16-Inch MacBook Pro Said to Launch in September With LCD and 3072x1920 Resolution

[frabber]

Call me when there is a non bloatware competitor to my sub $2K, i7-9750h (9th gen, 6 core), 1TB SSD, 2x32GB (64GB) DDDR4 2666 Mhz (Samsung), 2060 RTX laptop (2.2 kg) running Ubuntu lean and mean with no thermal throttling...

 

[nilk]

The 17" never sold very well. I have one and loved it but it was a bulky beast. Now that I use the 15" at work I really do prefer the size and weight of the 15". I do miss the extra screen space for the UI on the 17" without making details microscopic but I have learned to make better use of the native 1440 UI space of the 15"

My work MBP is basically a portable desktop machine. I occasionally walk a short distance with it to meetings where it sits on a desk and take it to/from home just in case something comes up after-hours/weekends. I'm mostly at my desk on an external monitor, but when I'm not I want a large desktop space. The 15" retina is fine, especially since there is 1920x1200 mode, but the 17" is still much better even with it's lower-res display (I still have one, so can compare). 16.x" sounds great, but I'd rather have a larger display if that's an option (e.g. 18.x" if we're reducing bezels).

That said, the keyboard is the bigger issue for me right now, and the reason I'm still on my 2012 15" rMBP despite my employer being willing to upgrade me. They need to ditch TouchBar (or at least provide an option to have the regular escape / Fn keys) and butterfly switches need to go. The previous generation's keyboard were great, just go back to that and throw in a fingerprint scanner or implement Face ID.

For my next work machine, I want the largest, most powerful MBP that has regular Escape / Fn keys and key switches that don't fail frequently. Unfortunately right now that's the mid-2015 15" rMBP, which Apple doesn't even sell anymore.

 

[Starfyre]

I would expect it to make the Macbook Pro bezeless, while keeping the existing form factor. Kind of like what Apple did with the new iPad Pro, but even less bezels. Thinking Dell XPS.

 

[iLloyd]

please let my 2012 retina 15" last until then. Im in no rush to buy this, but I really dont want to buy the current lineup.

In the same boat with my non-retina 2012. I'm looking for (ideally) a keyboard that works as well as the 2012 (zero issues), no thermal throttling, some user-upgradability, and no Touch Bar (but keep touch ID). Whatever they release I won't be buying revision 1, I'll wait until they perfect this new design.

 

[baryon]

My dream:

New, revolutionary features:

• Removed T2 chip to increase reliability
• Reverted to old keyboard to add back the ability to, uh, type
• Made the battery removable so that you can replace it yourself before it inevitably explodes
• Added back SD card slot and USB ports because that's what the world continues to use
• Removed the touch bar because it's just a waste of money

And for all these incredible innovations, we're just going to keep the same price, because after all, we're only returning to older, better, cheaper technology!

 

[aaronhead14]

usb-c to hdmi cable. Not that big of deal

Yes, it is a big deal.

 

[Glockworkorange]

What CPU can they put in it that's newer than the one that is currently in the 15" MBP?
I also think they would launch it in October and not September.

ARM? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Recall last year they shipped in July and then November and if memory serves, back in the day it wasn't all uncommon to have two models a year.

I'd say an October event, as a new design warrants stage time and they like to give the phones and watches all the glory in September.

Maybe we'll get an ARM MacBook, newly designed Pro and spec bump airs and minis? BONUS: A display for the rest of us, although I don't think we'll get that until the iMac re-design next year.
[doublepost=1561395745][/doublepost]

Late-2008
Early-2009
Mid-2009
Mid-2010
Early-2011
Late-2011
Mid-2012
Late-2012
Early-2013
Late-2013
Mid-2014
Early-2015
Mid-2015

It's only since 2016 that the release cycle has been one per year...

For all the complaining about lack of MacBook Pro updates, they've consistently released new models for years.

 

[MrGuder]

Didn’t we have this same rumor a year ago? 16 or 17” MBP?

 

[ntlman]

I think it will be clear in a few years that the decision for Apple to drop the headphone jack on the iPhone and the majority of the ports on the MBP was simply a choice to save $ on parts where they thought they could, not for any improved benefit to the user. For all the credit they wanted to hand themselves, it is funny to see where the industry and market went. The other high end competitors dropped the headphone jack... and also saw the same plateauing of sales in subsequent high-end models. Meanwhile, many mid-tier Android phones and older iPhone models with headphone jacks continued to sell surprisingly well into 2019 (Moto line, iPhone 6 in India, and the recent quick sellout of iPhone SE models).

As for the laptops: why didn't any of the major Windows laptop manufacturers follow suit and ditch the old ports? Because they obviously sell well enough where they don't have to strip the devices in an attempt to shake more pennies into the profit column. I'm sure HP, Dell, et al would have loved to have been able to lower costs by removing ethernet, USB-A and SD card slots if they didn't think it would truly affect their appeal to users.

 

[Bregalad]

With that small increase in resolution and smaller bezels this could come in at the same size/weight as the current 15.

Previous rumors have this new machine coming in above the current 15, but I don't know what they could throw in there to justify yet another price increase.

Apple really is pricing itself out of my life. I can't justify paying $1000 for a phone. My Mac is getting pretty long in the tooth too so I've been looking at newer used Macs and people still want stupid amounts of money for machines that are already on the vintage/obsolete list or will be there really soon. Maybe I just have to give up the last shred of privacy and move to Windows/Android like everyone else.

 

[EightyTwenty]

Yes, it is a big deal.

Buy a Windows machine.

HDMI will never be on an Apple laptop again. USB-C/thunderbolt does everything HDMI does, only better.

 

[rgbrock1]

The current 2019 kicks ass

Yes. Yes it does. I have one and it's a beast!

 

[LuciusWrong]

new. higher price tag coming

To everyone making this complaint...

1) I bet you this will be a "mid level" macbook, meaning cheaper. Why? Because "LCD" sounds like a cheaper panel. Current machines have an IPS display, which is for color accuracy and viewing angle, and is EXPENSIVE.

2) Macbooks today cost THE SAME as they did 6 years ago, controlling for inflation. Almost eerily so....like thet calcukated out what they should charge based on inflation rates. Inflation is the key concept here. My 2013 15" mbp middle processor, 16gb, 512gb...costs the same (controlling for inflation) as a 2019 15", 16gb, 512gb, mid level graphics.

3) continuing my bet, this new one will use the same chassis and keyboard technology as current models, but the bezel will be thinner. And the touch bar will be gone, like on the cheap 13" mbp. And processors, memory, and storage will be limited.

I'm-a-gonna-say $500 cheaper.

And i will buy one.

 

[ilikewhey]

We’re not asking for 500 nits? Speak for yourself. I’ll take brighter if they make it.

And “only USB-C” is exactly what I and at least some others asked for and I’m glad they did it. So again, speak for yourself.

I only hope this one has 3 channels / 6 ports instead of the current 2 / 4.

Agreed though that it needs to be thick enough to have proper cooling. Although everyone whining about the throttling of the 2018 i9 still seems to ignore the fact that Apple fixed that with software. But some people just like whining.

they didn't fix jack **** in 2018. only the super duper hot i9 throttle to super hot throttle, but overall throttle is still pretty bad, my 2.2ghz 2018 6 cores over a sustained test has almost the same score as the i9. thats why folks advocate to get the 2.2ghz instead of i9.

apple truly fixed it with their 2019 model with a updated 9th gen cpu that were able to sustain higher clock with lesser thermal output.

 

[bgalakazam]

Good news. I may look into getting one if it actually comes out. Not sure how I feel about the TFT display.

 

[Ener Ji]

What CPU can they put in it that's newer than the one that is currently in the 15" MBP?

Would be one from the new intel 10nm process one I guess. That’s expected soon.

This is an intriguing question, and it's very unclear. High-power mobile CPUs ("H" class CPUs that Apple uses for the 15" MBP) are not expected to arrive anytime soon, possibly not for years, and may even skip 10nm and go straight to 7nm based on leaked Intel roadmaps.

However, Intel is working on a couple of stopgap products, a 10-core mobile processor (still on 14nm+++) and a hybrid processor that uses 14nm+++ for the CPU and 10nm for the GPU. The 10-core processor is not due until next year, but there's been speculation that Intel might try and pull forward the launch due to competitive pressure from AMD.

It's possible that Apple could secure the entire early (and limited) supply for a new 10-core processor and use it to launch the 16" MBP as a "Halo" device before any other manufacturer gets access to the 10-core. In fact, there's precedent for Apple locking up early supply of new processors in order to make a splash with a new product, but AFAIK they haven't done this in years.

That said, based on current public information, there doesn't appear to be an appropriate new processor available for the 16" this Fall, so will be interesting to see what happens. It would not surprise me if the unavailability of a new processor ends up being a reason for delaying the 16" to 2020.

 

[Digital Skunk]

It's already been said, but I love beating dead horses.

If this is a 16" vs a 16.7"~ screen then this will just be a bezel-less 15.4" replacement. Very welcomed but nothing compared to the 17.3" Apple introduced to the world and discontinued.

I'm used to the small screen size but would jump at the chance to get a 17" desktop replacement. We used to get more ports, slightly more power, slightly better cooling, and MUCH better speakers with the 17" model.

OH! And a MUCH larger, sharper screen.

 

[TomOSeven]

This is an intriguing question, and it's very unclear. High-power mobile CPUs ("H" class CPUs that Apple uses for the 15" MBP) are not expected to arrive anytime soon, possibly not for years, and may even skip 10nm and go straight to 7nm based on leaked Intel roadmaps.

However, Intel is working on a couple of stopgap products, a 10-core mobile processor (still on 14nm+++) and a hybrid processor that uses 14nm+++ for the CPU and 10nm for the GPU. The 10-core processor is not due until next year, but there's been speculation that Intel might try and pull forward the launch due to competitive pressure from AMD.

It's possible that Apple could secure the entire early (and limited) supply for a new 10-core processor and use it to launch the 16" MBP as a "Halo" device before any other manufacturer gets access to the 10-core. In fact, there's precedent for Apple locking up early supply of new processors in order to make a splash with a new product, but AFAIK they haven't done this in years.

That said, based on current public information, there doesn't appear to be an appropriate new processor available for the 16" this Fall, so will be interesting to see what happens. It would not surprise me if the unavailability of a new processor ends up being a reason for delaying the 16" to 2020.

There are plenty of "Pros" around who don't even need more CPU performance.

I'm sure I'm not alone in being fine with an i5-9400h / RX560 / 16 GB RAM.

Of course it's not going to happen, but a 'budget' 16" Macbook Pro like an "XPS 16" or Thinkpax X1 Extreme with reasonably fast specs and a 16" screen would be an absolute dream.

 

[DanBig]

As much as it angers me, I have to agree with this outlook.

Apple RARELY backpedals, and it'll be a miracle if they do so on any of these, even that awful keyboard.

Such is the price (pun intended) of using macOS.

I think that in a few years my decision will have to be: do I use iPadOS or Windows?

I think that macOS will either be on awful or cost-prohibitive hardware, or deprecated into iPadOS altogether.

So the Mac Pro is not a roll back to a better OLDER design??

Sometimes you have to read the tealeaves - The 2016 and onward MacBook Pro's was a stretch that went too far given the level of tech we have today.

Between the Keyboard, lack of port and the CPU thermal limits its time to roll back the design of the MacBook Pro or intro a higher level system for us old farts that need the real MacBook Pro back!

 

[ajfahey]

The 15" Display has become more confining with time. While 16" is a welcome improvement, I'm not at all convinced that 13.8% more display area is significant enough to matter. A 17" display with 28% more display area would have been better IMO.

 

[4487549]

Same thing here, however I purchased 18 of those machines. 14 have been refunded or repaired
[doublepost=1561360593][/doublepost]
Great point here regarding them not showcasing any touchbar advancements at the last conference

They added the Touch Bar to Sidecar, so they haven't let go of their death grip just yet...

 

[Karza]

This is an intriguing question, and it's very unclear. High-power mobile CPUs ("H" class CPUs that Apple uses for the 15" MBP) are not expected to arrive anytime soon, possibly not for years, and may even skip 10nm and go straight to 7nm based on leaked Intel roadmaps.

However, Intel is working on a couple of stopgap products, a 10-core mobile processor (still on 14nm+++) and a hybrid processor that uses 14nm+++ for the CPU and 10nm for the GPU. The 10-core processor is not due until next year, but there's been speculation that Intel might try and pull forward the launch due to competitive pressure from AMD.

It's possible that Apple could secure the entire early (and limited) supply for a new 10-core processor and use it to launch the 16" MBP as a "Halo" device before any other manufacturer gets access to the 10-core. In fact, there's precedent for Apple locking up early supply of new processors in order to make a splash with a new product, but AFAIK they haven't done this in years.

That said, based on current public information, there doesn't appear to be an appropriate new processor available for the 16" this Fall, so will be interesting to see what happens. It would not surprise me if the unavailability of a new processor ends up being a reason for delaying the 16" to 2020.

Agree 100% with this assessment. The timing of this does somewhat align with the launch of AMD's 7nm mobile Ryzen chips and might make sense given Apple's already strong partnership with AMD. However, I find it much more likely that Apple would shift to ARM before shifting to AMD's Ryzen over Intel.

Count me in the crowd that is hoping for a newly designed MacBook Pro form factor that embraces a Magic based keyboard and more space for better thermals and a slightly beefier mobile video card.

 

[TheralSadurns]

Ok, like i said, you dont understand SCALING UNDER macOS CATALINA !! i said specific CATALINA, you know the new release for the fall. Ask an developer how the new scaling works now...Like i said, you are living in the past. I suggest not talk about something you dont know..in this case Catalina and the new macbook pro that isnt even official presented

And stop reading articles 2 years old with macOS Mavericks Sierra and H Sierra that worked very well since the introduction of the first retina macbook pro back in 2012
[doublepost=1561371295][/doublepost]
How do you know?? it is the same??

Does Catalina change smoothing and subpixel rendering?! Yes.
Can this defeat basic math?! No.

Even with all the improvements in Catalina (which I am running myself btw) the non linear scaling is STILL inferior. Native pixel doubling will always beat even the best algorithms that try to smooth things over and make them less jarring.

 

[4487549]

Why? Not everybody needs them and they take up space on the MBP. If people don't use those ports then they are a waste of space and cost.

While USB-C may be annoying to you it makes the most sense in terms of the user deciding exactly what they need to hook up to their MBP. Many of us are stuck with MBPs that have old outdated ports and can never get anything better. My 17" for example has FW800, USB2 and an express card slot. All of which are pretty much useless today and take up space. USB-C also provides the best future proof options since TB3 has enough bandwidth to expand to just about any type of device in the future. Any USB, USB3 or USB3.1 device can be adapted and there is still plenty of bandwidth left for a future version of USB.

SD card readers get faster and better and while it is very nice to have one built in I prefer to have the option to choose what card reader I use so I can use different types of memory cards as needed.

HDMI is also nice to have but I just don't see the big deal buying an adapter or two to support the video ports one needs. What if a company has a VGA projector without HDMI or IT plops a monitor on your desk with DVI? By not forcing the use of just HDMI Apple gives the user the option to use only what they need. Besides the HDMI spec is constantly changing and once a port is designed for a specific spec it can't be changed. for example some older HDMI ports only support HD resolution. The HDMI spec today only support up to 4k and they are directly tied to broadcast standards and not the fluidity of computer display standards. For example 5k displays just do not work with HDMI and they likely never will due to 5k not being a broadcast video standard. HDMI is just too limiting to make a MBP stuck with it forever.

The tradeoff is worth it to me now that a single CalDigit dongle can move USB A and HDMI away from my right-handed mouse to the other side. Considering I've had an ethernet dongle since 2013, I'm no worse off than I was before. It just took a few years for third parties to catch up.
[doublepost=1561402203][/doublepost]

I look forward to seeing what will separate this MBP from the current 15” besides a seemingly minor screen real estate bump. Not sure what CPU/GPU they could use in here that the 15” doesn’t already have access to (that is, a higher end Intel part and mediocre AMD graphics). The only surprise here would be the use of AMD CPUs or Nvidia graphics (fat chance).

So the only way I can see this differentiating is with a redesign (which is a given) with better screen tech (higher contrast/brightness, better colors, etc), better thermals for extended high-perf workloads, and some other premium features that will eventually find their way to the other MBPs when they share the same design, e.g., better webcam, audio, or maybe even Face ID.

I suspect the current thin and light body is the bottleneck on GPU's. Throwing anything with more than 4GB VRAM in there would be Thermalgate all over again, so I'm willing to bet the next generation will be thicker with improved thermal management (as evidenced by the new Mac Pro and display).
[doublepost=1561402294][/doublepost]

Agree 100% with this assessment. The timing of this does somewhat align with the launch of AMD's 7nm mobile Ryzen chips and might make sense given Apple's already strong partnership with AMD. However, I find it much more likely that Apple would shift to ARM before shifting to AMD's Ryzen over Intel.

Count me in the crowd that is hoping for a newly designed MacBook Pro form factor that embraces a Magic based keyboard and more space for better thermals and a slightly beefier mobile video card.

Pretty sure they're under contract with Intel until 2020 but I'm right there with ya.
[doublepost=1561402398][/doublepost]

So the Mac Pro is not a roll back to a better OLDER design??

Sometimes you have to read the tealeaves - The 2016 and onward MacBook Pro's was a stretch that went too far given the level of tech we have today.

Between the Keyboard, lack of port and the CPU thermal limits its time to roll back the design of the MacBook Pro or intro a higher level system for us old farts that need the real MacBook Pro back!

2013-2016 (Mac Pro, MacBook Pro generations) were some dark times but the new Mac Pro inspires confidence that they learned from their mistakes.

 

[interessiert]

Physical F-keys
Scissor-keyboard

But as far as I understood sleeping Apple over the last years both will not come...