15" MBP: Buy or wait?

[aevan]

Issues I have "personally" experienced are mostly related to display devices and ethernet. These guy's don't get as it simply doesn't affect them, therefore all is good with Apple. Nor am I willing to get into another futile "ping pong match" anymore over what is basically just personal experience and opinion. I can visualise that the 2016 MBP works for many, yet some are seemingly incapable of understanding why it just "may" not be such a great a proposition for others, or is there any other realistic options from Apple. With any luck Karma will come into play and they may well find themselves in that position one day, only then will they understand exactly how frustrating it can be, and how unprofessional it comes across...

I do understand, even though I believe some people are making too much fuss over it. Dongles are not the worst thing in the world, if it's a cost of progress. So, I do understand that some people can't just change cables. These people will have to work with dongles. But most people will be fine. I'm not saying it's not an issue for some people, just that it's not THAT a big of a deal. Especially as I consider there is always resistance to change and I'm glad at least one company is pushing things. Since you're a Surface user, I can tell you that 90% of issues Windows 10 has are related to legacy support. I can't blame Microsoft here because they have no choice, considering their business model, but I can only imagine how much better Windows 10 would be if they forced developers to adopt new technologies instead of giving them an "USB-A" equivalent option. I know for a fact that a lot of people in Microsoft have the same opinion about this.

So, do you really want to be that guy, when faced with something that is the future, says "slow down, not yet"? And you want to be that guy for what - a few dongles?

As for karma - I said it many times before: a day may come (it's very possible) when Apple decides to change something I need. I will have to move on, switch to a competitor. I would still be glad that they are sticking to their values and are prepared to discard the old and focus on the next thing.

TLDR: I understand a lot of people have issues, but I don't think dongles are the worst thing ever, and (my personal opinion, feel free to disagree) the cost is small compared to the strategical benefits of having an USB-C only line of computers.

I hope you, at least, understand my point of view, even if you don't agree. And yes, I too have to pull out a dongle every single time someone brings me a flash stick in the office.

 

[Eason85]

Of all the issues I have with the 2016 macbook pros, dongles aren't even one of them. Tb3 all the way! (Just wait until the TB3 ports start wearing out on these machines though... the connector hasn't been around that long and I think it will start slipping out of the port with way too much ease)

 

[Queen6]

I do understand, even though I believe some people are making too much fuss over it. Dongles are not the worst thing in the world, if it's a cost of progress. So, I do understand that some people can't just change cables. These people will have to work with dongles. But most people will be fine. I'm not saying it's not an issue for some people, just that it's not THAT a big of a deal. Especially as I consider there is always resistance to change and I'm glad at least one company is pushing things. Since you're a Surface user, I can tell you that 90% of issues Windows 10 has are related to legacy support. I can't blame Microsoft here because they have no choice, considering their business model, but I can only imagine how much better Windows 10 would be if they forced developers to adopt new technologies instead of giving them an "USB-A" equivalent option. I know for a fact that a lot of people in Microsoft have the same opinion about this.

So, do you really want to be that guy, when faced with something that is the future, says "slow down, not yet"? And you want to be that guy for what - a few dongles?

As for karma - I said it many times before: a day may come (it's very possible) when Apple decides to change something I need. I will have to move on, switch to a competitor. I would still be glad that they are sticking to their values and are prepared to discard the old and focus on the next thing.

TLDR: I understand a lot of people have issues, but I don't think dongles are the worst thing ever, and (my personal opinion, feel free to disagree) the cost is small compared to the strategical benefits of having an USB-C only line of computers.

I hope you, at least, understand my point of view, even if you don't agree. And yes, I too have to pull out a dongle every single time someone brings me a flash stick in the office.

Not so much "not yet"; USB C/TB-3 is without any doubts the most versatile connection/protocol to date, however inconvenience is one thing, not working entirely another matter. Just my opinion had Apple presented the MBP with the 2015 form factor, battery capacity, P3 display, replaced TB-2 with USB C/TB-3, retained the rest of the ports including MagSafe, keyboard absolutely subjective, none of this conjecture would exist today as we would all be happy, maybe throw in a small design change, in tandem with the dGPU advancing it would arguably have been a far more balanced notebook, as it stands; shaved some weight and dimension and for an aspect of the user brought a great deal of compromise.

I would say "a time and a place", agree absolutely is very likely Apple to do such things, equally this time Apple has really deeply impacted many of it users. I can see your point, equally it would be nice for someone to just see the other side of the coin, just once, as I have to say changing platforms is zero fun, however it has also opened my eyes to what others outside Apple can offer.

Windows 10 UI is still and remains to be a cluster, quite literally functionally the OS is really getting there, Creators Update is another step in the right direction; I have zero complaint regarding performance & stability. truthfully it is, what it is, if the 2016 MBP served my needs better I would be responding on one, nor do I think it would kill for some to respect the same...

Q-6

 

[SteveJUAE]

If you are right and this is the case, than its dire news for the entire computer industry. USB-C is literally the most important thing that has happened to computer connectivity since, well, USB. If it fails, we are back to square one.

I think you need to distinguish between the port USB-C design/arrangement and what OEM's are allowed to configure and interface via it

The standard is good for the port design/pin arrangement etc but as many of us have seen IRL scenarios for those have had devices a little longer than the current MBP know not all is equal

Hence the cable confusion to mention one of many problems. For those lesser technically informed the problem lies in simple identification of your USB-C port capabilities or limitations

IMO the OEM's should of also agreed a colour convention or marking to distinguish between capabilities.

For example in my own experience:

Apple and other OEM's seem to avoid correct labelling of the power cables
I have had HDMI work via Samsung dongle and not the Apple triple dongle
I have had Phones connect via the Apple dongle and not the Samsung
I have had ext SSD that would only work via Apple single dongle
I have had chargers that would not work through Apple triple dongle
I have other OEM power cords not rated high enough for my Apple charger only because I read the specs small print

This is before you even get to some of the more recent add-ons like monitors etc. The peripheral range even after a year or more is still limited and the confusion/mishaps is likely to get worse as more 3rd parties develop accessories etc.

The spec even stresses the non use of simple cable end converters that many seem to promote without caution and as we know Amazon has tried to limit the sale of many cheap cables that are non compliant.

Most companies are simply slow to change and adapt and interface issues for some visitors will remain for sometime

IMO For the foreseeable there is a minefield to cross for those users who just want it to work without knowing every technical details IE buy a MBP and a 5K monitor and a USB-C cable not a 1 in 6 (or more) of getting the wrong cable

USB-C is the future but its not straight forward yet and open to abuse IMO

 

[Queen6]

I think you need to distinguish between the port USB-C design/arrangement and what OEM's are allowed to configure and interface via it

The standard is good for the port design/pin arrangement etc but as many of us have seen IRL scenarios for those have had devices a little longer than the current MBP know not all is equal

Hence the cable confusion to mention one of many problems. For those lesser technically informed the problem lies in simple identification of your USB-C port capabilities or limitations

IMO the OEM's should of also agreed a colour convention or marking to distinguish between capabilities.

For example in my own experience:

Apple and other OEM's seem to avoid correct labelling of the power cables
I have had HDMI work via Samsung dongle and not the Apple triple dongle
I have had Phones connect via the Apple dongle and not the Samsung
I have had ext SSD that would only work via Apple single dongle
I have had chargers that would not work through Apple triple dongle
I have other OEM power cords not rated high enough for my Apple charger only because I read the specs small print

This is before you even get to some of the more recent add-ons like monitors etc. The peripheral range even after a year or more is still limited and the confusion/mishaps is likely to get worse as more 3rd parties develop accessories etc.

The spec even stresses the non use of simple cable end converters that many seem to promote without caution and as we know Amazon has tried to limit the sale of many cheap cables that are non compliant.

Most companies are simply slow to change and adapt and interface issues for some visitors will remain for sometime

IMO For the foreseeable there is a minefield to cross for those users who just want it to work without knowing every technical details IE buy a MBP and a 5K monitor and a USB-C cable not a 1 in 6 (or more) of getting the wrong cable

USB-C is the future but its not straight forward yet and open to abuse IMO

Well said sir. Completely agree it's the future, equally we are only at the start the journey now. As stated it's not an issue until it is one, only then will people grasp the consequence, from mild irritation to outright frustration.

Q-6

 

[Sanpete]

AMD will release this month, so the GPUs would be ready too.

Are any of the new chips going to be suitable for the MBP?

the new popping sound form the hinge, blown speakers (old Bootcamp drivers), or the bad battery life at the release).

Popping sounds from the hinge, at least new ones (there have always been some), don't seem to be a common issue. The Boot Camp problem was taken care of early on. The only model with bad battery life was the 13" with touch bar. It could use a larger battery, but it's hard to say if that would be enough to offer a new model.

What would you like Apple to say?

Other companies are offering far more sensible options with USB C/TB-3 being an addition to the relevant ports that are and will remain in mainstream use for several years to come for professional users.

They're offering a weaker collection of ports in aggregate. That's the tradeoff.

 

[TheOkeland]

Are any of the new chips going to be suitable for the MBP?

A modified version of the RX560 or maybe RX570 should be suitable. If I am not wrong, the AMD Radeon Pro 460 was a modified RX460 too.

What would you like Apple to say?

I suppose many people, like myself, are not sure what to do at the moment. There were many rumors about problems with the 2016-MBPs and there are still problems. Apple has not responded to any of this complaints yet.


At the moment I dont think that there will be a big change on MBP specs in the 2017 refresh.
I would say that only the CPU will get a refresh, maybe the GPU (still AMD, still 35 Watts max, so no big deal).
The rest of the machine? Likely it will be the same, maybe some battery improvements.

So the question is:
Is it worth to wait around six to seven month to get nearly the same machine?

 

[Sanpete]

So the question is:
Is it worth to wait around six to seven month to get nearly the same machine?

Yeah, that's the question. It may be worth it for those who feel strongly about something Apple may realistically change. Some really hate the variability of the clicking sound the keyboard makes, and it's quite possible Apple will make that more uniform--if they can. A couple posters here are very attached to the h.265 video compression standard, and that will surely be better implemented in the next version. Some are waiting on 32 GB RAM because of a rumor from an analyst who claims inside knowledge.

But on the whole, I agree it's not likely there will be a major change this year, nor is it likely there will be older ports added, a higher-travel keyboard, or the like.

 

[N3ILA]

Kaby Lake cpus to succeed Skylake cpus in current mbps

13” Intel Core i5 or Core i7 (6360U, 6660U) ("Skylake")
i5-7360U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7660U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")

13” Intel Core i5 or Core i7 (6267U, 6287U, 6567U) ("Skylake")

i5-7267U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i5-7287U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7567U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")

15” Intel Core i7 (6700HQ, 6820HQ, 6920HQ) ("Skylake")

i7-7700HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7820HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7920HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")


Anyone notice any patterns? Redesigns (new generation aka retina, aka touch bar) take about a year and a half, while updates to same generation took about 250 days.


Unibody to Retina
02/24/11 | -(473 days 1y 3m 18d)- 6/11/12

02/13/13 | 247 days (8m 2d)
10/22/13 | 251 days (8m 9d)
06/29/14 | 250 days (8m 7d)
03/09/15 | 253 days (8m 9d (13")
05/19/15 | 324 days (10m 20d (15")

Retina to Touch Bar

10/27/16 | 13" (598 days 1y 7m 18d)
10/27/16 | 15" (527 days 1y 5m 8d)


Thus, expect Kaby Lake mbps in July 2017 and Coffee Lake mbps in March 2018 as Coffee Lake won’t be out until late 2017 early 2018. I also believe we won’t see a mbp with 32gb of memory until Coffee Lake.

 

[TheOkeland]

Kaby Lake cpus to succeed Skylake cpus in current mbps

13” Intel Core i5 or Core i7 (6360U, 6660U) ("Skylake")
i5-7360U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7660U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")

13” Intel Core i5 or Core i7 (6267U, 6287U, 6567U) ("Skylake")

i5-7267U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i5-7287U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7567U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")

15” Intel Core i7 (6700HQ, 6820HQ, 6920HQ) ("Skylake")

i7-7700HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7820HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7920HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")


Anyone notice any patterns? Redesigns (new generation aka retina, aka touch bar) take about a year and a half, while updates to same generation took about 250 days.


Unibody to Retina
02/24/11 | -(473 days 1y 3m 18d)- 6/11/12

02/13/13 | 247 days (8m 2d)
10/22/13 | 251 days (8m 9d)
06/29/14 | 250 days (8m 7d)
03/09/15 | 253 days (8m 9d (13")
05/19/15 | 324 days (10m 20d (15")

Retina to Touch Bar

10/27/16 | 13" (598 days 1y 7m 18d)
10/27/16 | 15" (527 days 1y 5m 8d)


Thus, expect Kaby Lake mbps in July 2017 and Coffee Lake mbps in March 2018 as Coffee Lake won’t be out until late 2017 early 2018. I also believe we won’t see a mbp with 32gb of memory until Coffee Lake.

I would love to see an update in June/July. On marketing site this would be much better for Apple I suppose. A release in October would again result in an "outdated" MBP (Intel will likely release the new CPU early 2018, so other manufacturers will have this CPUs in their lineup in early 2018 too).
At this point, in my opinion, Apple should bite the bullet and put customers satisfaction first. Yes the MBP2016 sells well, but how many people buy the 13"-Version as a better Macbook / Macbook Air?
Would love to see facts about how many 15"-MBPs (2016) are sold and how many of them are returned.

Considering the complaints about the MBP-2016 and probably many people not sure to buy or to wait, a clear statement about Apple plans on the Macbook Pro would be nice (like what we saw with the Mac Pro).
(Hope dies last)

 

[Sanpete]

Kaby Lake cpus to succeed Skylake cpus in current mbps

13” Intel Core i5 or Core i7 (6360U, 6660U) ("Skylake")
i5-7360U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7660U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")

13” Intel Core i5 or Core i7 (6267U, 6287U, 6567U) ("Skylake")

i5-7267U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i5-7287U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7567U Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")

15” Intel Core i7 (6700HQ, 6820HQ, 6920HQ) ("Skylake")

i7-7700HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7820HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")
i7-7920HQ Q1'17 (“Kaby Lake")


Anyone notice any patterns? Redesigns (new generation aka retina, aka touch bar) take about a year and a half, while updates to same generation took about 250 days.


Unibody to Retina
02/24/11 | -(473 days 1y 3m 18d)- 6/11/12

02/13/13 | 247 days (8m 2d)
10/22/13 | 251 days (8m 9d)
06/29/14 | 250 days (8m 7d)
03/09/15 | 253 days (8m 9d (13")
05/19/15 | 324 days (10m 20d (15")

Retina to Touch Bar

10/27/16 | 13" (598 days 1y 7m 18d)
10/27/16 | 15" (527 days 1y 5m 8d)


Thus, expect Kaby Lake mbps in July 2017 and Coffee Lake mbps in March 2018 as Coffee Lake won’t be out until late 2017 early 2018. I also believe we won’t see a mbp with 32gb of memory until Coffee Lake.

The MBP got a spec bump on October 24, 2011, so the gap between the Unibody and Retina is less than you show. The average is interesting, though, giving hope to those looking for something sooner than later.

 

[N3ILA]

The MBP got a spec bump on October 24, 2011, so the gap between the Unibody and Retina is less than you show. The average is interesting, though, giving hope to those looking for something sooner than later.

My fault 10/24/11 wasn't listed on wikipedia

10/24/11 - 06/11/12 was 231 days Interesting took sj apple half the time it took tc apple for a new mbp design modular mac pro anyone, lol

 

[Sanpete]

10/24/11 - 06/11/12 was 231 days Interesting took sj apple half the time it took tc apple for a new mbp design modular mac pro anyone, lol

Not necessarily. I imagine they work on upcoming models while there are spec bumps for older ones coming out. This most recent one did involve a lot more reworking than usual.

 

[8692574]

I am in the same boat, I am coming from a 11 MBA (i5 / 8 / 256 ) and considering the nTB 13 Pro (8/ 256) and I have no clue if it is better to wait.. or if the switch is even worthed...

 

[TheOkeland]

I am in the same boat, I am coming from a 11 MBA (i5 / 8 / 256 ) and considering the nTB 13 Pro (8/ 256) and I have no clue if it is better to wait.. or if the switch is even worthed...

If you want a nTB-model, I would say you should wait. Its likely that Apple will offer full-speced nTB-models in the next refresh.

 

[8692574]

If you want a nTB-model, I would say you should wait. Its likely that Apple will offer full-speced nTB-models in the next refresh.

Well it is not a case of want, but 1 Touchbar to me is more gimmick so if i have it good, if i don't, it's good anyway and 2 I am not paying 2000 euros for a 13 incher....

 

[TheOkeland]

Well it is not a case of want, but 1 Touchbar to me is more gimmick so if i have it good, if i don't, it's good anyway and 2 I am not paying 2000 euros for a 13 incher....

The question if the Touchbar is a gimmick or not...
I agree, the Touchbar is not revolutionary, but the F-Keysarent really usefull either. Especially because because macOS does not use shortcuts with F-Keys. So what are most of the people using the F-Keys? I would say media-, brightness- and volume-control! For this use-case the touchbar is really nice and brings TouchID with it.
Furthermore on Apple-Keyboards the F-Row is quite thin. I am really not sure how much the F-Keys are in use as F-Keys and not as media-controlls.

Indeed I would agree, that if Apple would sell the TB-MBPs for the same price as the nTB-MBPs, customers would embrace the touchbar. But that there were marketing-faults made with the 2016-MBP is obvious. e.g. missing USB-C to Lightning Cable, missing Power Adapter Extension Cable

 

[8692574]

The question if the Touchbar is a gimmick or not...
I agree, the Touchbar is not revolutionary, but the F-Keysarent really usefull either. Especially because because macOS does not use shortcuts with F-Keys. So what are most of the people using the F-Keys? I would say media-, brightness- and volume-control! For this use-case the touchbar is really nice and brings TouchID with it.
Furthermore on Apple-Keyboards the F-Row is quite thin. I am really not sure how much the F-Keys are in use as F-Keys and not as media-controlls.

Indeed I would agree, that if Apple would sell the TB-MBPs for the same price as the nTB-MBPs, customers would embrace the touchbar. But that there were marketing-faults made with the 2016-MBP is obvious. e.g. missing USB-C to Lightning Cable, missing Power Adapter Extension Cable

Well It might not be a gimmick for a lot of people, but as you suggest, I barely use the F keys, so the touchbar would be even less useful....

Yes i use the F keys for audio and brightness, and i do it without watching them, a thing I would not be able to do with the touchbar as I have to look at where i am pressing....(plus it is another thing that it might brake and might cost more to repair...)

Spending more money to have something i would not use and lose battery while at it, to me is not worthed, of course different usage might love the tb..

 

[Prodo123]

I am facing the same question at the moment.

I mean, what are we waiting for? I would guess that only the CPU will change to a KabyLake one. If the GPU gets an update (AMD Radeon 500series), it will only be a minimal improvement I suppose. We won't get NVIDIA-Cards because of the power-limitation. Apple would have to bring back the MagSafe to exceed the TB3-Powerlimit.

Everything else will likely be the same, maybe a little bit better battery.
The question to buy with or without touchbar is difficult too (if there will be a 15"-model without touchbar). The Touchbar is not really a game changer at the moment, but the F-Keys are neither. Most of the time I use the F-Keys as media-control, brightness and volume. For this use-case the touchbar will be fine and the TouchID is a really nice extra.

...

If you hope there will be a big performance-boost in the 2017-MBP, I would say no.

Unlike most people, I'm not at all concerned about performance boosts that come with Kaby Lake, since I have a desktop workstation for heavy work and I'm coming from a 2011 Sandy Bridge laptop. An Nvidia GPU would be very nice, but I suspect that Apple is staying with AMD primarily for cost and compute performance reasons, not power.

Also, interestingly enough, USB-C provides more power (87W) than MagSafe (85W). Apple has worked to keep the power rating of the MBP at around 85W no doubt.

I use function keys in Photoshop for action presets, shortcuts, etc. that speed up my workflow. If I were to use a Touch Bar, I'd keep it in the function key mode all the time, so more or less it's a gimmick to people like me.

If you are right and this is the case, than its dire news for the entire computer industry. USB-C is literally the most important thing that has happened to computer connectivity since, well, USB. If it fails, we are back to square one.

I am not sure that I agree. I'm afraid you might be underestimating the inertia in both the industry and the user's attitudes. Given the popular mindset of "this works well enough, why bother", implementing useful change is difficult. Take the outdated VGA ports. They are still among the most popular connectivity options for beamers, simply because people assume that they will always work. This is a case where the "give an option" strategy has basically failed.

Now, there were a lot of issue with USB-C introduction — lack of proper chips for hub manufacturers etc., total confusion with cables and so on and so on. But as far as Apple's aggressive adoption of USB-C goes, personally I completely support them. It might be painful right now, but this is the right thing to do and I hope that they provide enough impulse to make things move quicker in the industry.

Using a data port to charge a computer is the biggest design flaw that I've seen since the lack of the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 (which is just a month prior to the MBP). If you're on a 13" non-Touch Bar, you have only one available port for peripherals while charging. Dire news indeed, I'd say.

Note that we use multiple cameras on the job, all of which need to concurrently import files. This means more than 3 card readers, external hard drive, maybe a mouse/tablet, through a laptop connected to ethernet. It's standard procedure to keep a USB hub taped to the lid of the laptop to be able to connect more card readers.

If you're telling me to buy dongles/new wires for all of these, or replace them altogether with nonexistent USB-C/TB3 equivalents, you better be footing the bill for me and all other photogs who are holding off because of Apple's naïveté. VGA is still here because people can't afford to rewire entire buildings with newer protocols just to be able to use some fancy new projectors that project Retina-resolution 4K PowerPoint slides. My building is still Cat. 5 ethernet because our internet speed doesn't break 25 Mbps, and it doesn't make sense to spend money on cables that won't bring any immediate performance benefits.

That's the kind of situation professionals are left at. Change comes slow because change is expensive. Money talks, and yes, it is painful to pay money for things with diminishing returns.

As for dongles, have you tried replacing cables instead of dongles?

As for DDR4 - nope, not worth the wait. A lot of people expect the 2017. model to be vastly improved, however, it will be a slight upgrade. Battery life may be a bit better. If you need a new laptop, it's not worth the 7 month wait.

Here's a couple things that require dongles, with regularly used ones bolded:

• Colorimeter for calibrating display
• Card readers with built-in cables
• Printer
• Camera tethering (both USB 2.0 mini-B and 3.0 micro-B)
• USB mic
• External enclosures with integrated cable
• Flash drives
• Wireless mouse receiver/drawing tablet
• Ethernet

 

[Eason85]

Are function keys really that rarely used in MacOS? They're indispensable in Windows, though since Apple is obviously wanting to push MacOS, it isn't shocking that Windows functionality is not a priority. The last mac os I really used was OS9, and Macs didn't even have function keys back then!

 

[maflynn]

Are function keys really that rarely used in MacOS

They're used in the terminal AFAIK, and text editors. I use them for windows myself so for me I had seeing them missing.

 

[TheOkeland]

Deliver-Time in Germany for the 15" model with 460 Pro:
Apple: 2 weeks
Media Markt (similar to BestBuy): 12 weeks (only one or two configurations are delivered in two weeks)
Saturn (similar to BestBuy too): 12 weeks

Could this indicate a MBP release in June/July?

 

[maflynn]

Could this indicate a MBP release in June/July?

No, I don't think so.

 

[Dave245]

I don't think Apple will update the MacBook Pro's until October, i think what will happen this year is that we will see WWDC in June for software only, followed by a September event at Apple's new campus where they will show off new iPhone's (iPhone 7S and iPhone 8) and new iPad's, iPad Pro 12.9" and 10.9" along with Apple Watch 3, we will then see a October event for Mac's where they will show off a new iMac and iMac with "Pro" specs a new 12" MacBook and updated MacBook Pro's. They probably won't show all those off on stage, with the MacBook Pro having just been redesigned with Touch Bar they will probably just mention that they have updated them to the latest processors/specs.

So to answer your question if you really want one now then get one because you could be waiting a while, however if you don't mind waiting you can have the newer specs and possibly a price drop to the MacBook Pro's (Apple usually prices new Mac's high for the first generation before dropping prices the following year or so)

 

[The Mercurian]

I don't think Apple will update the MacBook Pro's until October, i think what will happen this year is that we will see WWDC in June for software only, followed by a September event at Apple's new campus where they will show off new iPhone's (iPhone 7S and iPhone 8) and new iPad's, iPad Pro 12.9" and 10.9" along with Apple Watch 3, we will then see a October event for Mac's where they will show off a new iMac and iMac with "Pro" specs a new 12" MacBook and updated MacBook Pro's. They probably won't show all those off on stage, with the MacBook Pro having just been redesigned with Touch Bar they will probably just mention that they have updated them to the latest processors/specs.

So to answer your question if you really want one now then get one because you could be waiting a while, however if you don't mind waiting you can have the newer specs and possibly a price drop to the MacBook Pro's (Apple usually prices new Mac's high for the first generation before dropping prices the following year or so)

I don't know actually. I think what this depends on really, is how well the 2016MBP is due versus their own projected sales. If its meeting Apple's own expectations then what you predict is likely. If however as many suspect the 2016 models are not selling great and the 2015 continues to sell well, then I think we could see more drastic changes sooner. The other possibility is a price drop at some time. I personally would not buy now all things considered. If my existing machine died tomorrow however, I would buy a refurb 2015 model as my first preference.