It seems almost like a certainty that Apple will introduce an overhauled MacBook model featuring the largest screen size since the 17-inch Pro’s cancellation. And the best thing about the new 16-inch version is that it won’t have a bigger footprint than the current 15-inch MacBook Pro. Recent reports claimed that Apple was able to reduce the size of the bezels on its 15.4-inch laptop to fit even more display into the same space. The new device is expected to arrive this fall, and there’s a new source that suggests it might be released even sooner than expected.
Looking at the overall notebook market and the effects of the US-China trade war on sales, TrendForce found that shipments grew by 12.1% over the previous quarter, exceeding its initially cautious expectations.
Apple sold 3.2 million units during the period, registering an increase of 1.7% compared to the March quarter. All other leading players in the business, including HP, Lenovo, and Dell, recorded growth in Q2, with TrendForce anticipating growing demand in the coming quarter.
What’s interesting is that the analysts mention Apple’s upcoming new 16-inch MacBook Pro in the notebook sales estimate for the September quarter, suggesting that Apple might launch the laptop earlier than expected.
According to the 3Q outlook for notebook shipments, demand for Chromebooks remains strong thanks to the back-to-school period; at the same time, we see new products hitting shelves, such as Apple’s 16-inch MacBook, Dell’s products with 16:10 aspect ratio, Asus’s dual-screen laptop, as well as various gaming laptops in increasingly hot demand. Although the actual number of sales will have to wait until the market gives its verdict, these new releases do help push up stock levels.
At least one previous report noted that Apple might launch the 16-inch laptop in September. At the time, we figured it must have been a mistake since Apple usually unveils new Mac and iPad hardware in October, about a month after its annual mid-September iPhone event.
Unveiling the 16-inch MacBook Pro at the iPhone event, and launching it by late September might help Apple’s bottom line for the period, although it’s just speculation at this point.
Whatever the case, TrendForce is at least the fifth source to claim that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is coming this year, MacRumors explains. It would be bizarre for all of these sources to be wrong about Apple’s plans for the Pro series this year. However, unlike other analysts and other sources, TrendForce doesn’t reveal any details about the new Pro.
