The new Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer is seen during a product launch event on October 27, 2016 in Cupertino, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Stephen Lam)
Hold off on the plan to buy the MacBook Pro 2016 anytime soon as Apple will reportedly deliver Intel Kaby Lake processing chip in time for the 2017 versions and double the size of maximum RAM provision seen last year. Expect a 15-inch MacBook Pro with desktop-class capabilities thanks to 32GB of RAM, according to KGI analyst Ming-chi Kuo.
In a new research note, Kuo said that while the MacBook Pro 2017 refresh will hit the market with nearly the same design and specifications seen from the immediate predecessor one model will be worth the wait. A 15-inch MacBook Pro this year will boast of Intel Kaby Lake, which means more computing power and speed and better efficiency from the past versions.
But unlike the 2016 versions, which Apple has limited to 16GB RAM to supposedly extend battery life for the device, the same 15-inch MBP will be getting 32GB of RAM. "This machine, according to Kuo, will adopt desktop memory in an effort to satisfy high-end users," 9to5Mac reported.
In fact, the whole MacBook Pro 2017 lineup will run on Kaby Lake but it is only the 15-inch form factor that will be bumped to 32GB RAM. Kuo indicated in the same report that Apple will begin mass production of the 15-inch MBP 2017 in September or October this year, somehow pointing to a deployment schedule that coincides with the 2017 holiday season.
The analyst, known to issue mostly accurate predictions on upcoming Apple products and services, also said that Apple is likely to release first the 16GB versions of the MBP 2017, which will unbox in 13-inch and 15-inch form factors. Production for these models will likely commence July this year, indicating that availability will follow in August or September.
Kuo is upbeat too that the MacBook Pro 2017 will arrive as planned as "shipments will be quicker as production delays affecting 2016 models are resolved," according to MacRumors.
And as expected, once the 2017 improvements become available there will be significant discounts to be seen on the 2016 builds, specifically on the MacBook Pros minus the OLED touchbar function keys. MacRumors said the same model with 13-inch display is essentially geared to replace the MacBook Air.
As mentioned, the MacBook Pro 2017 release date will start by August and will continue likely until December this year, which is in line with Kuo's forecast that the first of the lined upgrades will begin appearing in the second half of 2017.
