The iPhone 7 might become the best-selling new device Apple launches this year, but that’s not the only exciting new gadget the company is developing. More and more rumors have revealed that the MacBook Pro is getting a fresh design this year, with the flagship laptop expected to be thinner and more powerful than ever. Previous rumors claimed the 2016 MacBook Pro will be launched in the fourth quarter of the year, but a new report says the new notebook family might hit stores in August. And Apple could unveil the device in just a few days, at this year’s WWDC event.
DON’T MISS: WWDC 2016 preview: Everything Apple plans to unveil next week
Japanese Mac blog Macotakara learned from reliable supply chain sources from China that Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptops will be unveiled in June, and begin shipping in August.
The new MacBook Pro will ditch the old USB-A, Thunderbolt 2, and MacSafe 2 ports, and feature a combination of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports. Other details aren’t offered about the next-gen MacBook Pro laptops, but recent reports said the devices will have a context-aware OLED touchscreen replacing the function keys, and a design inspired by the 12-inch Retina MacBook.
Macotakara’s report does offer a confusing detail about Apple’s future MacBook lineup, suggesting the MacBook Air might also be in for a refresh. This contradicts previous reports that claimed the Air line will be phased out. One plausible explanation for this confusion is the MacBook Pro’s new metal chassis design. Supply chain sources may have mistaken MacBook Pro components for MacBook Air components, and jump to the wrong conclusion. If that’s the case, then we might be looking at further confirmation that the 2016 MacBook Pro models will be thinner than ever, moving firmly into Air size territory.
As for a WWDC 2016 MacBook Pro announcement, that seems unlikely considering that recent reports said Apple will focus on software at the event. However, Apple may have decided to surprise the audience with a radically redesigned MacBook Pro during Monday’s keynote, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
