An analyst warns Apple enthusiasts to not count on ample availability of the new MacBook Pro 2016 expected to launch at an Apple event scheduled on Oct. 27.
MacBook Pro 2016 Tight Supply
Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at IHS Markit Technology, told Forbes in an interview that Apple started pretty late production of its upcoming flagship MacBook Pro 2016 that is scheduled for a launch at the end of this month. According to Alexander, IHS originally thought that production of this year's generation of MacBook Pro had begun earlier. Initially, the production was planned to start in the second quarter, but got delayed and started instead only in the fourth quarter.
Some previous speculations claimed that Apple will discontinue its MacBook Air line. But according to Alexander, there is also a 13-inch MacBook Air to be announced, in addition to redesigned MacBook Pros. This rumor is echoed by other recent reports published by 9To5Mac and Bloomberg.
Next Gen MacBook Pro
Both the current 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are powered by Intel fifth Gen "Broadwell" chips. Alexander said that there is also a next MacBook Pro in the works, but it's been postponed and probably will not be unveiled this year. Instead of sixth Generation Core "Skylake" expected on the MacBooks Pro 2016, that potential next-gen MacBook Pro would use Intel's newest seventh Generation Core "Kaby Lake" processor.
The next generation MacBook Pro is still in the development stage, according to Alexander, and it is not expected to come on the market until 2017. Apple seems to take its time to work on redesigns. The company hasn't changed the basic design of the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro since 2012. In order to convince premium customers to continue to pay for its laptops the high-tech giant needs to incorporate new features and come with an updated design.
As a top brand dominating the market, Apple is in a privileged place. The tech giant does not have to refresh its products as often as its competitors do. But that also means Apple needs to design its initial products to be relevant for a long time and to actually work for long.
MacBook Pro 2016 Redesign
We won't be able to know how significant Apple redesigned its MacBook Pro line until next week. But with reports suggesting that the company is planning to enhance touch in Macs with a new "Magic Touchbar" and "Magic Keyboard," there are plenty of reasons to expect some good surprises. The new OLED function bars are expected just on the Pros. They are display-based set of virtual function keys that change dynamically based on the user's task at the moment.
Possibly next to the new function key display, other likely features for the MacBook Pros are the addition of Touch ID fingerprint identity sensors and USB-C ports. Apple Must and Computerworld report on renewed speculation about whether Apple will dump the audio jack from Macs and the type of processor the company plans to adopt.
The Future Of Mac Pros
With new processors and radical redesigns, Apple is set to conquer the enterprise market. We've reached a critical point and I'm expecting that Apple will push to entice enterprise purchasers to climb aboard the Mac platform. While some enterprise users may delay upgrading to Apple's superior technology for a while, the lock-ins that once blocked Mac adoption are disappearing rapidly. Enterprises are moving to standards-compliant, platform-agnostic cloud services and the time is now for Apple to try to take advantage of this huge opportunity.
In order to convince enterprises to purchase its Mac Pros, Apple needs to design platforms that make it as easy to manage Macs in the enterprise as it is to manage an iPhone. The future of the ailing PC market and industry might be refreshed by a shift to the Mac platform. And for this to happen, the company needs to ensure no shortage of new Mac Pros supply will stay in the way to increase its market share.
