintained in recent notes that the upcoming model will represent a major revamp - inside and out - of the line.
Touch ID will be built in to the power button for more secured locking and unlocking of the device and to facilitate Apple Pay. A dynamic OLED touch bar will replace the physical function keys, the report added.
Reports also suggest that for the 15-inch MacBook Pro 2016, users will get to enjoy AMD's Polaris 11 GPU, the architecture of which support the redesigned profile of the notebook, analysts said.
While macOS Sierra is confirmed to run the new Macs, it remains to be seen if Intel Skylake or Kaby Lake CPU will be on board on the actual MacBook Pro 2016 release date. But it is near certain that the device will have more processing power and extended battery life, which is also true with the MacBook Air refresh.
