The current MacBook Pro models are a year old now, and contrary to what fans were expecting, Apple did not unveil the 2016 MacBook Pro laptops at the WWDC 2016 event that ended recently. So everybody is now looking forward to the MacBook Pro (2016) release date that may be set for later this year. A lot of speculations and rumors have been suggesting various things about the new notebooks. Here are 10 things you need to know about Apple’s 2016 MacBook Pro.
MacBook Pro 2016 Release Date
A report by GottaBeMobile suggests that the 2016 MacBook Pro notebooks will be released in the last quarter of this year. This news allegedly comes from an analyst who has given accurate predictions about Apple product release dates in the past. So we could be looking at an October-December launch for the new Pro models. The delay is reportedly caused by production of certain new parts and inclusion of some new features.
2015 MacBook Pro Getting Discounts, Suggest Stock Clearance
Yibada has reported that the 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pro 2015 models have a discount of up to $250 on them. This clearly suggests that stocks are being cleared out and resellers are making way for the new 2016 models that will be released soon.
Better Design for the New MacBook Pro 2016
It is being said that the new Mac Pros will be lighter and thinner than all the previous MacBooks. Also, they will be sporting a new Rose Gold color and will come with new metal-injection moulded hinges for better strength and thinner frame.
USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, OLED Touch Bar
A Forbes report suggests that the upcoming MacBook Pro will be Apple’s biggest announcement this year. It is being said that the high-performance Pro Macs will come with an OLED display touch bar to replace the physical function keys. The touch bar could be contextual and could show different controls and notifications according to the open app. USB-C and Thunderbolt-3 are also expected.
El Capitan Code Hints at MacBook Pro (2016)
Macworld reported that OS X El Capitan has got a reference codename “AAPLJ95,1” for a device. The current Mac Pro is codenamed AAPLJ90,1. This suggests that the above-mentioned code refers to the upcoming Mac Pro 2016. Also, the code hints that the new machine gets 10 USB 3.0 ports, and only the MacBook Pro can offer that many ports. This further suggests that the 2016 MacBook Pro is indeed coming.
3.5mm Headphone Jack Won’t Stay?
It may sound weird, but according to a report by HNGN, there are rumors that the Mac Pro 2016 might not get the 3.5mm headphone jack. This is just like those iPhone 7 rumors that suggested that the 3.5mm jack is being ommited from the upcoming iPhone. The rumors say that the Mac Pro models this year will get a Lightning port instead of the headphone jack. We don’t know if it will happen this year, but there are chances that Apple may be planning this.
Touch ID Power Button!
An Ubergizmo report says that the MacBook Pro 2016 might come with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor embedded into its power button. This would be similar like the Touch ID on the Home button of the iPhone. Having such a biometric security feature in the Mac Pro definitely makes sense, and there have been several rumors about this earlier this year. As of now, Apple Watch owners can automatically unlock their Mac Pro when the Watch is near the laptop, but a fingerprint sensor will be most welcome.
5K Display, Better GPUs, Faster Skylake Processors
A TCC reports has mentioned that the 2016 MacBook Pro will be powered by Intel’s latest Skylake processors. This is obvious, given that all the major laptop manufacturers have already used the chip in their high-end notebooks, and Apple itself has used Skylake CPUs in the MacBook 2016. Meanwhile, a 5K display and better GPUs probably from AMD are also expected in this years Mac Pro.
RAM and Storage Specs
Rumors say that the new 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pro 2016 models will be coming with non-user replaceable 8GB and 16GB RAM options. As for the storage, the speculated options start at 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and end at 1TB SSD model at the top of the line. Of course, the pricing will also be set accordingly, so keep your wallets ready.
Enhanced Battery Life
The new sixth-gen Intel Skylake CPUs in the upcoming Macs will be 30% more battery efficient. This means that we can expect better battery life in the 2016 Pro Macs as compared to this year’s models. We would be thankful if Apple can provide at least 10 hours of actual use on the new MacBook Pro notebooks.
That’s all we know right now, but more leaks are expected ahead. So stay tuned.