Apple Said to Ship New 'Ultra-Thin' 13" and 15" MacBooks by June-July

[Steve121178]

Since when were DigiTimes a reliable source?

Move along people. Nothing to see here!

 

[Andres Cantu]

The MacBook is their new vision for the MacBook Air and the MacBook Air is their new vision for the MacBook Pro.

 

[Ries]

I wonder if they reduced the bezels if they could make a 17" MacBook Pro nearly the size of the current 15" ones? As I posted the other day, it would be neat if Apple just consolidated it like this: 12" and 15" MacBooks, 15" and 17" MacBook Pros. Get rid of the Air and add an extra port or two to the MacBook and call it a day. I mean, after all, the original Air expanded ports over time.

With the A9X having a better Geekbench score than the fastest MacBook (5466 vs. 5284), and Apple being rumored to acquire Imagination Technologies, I'm looking forward to seeing a MacBook/iPad crossover device. Apple uses "A" for their iOS devices, "M" for motion co-processors and "Hey Siri", and "S" for Apple Watch. I wonder if they would come out with another chip line that is the ultimate in performance.

Think three A9X cores on a single die using a 10nm process, Geekbenching around 16,000, in a MacBook Pro/iPad Pro 13" hybrid device. Think about using the smart connector like a Thunderbolt 3 connector to attach to a keyboard base. You could store a discrete graphics card, extra battery, and extra ports inside the keyboard part. When it snaps on it clocks up the processor and has access to the additional graphics resources and USB 3.0 speed ports for accessories. Apple has a patent on an OS that quickly switches from touch-based to mouse-based. When you dock, the display and apps morph to being a mouse-friendly desktop OS. Unification across the lines will happen eventually. And providing an SDK for (more easily) scaling iOS apps for the desktop could really help the Mac gain more market traction and help Apple achieve growth in the enterprise which, as Tim said the other day, is ripe for expansion with tons of users using really old PCs.

Everyone keeps saying that Apple's growth isn't sustainable. A hybrid device that isn't rushed and well thought out could bridge the gap to other markets that are ripe for growth. Or maybe it's just my wishful thinking. I think that Apple could figure out how to do it properly, and if they are then they are certainly taking their time. Such a machine would be really expensive to start out, but I think costs would come down over time. I know I'd easily drop $3000 on a machine like that—one that is an iPad Pro and MacBook Pro in one with great performance? That supports the Apple Pencil? It would be fantastic. Apple has been doing a lot of things lately that people never thought they would do. A stylus? Another 4" iPhone? A new iPhone with new, fast components for only $399? iPad Pro? A phablet? A watch? A $17,000 watch? Maybe even a car and removing the headphone jack? Anything is possible. Heck, it wasn't even long ago when people said they would never make an iPad Mini. Steve was famous for saying they wouldn't make something and then making it.

Geek bench scores are utter ********. Most of their tests fit in the level 1 cache and 1/4 to 1/3 of the integer score is accelerated using crypto units and therefore not comparable across platforms.

 

[Godzilla71]

And they will call it the MacBook Helium.

 

[newdeal]

I really want Apple to offer a laptop with an LTE connection.

It seems bizarre to me that the iPad has had cellular antennas from the beginning, 6 years ago now, but Apple has never given that to their laptops, even as an optional add-on, throughout the many revisions that they've had to their laptop line over the years.

If Apple put cellular connections in their computers, I could just cut Comcast entirely. AT&T's LTE is faster and cheaper than my Comcast broadband, but because tethering is less than convenient, I still mostly use broadband for when my computers need to connect to the internet.

uh...I can get 400GB data (with unlimited from 2am to 2pm) at 25Mbps on DSL for the same price that I can get 5GB of LTE Data here in Canada. You must be on a grandfathered AT&T unlimited plan?

 

[monokitty]

Ultra-thin like the Retina MacBook means logic board soldered SSD's, just like the Retina MacBook has. You better have a backup because there ain't going to be any data recovery from a soldered on SSD. Heck, even if the SSD is fine but the logic board fails, the SSD goes down with it.

 

[ghost187]

15" MBP that's about 3 ~ 3.5 lbs means instant upgrade for me. With usb type c you can use external gpu, so I'm ok with iris pro without dedicated gpu.

 

[delegagtor]

I didn't know Apple still made computers...

 

[Oppenheim]

Ultra-thin like the Retina MacBook means logic board soldered SSD's, just like the Retina MacBook has. You better have a backup because there ain't going to be any data recovery from a soldered on SSD. Heck, even if the SSD is fine but the logic board fails, the SSD goes down with it.

It's called the cloud. Been around a good while now. Welcome to the 21st century.

 

[friedkimchi]

However, the June-July timeframe seems quite realistic. We should see the HQ-class Skylakes until then and also, AMD Polaris might be in production as well. A 6770HQ+Polaris10 would be a very sweet upgrade indeed.

At this rate, it will just be the rMB + rMBP. But for that to happen, the rMB needs to drop its starting price fast, like the initial prices of the Macbook air.

I see the iPad Pro taking over the Air lineup.

I don't think Apple goes with the latest dGPUs. They seem to be a few generations behind. Plus I think the next dGPU in the 15 will be a slightly overclocked version, judging from previous 15" discrete graphic card updates. 650M > 750M ?

If Apple takes design cues from Dell's XPS 15 (9550), it would be great.
Can't they simply reduce the bezels, yet increase the overall thickness to allow higher thermal envelope?

 

[__dontpanic__]

This forum..., yesterday people were moaning there was no Mac related news and how dated the hardware is - now it's Apple can't make decent laptops anyway/it'll be under powered/who needs thin? People are never satisfied it seems.

Personally I'm buzzing, my 2012 unibody pro is still going strong despite people in this thread claiming it apparently should've had heat-related failure by now. Would love to move to a retina screen and faster GPU.

Now to decide between a new Pro in June, or take the jump for a 9.7" iPad Pro next month...

I think the fact that you're tossing up between a MBP and an iPad Pro goes to show that you're not even remotely in the same market as those who are unsatisfied with this rumour.

Professionals that rely on Macs for content creation (video/audio/design/photography) do not care about making their MBPs thinner or lighter. If anything, they want them bigger (17" please, don't take away any more ports) and more powerful (CPU, GPU, RAM, battery).

If Apple want to target the consumer market with thin, light, underpowered laptops, do it with the MacBook line. But don't gimp the MacBook Pro line.

Oh, and my 2011 17" MBP has TWICE suffered heat related GPU failure. The issues are real for those who actually use their MBPs for the work they were supposedly designed for...

 

[BWhaler]

Can't wait. I hope they pair them with an amazing new display.

I wonder if this will be the last laptop I buy. iPad is getting better and better—the software is the only thing holding it back at this point. Either way, looking forward to a huge leap in the next Macbook Pro.

 

[groovyd]

They are starting to confuse me with so many options... I really think they need to focus on keeping things simple.

 

[Steve121178]

if they released the same computer as the macbook air 13" only with a 1080p IPS display and even better battery life I would be sold.

16:9 screens are a massive NO. 16:10 and even the 3:2 as seen on the Surface Book are the way forward.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Apple cannot make pro level laptops anymore. Their fetish with ever thinner cases means they are using substandard components and heat profiles guaranteed to destroy the chipsets after a couple of years.

Pretty much pro laptop made by Apple in the past 5 years have all had heat related failures

Certainly many Apple laptops have had higher than normal rates of failure, but if I recall correctly, it always had to do with the way Apple used nVidia discreet GPUs. More likely, nVidia fudged the numbers a bit in their spec sheets and integration guides that say how hot the chip gets, and thus Apple didn't account for it properly. We know Apple likes to push chips to their limit, and doesn't leave much in the way of error or safety factors.

However, other than the few nVidia examples, I don't recall any heat related failures at unusual rates.

 

[ReneR]

yay, soldered to logic board SSD for the rest of the models? :-/

 

[wood1208]

Macbook Pro needs to shed some weight while upgrading lower TDP skylake processor. 13" MBP weight should be closer to 3lb but not more than 4lb. No need to replace power port as it is solid reliable long lasting(unlike PC laptop) but add USB-C/USB 3.1 port and upgradeable flash storage to start with 256gb as base configuration. We are good to go.

 

[__dontpanic__]

And with that, you've missed the whole point of Apple's unified hardware/software philosophy.

Maybe try calling Dell in India for a quote?

Even they have learned from Apple!

Wow. Unless you subscribe to Apple's locked down hardware approach, you're "missing the point" and should get a PC??? Really?

Sorry, but I'm not drinking that koolaid.

I'd happily trade away thinness for a more powerful laptop with user replaceable parts. Find you need more RAM? Whack some in. SSD full? Put in a bigger one. Something broken? Replace it. That's how it used to be. Before Apple became totally and utterly focused on milking the consumer market for every last cent. This has got nothing to do with Apple's unified hardware/software philosophy.

 

[cube]

deleted

 

[WRONG]

If Apple will continue to make laptops thinner, one day they'll disappear...
(it looks like it's exactly what they plan to do with the iPad by the way)

 

[Serban]

Its clear the new mbp will come with new speakers as well

 

[Carlanga]

Don't do this to me, Apple. Please. If you really make that thin of a MacBook Pro in a 15" form with Skylake, I will throw all of my money at you. Please include some USB 3.1 and C ports, keep the MagSafe, keep the battery life, force touch, and I will be satisfied with this year with Apple.


EDIT: And most of all, no butterfly keyboard

lol, wish upon a star! GL you will need it.

 

[acidsoul]

Thinner and lighter is welcomed, ONLY if they have the performance and expandability we would expect for a MBP. The problem is Apple may not understand what "pro" means anymore.
BTW I prefer magsafe over USB C please.

 

[nt5672]

They are starting to confuse me with so many options... I really think they need to focus on keeping things simple.

They do, its called the iPad and it'll do everything you need.

 

[__dontpanic__]

Certainly many Apple laptops have had higher than normal rates of failure, but if I recall correctly, it always had to do with the way Apple used nVidia discreet GPUs. More likely, nVidia fudged the numbers a bit in their spec sheets and integration guides that say how hot the chip gets, and thus Apple didn't account for it properly. We know Apple likes to push chips to their limit, and doesn't leave much in the way of error or safety factors.

However, other than the few nVidia examples, I don't recall any heat related failures at unusual rates.

My 2011 17" MBP with an ATi GPU has failed twice. This is not simply a GPU manufacturer fault. I've also had two nMPs with heat related GPU issues. Apple have an issue with heat and I'm pretty sure it has to do with placing form above function...