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Could We See a 16-inch MacBook Pro Announcement Today?

I think the AirPods announcement yesterday rules out an event soon. If they were going to hold an event next week, they would have held the AirPods back.

Which means either the 16" is:
  • Not coming
  • Will be a briefing held in NYC/Cupertino for select press.
  • Or, the briefing was held and review embargoes will lift this week.
The interesting thing is that 10.15.1 wasn't released, but it may just not have cleared the checkboxes for release yet.

Also, the 16" is not what one would reasonably consider a holiday gift, so it's not tied to a holiday release.
 
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I don’t think today’s the day—:(

Maybe tomorrow? Maybe March?
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Brammy said:
I think the AirPods announcement yesterday rules out an event soon. If they were going to hold an event next week, they would have held the AirPods back.

Which means either the 16" is:
  • Not coming
  • Will be a briefing held in NYC/Cupertino for select press.
  • Or, the briefing was held and review embargoes will lift this week.
The interesting thing is that 10.15.1 wasn't released, but it may just not have cleared the checkboxes for release yet.

Also, the 16" is not what one would reasonably consider a holiday gift, so it's not tied to a holiday release.
Click to expand...
No event. It seems to me they are going to put all their effort into showcasing the new Apple TV + product.
 
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TechFounder said:
Waiting for MB Air refresh. The processor on this thing is generations behind. Bring out the quad cores!!!
Click to expand...

that's not coming anytime soon, if you need that then the 13" pro is not much bigger anyway. It is $200 more though.
 
TechFounder said:
Waiting for MB Air refresh. The processor on this thing is generations behind. Bring out the quad cores!!!
Click to expand...

There is a new suitable quad-core 10th gen Amber Lake Y chip that gets around the wattage used by the MacBook Air.

Intel® Core™ i7-10510Y Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.50 GHz) - Product Specifications | Intel

Intel® Core™ i7-10510Y Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.50 GHz) quick reference with specifications, features, and technologies.
ark.intel.com ark.intel.com

When dropped to 4.5 watts, the base clock speed is 400MHz which is really low.
 
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sw1tcher said:
So Apple could release a 16-inch MBP any time between now and the end of 2020.
Click to expand...

Well... yes.

Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro, to include the Touch Bar, for the last time in October 2016, more than four years after the previous redesign (which introduced the Retina display). The previous one (the Unibody) was released in October 2008, almost for years before. And prior to that, the design of the MacBook Pro was a carryover of the aluminum Power Book G4, introduced in 2003.

The pattern of the past releases indicate that Apple will typically introduce redesigned models every 4 years (more or less).

Perhaps a 16-inch Pro can be considered a redesign of the current 15-inch model, as it is supposed to keep the body size and include a larger screen with thinner bezels. Or perhaps it is so similar to the current design that it does not qualify as a redesign. But then, the introduction of a 16-inch is a big update, as none of the previous redesigns changed the screen size. Plus, if a new redesign is coming in a year from now, why would Apple bother in introduce a larger screen right now instead of saving this big leap as a feature for the next update?

Considering that this qualifies as a redesign, it may still be a bit early for Apple to release it, just three years after the last one. But Apple has been quite erratic in updates these times. It introduced the 12-inch MacBook in 2015 just to discontinue it this year. And a new Air came out of nowhere in 2018, after nearly seven years without a redesign. Anything can happen.
 
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I wouldn't be surprised if they announce it today. Apple doesn't like to admit mistakes. They'll just subtly say we've improved the keyboard and added an escape key. The bezel is smaller and there's new chips inside.
16 is the new 15. 14 will be the new 13 next year.
 
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This is a make or break moment for Apple's reputation in the MacBook Pro line up. If they screw up again, here, now... be it with price, and/or quality and performance, then all hope is lost.
I so want this thing to be good. To once again read the Apple press release and the Mac Rumors announcement discussion threads with unabated exhilaration, and once again eagerly spec out my order on the Apple website.
But there have been so many unforgivable concessions forced upon us, (that are now considered as the new sickening, perverse norm), that I greatly fear it will suck and suck an extra inch more. Please, please Apple, prove my cynical self wrong. Please. 😞
 
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Sure and we could also see North Korea announce that they are going to adopt the US Constitution today.

Both announcements are highly unlikely.
 
sw1tcher said:
It's because of this stupid obsession with thinness and lightness that Apple laptops now have crappy keyboards, and the ability to easily upgrade/replace parts is gone.

Functionality > thin and light
Click to expand...

Well, it is not a stupid obsession at all. I think a thin and light laptop has its advantages.

I carry around a laptop all the time. I currently have a 13-inch MacBook Pro (with Touch Bar) and a 13-inch MacBook Air (the Retina model). Both are thin and light, and I appreciate the size of them. The 13-inch Air is noticeably lighter, even though both have the same screen size.

Prior to that, I used to carry around a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. It was great, except for the fact that (1) it was heavy and my back suffered after a few days; and (2) it has awkward to use in airplanes and sometimes even in meetings with scarce space in the table.

For these reasons, I opted for the 13-inch models this time. Of course I prefer the 15-inch screen and all the productivity benefits a larger display can bring. I can also appreciate the performance increase. But I am also concerned about other aspects, which is the reason I chose the 13-inch devices. I appreciate the lightness of the Air, and the good battery life. And I also appreciate the additional power of the Pro.

Laptops are still far from being ideal, even though they have improved a lot in the last years. A 16-inch screen, although an improvement, will also bring some compromises. It will probably make me drool over it, but it is probably not the laptop for me; it may be too heavy to carry around all the time, and the battery life may be lower than expected due to the screen. I will have to live with the compromises which a smaller footprint requires.

If you want a desktop replacement to carry around, and you do not care a lot about battery life or size and weight, then it should do just fine.
 
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I feel they wanted to have an October event with brand new hardware reveals (like Apple Tile or AR glasses) but ran into last minute issues and not to have a repeat of AirPower, they called off the event.
 
MacFather said:
Will an SD card slot return?

Click to expand...

It's so weird that in 2009, SD cards were unusual enough that Phil had to expain what people use them for to justify why they included the slot in the MacBook Pro. Yet today, when SD cards are used more than ever by almost everyone, and pretty much every portable device that has removable storage (from phones to stills and video cameras ranging from lowest to highest end) uses SD cards, they no longer include them in their computers. I don't get why.
 
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TechFounder said:
Waiting for MB Air refresh. The processor on this thing is generations behind. Bring out the quad cores!!!
Click to expand...
Well it was only released a year ago, but the newer quad core version could be added as a +$200 option I guess. But really you’d probably be better off with a 13” MBP at that point.

Don’t look for an update soon @ 10nm, Intel’s got nothing.
 
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waquzy said:
Why haven’t they announced it? Because it’s not coming
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good point - a new ATV would also draw out the press about the Apple TV+ release. The media would be focused more on the new $200 Apple TV than the service.
skaertus said:
it is an accessory, but still, it may sell in more numbers than a 16-inch MacBook Pro.

If Apple did not announce the AirPods Pro in an event, it will probably not hold an event at all this year. We are already on October 29, and last year's event was on October 30.

I think Apple will either release the 16-inch Pro this week (or sometime in the coming weeks) with a press release (instead of an event), or hold it off until next year.
Click to expand...
I agree with this. AirPods are a phenomenon and event worthy alone. Apple is for sure releasing things differently this year. Either due to Apple TV+ or to avoid a mea culpa of the butterfly keyboard design.
waquzy said:
You do realise that the 16” will be the exact same size as the current 15” with reduced bezels
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No one knows what the form factor will be. It could be slightly larger or longer than the 15”. if they got rid of the FaceTime camera it might work, which would play to the security angle - but people would rather have it and cover it with tape than not have it.
 
Steve121178 said:
I'm waiting for a 13" refresh. My late 2013 13" MacBook Pro is starting to show its age.

I think pricing for the 16" will be horrific though, especially in the UK. Probably looking at £3000-£3500 for a well specced unit.
Click to expand...
I’d say 3500 for the base model, and that’s being rather optimistic.
 
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