Intel's 'Kaby Lake' Processors Still on Track for Late 2016 Launch

[MacRumors]

Intel's next-generation Kaby Lake processors are still on track for a late 2016 launch and are set to enter production by the end of this quarter, according to an announcement made by Intel at Computex.

Earlier this year, Intel announced it was no longer adhering to its "tick-tock" processor release cycle, which saw it alternating between shrinking chip fabrication processes and building new architectures each year. Kaby Lake, rather than being built on a smaller process, will be the third member of the 14-nanometer family after Broadwell and Skylake, and is the successor to Skylake.

Kaby Lake is considered a semi-tock with optimized microarchitecture. It supports Thunderbolt 3 and native USB 3.1, but it will not feature support for DisplayPort 1.3, so Macs with Kaby Lake chips will remain unable to drive 5K displays over a single-stream cable. According to Intel, Kaby Lake will feature advancements in performance, battery, and media capabilities.

Intel's last two chip releases were plagued with delay after delay, which is likely the reason why the company decided to move away from its long-running tick-tock policy. Several of Apple's Macs, including the Retina MacBook Pro, have been impacted by Intel's chip delays over the last few years with unusual update cycles and long periods of time between updates.

With Kaby Lake chips set to debut in late 2016, it is possible refreshed Macs released late in the year could take advantage of the new processors, depending on when Kaby Lake chips appropriate for each Mac launch. iMacs, for example, are likely to be refreshed in the later months of 2016, and recent rumors have also suggested we won't be seeing a refreshed Retina MacBook Pro until the fourth calendar quarter of the year.

Intel is also beginning production on entry-level Apollo Lake processors, also set to launch before the end of the year. Apollo Lake is designed for Atom-based notebooks like all-in-one machines and tablet PCs.

Article Link: Intel's 'Kaby Lake' Processors Still on Track for Late 2016 Launch

 

[thisisnotmyname]

anyone know if the current Xeon lineup (likely next Mac Pro processor) supports Display Port 1.3?

 

[Junior117]

I read that as "Kirby Lake" for some reason.

Maybe I've been playing too many Kirby games in the past week...

 

[555gallardo]

Does it mean Apple would skip Mac updates once again?

 

[inhalexhale1]

Does it mean Apple would skip Mac updates once again?

Maybe, but it also means the updates will be less meaningful, outside of redesigns and maybe GPU, which they seem to be abandoning anyway.

It would be nice if Intel focused on bringing integrates graphics on par with mobile offerings from NVIDIA and AMD.

 

[crsh1976]

I can't imagine why Apple would skip updating the rMBP line with Skylake chips, they are already so late.

 

[Dydegu]

With Kaby Lake chips set to launch in late 2016, it is possible refreshed Macs released late in the year could take advantage of the new processors. iMacs, for example, are likely to be refreshed in the later months of 2016, and recent rumors have also suggested we won't be seeing a refreshed Retina MacBook Pro until the fourth quarter of the year.

This is going to confuse many people, because it implies that Kaby Lake chips suitable for the MBP will be launched in 2016.

Can you also comment on the idea that the recent investor note may be referencing Apple's fiscal quarter, not the calendar year?

 

[Mr Fusion]

Several of Apple's Macs, including the Retina MacBook Pro, have been impacted by Intel's chip delays over the last few years with unusual update cycles and long periods of time between updates.

That's a cop-out by Apple. Nothing's stopping them from releasing new equipment that's upgraded in other areas besides processor architecture. Their customers are already telling them with their wallets that "spec bumps" don't cut it anymore. Time to toss Ive to the curb and hire someone who can come up with a halfway decent product at least once a year, as opposed to Jony who can't be bothered for years at a time.

 

[kevinkyoo]

Won't the ones suited for the MBP's be released early to mid 2017?

 

[Elijen]

In other news: Apple reportedly working on Kaby Lake processors integration for release in early 2030 for their MBP line up.

 

[Zirel]

Apple should have updated the MacBook Pro a long ago. (Is the wording okay, PS?)

Now they are releasing their new MBP too close to be obsolete.

What's wrong with them?

 

[8692574]

Can you imagine no MBP till end of 2016? Lol!!
People are gonna cry!!!!

 

[Akinmac]

anyone know if the current Xeon lineup (likely next Mac Pro processor) supports Display Port 1.3?

Sadly not as they're in the skylake bracket. Personally I'm not too fussed for 5k over 4k, I'd much rather see an OLED thunderbolt monitor for it's superior image, with HDR which gives the image much more pop than a few thousand more pixels would. But I've been hoping for a while...

 

[Elijen]

Apple should have updated the MacBook Pro a long ago. (Is the wording okay, PS?)

*MacBook Pro devices

You better edit your post or Apple might sue you

 

[brendu]

Looks like regardless of Mac updates, we won't be seeing a 5k Thunderbolt Display this year. They should just go and make it a 4K true tone display for now and worry about doing 5k in a few years when enough macs can support it.

 

[Elijen]

Can you imagine no MBP till end of 2016? Lol!!
People are gonna cry!!!!

Yeah, but then they will buy it when it's released anyway and Apple knows it. I still sit on my MBP from 2012 because the current products offers only a really minor spec bump (I already upgraded my RAM and SSD).

 

[2457282]

Give me the ability to run OSX on an ipad Pro, or OSX functionality in iOS (you know, a real folder structure for files and multiple windows beyond 2). Then I won't care about intel ever again.

 

[samcraig]

I heard that the Kaby Lake processors will be used in the new echo rival product. Sorry - are we still throwing things at the wall about this new echo competitor product or not?

 

[jclo]

This is going to confuse many people, because it implies that Kaby Lake chips suitable for the MBP will be launched in 2016.

Can you also comment on the idea that the recent investor note may be referencing Apple's fiscal quarter, not the calendar year?

I've edited that wording a bit. We don't know when Kaby Lake chips suitable for the Retina MacBook Pro will launch, but it's likely updated Retina MacBook Pros are going to use Skylake chips. Not 100% certain though.

Ming-Chi Kuo was talking about the fourth calendar quarter of 2016 in his research note, not the fourth fiscal quarter. Also updated this post to make sure that's clear.

 

[BeefCake 15]

Looking forward to the 500 page thread titled "Waiting for Kaby Lake Mac to come out" and "Kaby Lake is certainly coming"

 

[Dilster3k]

R.I.P Tick-Tock philosophy, you will be missed in the tech industry across the board.

 

[saintstryfe]

That's a cop-out by Apple. Nothing's stopping them from releasing new equipment that's upgraded in other areas besides processor architecture. Their customers are already telling them with their wallets that "spec bumps" don't cut it anymore. Time to toss Ive to the curb and hire someone who can come up with a halfway decent product at least once a year, as opposed to Jony who can't be bothered for years at a time.

Maybe you don't know how this works: the chip determines the chipset, which determines what else goes into the system. Apple can't, for instance, just throw Thunderbolt 3 the current systems unless they take a chunk of board out somewhere to put an independent PCI-based TB3 chip in there. To keep things as small and powerful as possible, they need new chips from Intel.

Unfortunately Intel has had no real push for serious growth - AMD has sat on their laurels promising Zen but never delivering, while also making nice-nice with the console makers and now nVidia has drunk their milkshake with the 1080 and 1070, stealing any thunder from Pascal. So Intel is doing minor, 10-15% upgrades with low production runs because nothing's pushing them, and Apple is stuck waiting. Other PC makers are making more-expensive-than-Macbooks to keep market/mindshare using Skylake but without most of its bennies (specifically TB3 and USB 3.1).

 

[joueboy]

So I was waiting for Skylake for awhile. Might as well wait for this Krabby Lake then. SMH!

 

[puma1552]

How many more years do I need to wait to get a 15" MBP that can run a vaporware Apple 4K/5K display natively at 60 Hz?

dear lord.

 

[Marshall73]

I intend to buy a new MacBook Pro this Autumn so hoping to see movement from Apple on this sooner rather than later.