With just one week left until the October 27 event, Apple just sent around invitations. Rumors about an eventual new MacBook Pro 2016 announcement seem to confirm. How good the upcoming Mac will be? Is this the perfect Apple laptop we've been waiting for?
MacBook Pro Lineup
Except for a sharper Retina display, some specs updated and a slimmer design not much has changed since Apple releases the MacBook Pro in 2009. Based on speculations, leaks, and rumors coming out in the last few months, we might expect an all-new MacBook Pro 2016 with new features and a new look. According to MacRumors, the most common predictions suggest a thinner, lighter design and a small secondary touch screen providing context-based commands and replacing the function key row.
With their glowing Apple logos and distinctive aluminum bodies, MacBooks are a familiar sight from airports to coffee shops and college campuses. According to CNET, especially with an expected major redesign such as this, there is an elevated level of interest in new MacBooks among Apple enthusiasts. The pace of design innovation on the Mac lineup has slowed considerably and the current iterations of most MacBooks have been around for long. It's about time for a change.
In the past several years, the MacBook Pro hasn't seen anything other than minor spec updates such as more memory, faster Wi-Fi, and newer Intel chips. The only "new" MacBook so far in 2016 has been a refreshed version of the 12-inch model. But this may all change by next week.
That slow pace of change might be important if you're looking for the greatest and latest in the system specs. New technologies, including USB-C ports, new graphics chips, 4K-resolution screens, OLED displays and the latest Core i-series Intel processors are becoming regular in new laptops from HP, Lenovo, Acer, Dell, and others. But up to date, MacBook enthusiasts have been left out of many of these innovations for the most part.
Two New MacBook Pros 2016
According to Business Insider, Apple will launch two main models of MacBook Pro 2016, with different screen sizes. This has been predicted by the accurate and reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities. According to him, we can expect MacBook Pro 2016 with 13-inch and 15-inch screens.
New MacBook Pro 2016 Design
Bloomberg reports that the upcoming MacBook Pros will come with some design changes that will make them even thinner than the current lineup. Among the expected design changes will be "shallower curves around the edges."
According to the Chinese news site Commercial Times, in order to make the new MacBook Pros thinner, Apple is trying to save space by designing new hinges. In case that these rumors prove to be true, it could give the MacBook Pros 2016 a sleeker and sharper form.
OLED Strip With Customizable Keys
According to 9to5Mac, Apple implemented a concept of the OLED strip on the new MacBook Pro 2016. The OLED display strip that will take the place of the "F" keys is one of the biggest supposed new features on Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro lineup. That OLED strip will allow users customize the "F" key functions.
USB-C Support
According to Ars Technica, the upcoming MacBook Pros will introduce support for USB-C ports for connecting external devices, like displays and external hard drives. The Japanese Apple blog MacOtakara is claiming that the new MacBook Pro models won't come with an old type of USB ports at all. If that will prove to be true, then we'll need an adapter to connect legacy peripherals.
TouchID
Some reports predict that the new MacBook Pro 2016 will come with a TouchID. The fingerprint sensor will be built into the power button and it will be used to unlock the laptop instead of typing in a password. Especially if you have to log in your laptop multiple times a day, the TouchID would be more convenient and easier, just like on the iPhone.
New Intel Processors And AMD Graphics Cards
Most of the new MacBook Pros will run on Intel's latest "Skylake" processors. Some of the models that cater to power users need extra graphics performance for photo/video editing and video games will include AMD's "Polaris" graphical processors.
Apple's New macOS Sierra
The new MacBook Pros available in October will run on Apple's new macOS Sierra that will introduce some new features. For instance, a new "picture in picture" mode will allow you to pop out a video in a separate window. Other new features that come with the new macOS Sierra will allow you to use Apple's Siri voice-activated assistant and save space by storing old files and apps in iCloud.
