If you’re counting on an major refresh for the MacBook Pro in October, don’t give up hope yet. A new report says updated models are still on the way and they’ll launch before the end of the month.
The latest “no, really, they’re still coming” report comes from Macotakara citing a “reliable Chinese supplier.”
Just like previous MacBook Pro reports, this one says the new models will sport USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 support, and will drop the MagSafe 2 charging port. The updated MacBook Pro is also expected to standard row of keyboard function keys with a touch-sensitive OLED stip that dynamically changes based on which app is active.
Some reports claim Apple will finally replace the Intel Haswell chips in the laptop line with the recently released Kaby Lake processors. Availability may, however, prove to be a problem for Apple, so it’s possible the new models will get last fall’s Skylake processors instead.
Considering it’s already October 18th, it’s looking less likely we’ll get a special media event to launch the new models. Apple could, however, have plans for an announcement on October 27th. The company rescheduled its quarterly earnings report from the 27th to the 25th citing a scheduling conflict.
The launch of updated Retina MacBook Pro models may come with the demise of the 11-inch MacBook Air. Sources say Apple plans to discontinue the model to focus instead on the 13-inch MacBook Air and 12-inch Retina MacBook, and that the Air will transition to USB-C, too.
Regardless of what Apple has in store for its laptop line, it’s definitely time for a refresh. The Retina MacBook Pro was last updated over a year ago in May 2015, and hasn’t seen a significant refresh for years. The MacBook Air was last updated in March 2015.
That said, if Apple is updating its laptop line this month and plans to host a media event, media invitations better go out soon.
Not……Holding……Breath