Hey guys I'm waiting until the next iteration of rMBPs, and I was just curious what you thought the specs of it will be. Obviously they will receive Haswell processers which are about 10% faster and will add on between a half hour and a hour of battery life. They will also add the intel 5400 integrated graphics. But my question to you is what do you think the overall specs will be. Will 16GB be standard on the 15 and BTO on the 13, or will it remain the same? Will higher SSD options be standard, or just less expensive for BTO? What about the discrete GPU, what will it be and will there be any significant gain, also will we have options as to which GPU we want? 2GB of GDDR5 ram graphics card? Do you think they will be less expensive (especially if they discontinue the cMBP)? significantly? or only a hundred or so dollars? Also will the design remain completely the same? slightly slimmer? or radically different with iphone 5 like color schemes? Any thing else I missed? Sorry for asking so many question i'm just excited for the next gen, as its going to be my first high end laptop. Thanks a lot!
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Specs of next gen rMBP?
- Thread starter dantheman5398
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It's gonna come with a jetpack.
But seriously, it will probably be a modest upgrade. There seems to be no reason for a complete redesign, especially as the Retina models were released last year.
But seriously, it will probably be a modest upgrade. There seems to be no reason for a complete redesign, especially as the Retina models were released last year.
My guess:
Haswell successors to the same CPUs currently in the rMBPs.
13" and 15" both get the highest tier of Haswell integrated graphics (with the embedded graphics memory) which will improve the capabilities of the 13" and allow the 15" to get better battery life by relying less on the dedicated GPU.
Possibly battery life gains from Haswell but I don't think Apple will even advertise it. Potentially larger battery life gains would come from switching to IGZO displays. If they can increase the advertised battery life by 2+ hours I could see them emphasizing that improvement.
8GB standard on both models, 13" gains 16GB option.
Slight possibility of standard or optional 35W quad core CPU for the 13".
Slight possibility of the 13" design being tweaked to make it as thin as the 15". That may depend on whether the IGZO screen tech is ready.
GPU in the 15" is replaced with whatever the latest is from AMD or NVidia in the same thermal bracket, so no crazy gains. I think 2GB of graphics memory would be reasonable, maybe on the high end model.
I think that the SSD sizes will remain the same and that the 15" may drop in price a bit, say $1999 for the 256GB model. They've already dropped the price on the 13" by a similar amount and I don't see it dropping any further unless the Airs get a lot cheaper.
Probably some adjustment in the pricing of options like bigger SSDs, but probably nothing radical. I could see them wanting to offer a 1TB SSD option especially if they're going to discontinue the non-retina MBP.
An iPhone 5 style slate color option would be cool, but I don't think it will happen. There were rumors that Apple had tried this at one point in the past couple of years but was unhappy with the durability.
In summary I wouldn't expect anything radical. The biggest gains will probably be on the GPU side in the 13".
Haswell successors to the same CPUs currently in the rMBPs.
13" and 15" both get the highest tier of Haswell integrated graphics (with the embedded graphics memory) which will improve the capabilities of the 13" and allow the 15" to get better battery life by relying less on the dedicated GPU.
Possibly battery life gains from Haswell but I don't think Apple will even advertise it. Potentially larger battery life gains would come from switching to IGZO displays. If they can increase the advertised battery life by 2+ hours I could see them emphasizing that improvement.
8GB standard on both models, 13" gains 16GB option.
Slight possibility of standard or optional 35W quad core CPU for the 13".
Slight possibility of the 13" design being tweaked to make it as thin as the 15". That may depend on whether the IGZO screen tech is ready.
GPU in the 15" is replaced with whatever the latest is from AMD or NVidia in the same thermal bracket, so no crazy gains. I think 2GB of graphics memory would be reasonable, maybe on the high end model.
I think that the SSD sizes will remain the same and that the 15" may drop in price a bit, say $1999 for the 256GB model. They've already dropped the price on the 13" by a similar amount and I don't see it dropping any further unless the Airs get a lot cheaper.
Probably some adjustment in the pricing of options like bigger SSDs, but probably nothing radical. I could see them wanting to offer a 1TB SSD option especially if they're going to discontinue the non-retina MBP.
An iPhone 5 style slate color option would be cool, but I don't think it will happen. There were rumors that Apple had tried this at one point in the past couple of years but was unhappy with the durability.
In summary I wouldn't expect anything radical. The biggest gains will probably be on the GPU side in the 13".
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No. The 13 inch will likely get the gt3, the 15 inch will not. There really is no reason to need any more than the hd4000 for basic tasks. There really is little point adding embedded dram when the notebook already has a dgpu.
Agree with the rest.
There should be 2.7 / 6MB cache CPU standard and 2.8 / 8 MB cache upgrade for 15". Don't know about lower options at the moment.
I would count on 2GB of GDDR5 along with 660GTX GFX. Shouldn't be much faster than current overclocked 650GT, but if thermals will be done right, it should work well and not throttle everything down because of generated heat, like in current models.
Maybe a 1GB/2GB SSDs, that one should lower the price of standard 256/512 options. I think this is the space that the next generation will taget to upgrade the most: we can't have more powerful CPUs and GPUs, but storing stuff even on 768GB SSD is at some point challenging task.
If they do thermals right this time, I will surely go for it as current model replacement
I would count on 2GB of GDDR5 along with 660GTX GFX. Shouldn't be much faster than current overclocked 650GT, but if thermals will be done right, it should work well and not throttle everything down because of generated heat, like in current models.
Maybe a 1GB/2GB SSDs, that one should lower the price of standard 256/512 options. I think this is the space that the next generation will taget to upgrade the most: we can't have more powerful CPUs and GPUs, but storing stuff even on 768GB SSD is at some point challenging task.
If they do thermals right this time, I will surely go for it as current model replacement
Ok that sounds good, but I thought that the only people capable of IGZO displays were SHARP, and Apple likes to have atleast two manufactorers of parts, ie: samsung/lg, samsung/sandisk?
Probably 10~20% increase in CPU and GPU.
I still doubt the IGZO since they arent as good as other displays right now.
I still doubt the IGZO since they arent as good as other displays right now.
Apple doesnt tend to be very generous when writing out those stock specs so I highly doubt 16GB would be standard for a while.
Personally, I feel that the current gen are already powerhouses and the only real shortcoming is putting 256GB standard. So if they were to actually equip "Pro" machines with Pro specs then I'd prefer they start with SSD sizes and make 512GB the base.
Personally, I feel that the current gen are already powerhouses and the only real shortcoming is putting 256GB standard. So if they were to actually equip "Pro" machines with Pro specs then I'd prefer they start with SSD sizes and make 512GB the base.
http://www.androidauthority.com/sam...-after-investing-112-million-in-sharp-165802/
Although I think it may benefit Apple at this point to stick with a single manufacturer if the quality and quantity can be high enough.
I have a more pessimistic image in mind:
1) Updated Haswell processors (10-20% faster), no highest graphics (HD 5200) for either 13" or 15". 13" version only gets dual-core CPU as maximum option.
2) No price drop for 15" rMBP. Unibody MacBooks hold on for one more generation to fill in the gap. 13" Unibody may be dropped, though.
3) 128GB and 256GB are still standard for base 13" and 15" models.
4) 13" rMBP still doesn't get 16GB upgrade option
5) Battery life remains the same.
6) Heat will also remain the same because Intel simply moved more components into the CPU. This would cause the CPU to heat up more, so any power efficiency is pretty much negated (hence the higher TDP).
7) 15" may get AMD Radeon HD 7850M as a GPU upgrade. Either that or the HD 7770M. This is supported by the fact that there's Radeon HD 7000 series drivers in 10.8.3.
1) Updated Haswell processors (10-20% faster), no highest graphics (HD 5200) for either 13" or 15". 13" version only gets dual-core CPU as maximum option.
2) No price drop for 15" rMBP. Unibody MacBooks hold on for one more generation to fill in the gap. 13" Unibody may be dropped, though.
3) 128GB and 256GB are still standard for base 13" and 15" models.
4) 13" rMBP still doesn't get 16GB upgrade option
5) Battery life remains the same.
6) Heat will also remain the same because Intel simply moved more components into the CPU. This would cause the CPU to heat up more, so any power efficiency is pretty much negated (hence the higher TDP).
7) 15" may get AMD Radeon HD 7850M as a GPU upgrade. Either that or the HD 7770M. This is supported by the fact that there's Radeon HD 7000 series drivers in 10.8.3.
Just to recap pretty much everything we've said thus far. Its possible the cpu's could remain the same speeds in order for optimal power saving with Haswell (axing the 2.3 option on the 15in and making 2.7 standard). The 13in will receive intel 5200 graphics, where as its plausible the 15in may remain with the same 4000 graphics as well as receive a slightly better 660GTX GFX with 2GB of GDDR5 ram however it is more efficient as it will not need to be over clocked as much. The 13in may or may not be quad core BTO. 16GB of ram will not be standard however it may be BTO on the 13in, as well as cheaper to configure. Higher SSD's may be standard or at least cheaper to BTO, as well as higher capacities may be available. They will remain the same on the outside, (except perhaps slightly slimmer) and maybe more efficient on the inside. They may or may not switch to IGZO displays as both SHARP and Samsung are capable of manufactoring and Apple at one point payed a significant amount of money to help bail SHARP out. Lastly if they do switch to IGZO displays, plus Haswell power savings could mean up to two extra hours of battery life. Price will likely be cheaper as parts prices come down, however the amount by which they are cheaper is dependent on whether or not they discontinue the cMBP. Anyway guys I really appreciate all the opinions and keep em' coming.
In fact, I do have a slightly different opinion on this:
Agreed. Haswell processors for both models. As for integrated graphics, I am really not sure. I am not familiar with Intel offerings yet.
The 13-inch will be dual-core, and the 15-inch will be quad-core. I would not say it is impossible for Apple to put a 35W quad-core in the 13-inch, but I would say that it is highly unlikely to happen. I would not count on it.
I guess that a price drop may happen. The 13-inch model had its price dropped a few days before the launch of the Google Chromebook Pixel, and that steep price drop really surprised me.
Now, if Apple discontinues the non-retina MacBook Pros (and I guess it will), there will be a significant gap in pricing, if it stays as it currently is:
low-end 13-inch retina MacBook Pro: US$ 1,499
high-end 13-inch retina MacBook Pro: US$ 1,699
low-end 15-inch retina MacBook Pro: US$ 2,199
high-end 13-inch retina MacBook Pro: US$ 2,799
If Apple drops the non-retina MacBook Pro, customers will not have the option to choose a cheaper 15-inch model, so it may want to drop the prices to keep its customer base.
In addition, other companies will release competitors to the 15-inch retina MacBook Pro. Acer has showcased a 15-inch model with a 2880x1620 resolution, which is basically the 16:9 version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro screen. It will likely be priced lower than US$ 2,199, and Apple will be pushed to lower the price of its products (as it did with the 13-inch version) to avoid losing market share.
I guess Apple will decrease the price of the 15-inch models, to something like US$ 1,999 for the low-end model and US$ 2,499 for the high-end. That would bring some uniformity to the MacBook line pricing.
256 GB will certainly remain as the standard for the 15-inch lower end model. As for the 13-inch, I am not sure yet. Perhaps Apple puts a 256 GB on the low-end 13-inch as well, and a better dual-core processor on the higher-end one, to differentiate it.
A 13-inch model with a 256 GB SSD selling for US$ 1,499 will not be so hard to achieve. In fact, Amazon is currently selling the 2.5 GHz Ivy Bridge version, with 256 GB, for US$ 1,499.99 (http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...1364142867&sr=8-4&keywords=macbook+pro+retina). Although this one has been discontinued, the only difference from the higher-end model seems to be a 100 MHz increase in the clock speed.
Although I think you are right, it will depend on how the Haswell architecture will end up being.
If Intel's announcements are to be believed, then Haswell will bring a boost to battery life. I expect battery life to be increased by a considerable margin.
TDP will be slightly higher in the high-end models, but that will not necessarily mean the processors will run hotter. They may run hotter, but Intel is announcing they will consume less power.
Well, I do not know about that. By the time the new Macs come out, Apple may have already released OS X 10.9. These drivers may well be for a forthcoming Mac Pro. Or not?
As I see it, the release schedule of new MacBook Pros is not very encouraging.
The processors for the 15-inch model will be ready for shipping in June, but in small quantities, and with the USB 3.0 glitch, so Apple will likely wait for Intel to release the fix, and also to provide enough quantities of it, for putting it on the 15-inch MacBook Pro. That may delay its release for August or even September...
As for the 13-inch, it is even worse. 35W dual-core processors will likely be available only in Q4 2013...
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Don't get how a regular user on MR can say "for sure". "I hope" or "I think it is likely" is ok but sure is something none of us can be.
The rMBP 13" dropped its price because that was what the general consensus was... that the computer was overpriced for what it was. Sales were slow, so they had to decrease the price.
I think we had that discussion a month or two before the computer came out, and even I said that the proper price would be closer to $1499.
Even if Apple drops the non-retina MacBook Pro, they don't necessarily have to offer a cheaper 15-inch model to users. They are not trying to please everyone. That and even at $1999, the rMBP 15" would be out of reach for those who can barely reach the $1799 price tag of the non-retina 15".
Like the discussion with the 13" rMBP, Apple doesn't really care what its competitor offers. There are a ton of Ultrabooks out there that offer more than what the MacBook Air offers: higher screen resolution, better processors, touch screens, etc...
That's not to say that they won't reduce the price. Maybe they'll drop the price to rope in even more users, but I somehow doubt it. The computer is selling well as it is.
256GB in the base 13" retina would cannibalize MacBook Air sales, so... no. I don't think so.
It doesn't have anything to do with the architecture. All current 13" rMBP support up to 16GB of RAM just fine. Apple doesn't want to include the update simply because they don't feel like the machines would need that much memory.
Same story with the iPad. Why would an iPhone 5 need 1GB of RAM when something like an iPad 4 with more than 4 times the pixel count can do just fine with that same 1GB? (it's shared between graphics and system, by the way)
And if you'd followed news, Intel's current announcements have typically fallen short.
You can't have your cake and eat it at the same time here, sorry.
Integrating voltage regulators into the CPU means increased heat. That's why TDP has increased by 2W all across the board.
And if the CPU puts out more heat, then it has to consume more power.
There is no info on 10.9. If Apple is going to announce 10.9, then we would be hearing more about 10.9 by now.
Also, the last time they updated the Mac Pro was in 2010. If they'd wanted to update the darn thing, it should have been last year.
Conversely, if they have a new Mac Pro planned, then we should have more information of it by now. It's April within a week.
The only other logical conclusion is that Apple is planning the Radeon HD 7000 series for their other computers. It's not just the Retina MacBook Pro that would benefit. There's the iMac as well.
Apple pushed out an update in February most likely to tide people over until late in the year, so I guess that even without the USB 3.0 rumors, Apple was already preparing for a late launch.
In the Last years there were apple presentations in March, but seems they have a lot to prepare for their entire lineup beside i think ipod,mac mini and imacs. All macbooks get a bump, iphone 5s,ipad lineup, mac pro i suppose, iOS7 and probably MacOs. So a busy year for them.
It was overpriced, but a steep price drop so shortly after release was shocking. I suspect it has something to do with the launch of the Chromebook Pixel. The dates are too close for being just a coincidence. Apple seems to be more aware of the competition than ever.
US$ 1,499 is definitely a much more proper price than US$ 1,699. US$ 1,699 was indeed way too much.
They don't have to, and they're not trying to please everyone. But then there may be fierce competition from other laptop makers.
Apple may or may not drop the price of the 15" rMBP. But, when the new version gets released, there will be room for a price drop. One year later, retina displays and flash memory - likely the two more expensive elements of the laptop - will be cheaper than in June 2012.
Apple maintained the non-retina laptops in June 2012 probably because it felt the retina models were still too expensive to entirely replace the old line. If Apple plans to discontinue the non-retina models this time, then it may also choose to drop the prices of the retina ones, so they can replace the old line.
No, that's not true. Apple does care about what its competitors do. Perhaps Apple under Steve Jobs didn't care too much, but Apple under Tim Cook does, and a lot. Here are some examples:
- iPhone 5 got a bigger screen (after several Android phones had screens much bigger than the iPhone 4/4S);
- an iPad mini was released (after several Android tablets with 7" displays hit the market);
- the fourth generation iPad was launched before the schedule (and with a release date near the Google Nexus 10);
- the price of the 13" rMBP was dropped (shortly before the Google Chromebook Pixel, with a similar display resolution, was released);
- the price of the MBA was dropped more than once (and it is now much more consistent with the pricing of Windows ultrabooks);
- a brand-new ad campaign of the iPhone 5 was launched (together with the release of Samsung Galaxy S4)
To me, that means keeping an eye on the competition.
The MacBook Air was not yet upgraded, but Apple will certainly release a new design this year or next year.
The 15" rMBP is selling well, but less than it was some months ago. People who were eager for such a premium laptop already bought theirs. If you look at the Amazon.com ranking, the 15" rMBP is currently one of the worst-selling Mac laptops.
After the release of Haswell, there will be more 15" laptops with screens with similar display resolutions. They may turn out to be cheaper than the 15" rMBP. Of course these laptops will steal away some of the shine of the 15" rMBP. It is the king of laptops now, and it has been for the last nine months, but one day this kingdom will come to an end. Sales will decline. They always do.
There is a US$ 500 price difference between the high-end 13" rMBP and the low-end 15" rMBP. It just doesn't make business sense, and it's not consistent with Apple's pricing.
May or may not happen. I don't think cannibalizing sales of MBA will matter much here. It will also depend on whether Apple plans to redesign the MBA this year or next year.
That may be.
In fact, I'm very disappointed at Intel. But Intel is marketing these power-saving capabilities too aggressively. I wouldn't rule out a boost in battery life. You may be skeptical about it, but I don't think you should completely rule it out like you're apparently doing.
Haswell is supposed to consume less energy and heat less in normal usage conditions than Ivy Bridge, even though the TDP is higher at some models.
I'll not discuss this with you. Haswell is not out yet, I don't know details about the architecture. And you don't know either, unless you have inside information (which you shouldn't be sharing in an Internet forum, anyway). We're just speculating, and you're totally right in saying that a higher TDP usually means more power consumption and heat. But, against all odds, Intel is making pretty big announcements saying that Haswell will represent a big leap in battery life, and less power consumption. I would just like to believe it, and I guess we'll have to wait to see.
Apple was supposed to roll 10.9 this year, as it moved towards a yearly upgrade of OS X.
Then, again, Apple probably knew about the USB 3.0 glitch before Intel announced it to the public...
It is just a coincidence. Why would Apple be afraid of a laptop that's running what is basically a glorified web browser? It makes no sense. Even now, you can read the reviews of the Chromebook Pixel to see if it is really making that much buzz.
Meanwhile, I don't see Apple bat an eye while the competition comes out with better hardwares than the MacBook Air.
Chances are the old line will stick for another generation at least, seeing as it's already got a refresh by this February.
If Apple planned to discontinue the old line, then they should have dropped support for them by now. Prime example: the MacBook White was last updated in 2010. It wasn't updated in 2011, and then it was only discontinued by 2012.
So my guess is that at least the 15" unibody will stick around for a whole year. If Apple was dropping them, then the refresh in Feb 2013 should have excluded them.
Some things to take into account:
1) iPhone 5 still runs on 1GB of RAM. Competition has 2GB. iPhone 5 still runs on dual-core chip. Competition now has quad-core and even octo-core chips. iPhone 5 still has the same 8MP camera as iPhone 4S. The competition now has a 13MP camera. Also 4" isn't an aggressive push. The Galaxy S4 is 5". That's aggressive.
2) iPad Mini would have been approved by Steve Jobs. It's not 7" (it's more like 8"), and it's still the same form factor as the original iPad. Just with much smaller bezels.
3) The 4th generation iPad was launched in order to unify Lightning connector, nothing more. You're reading too much into it. If they were serious about it, they would have redesigned the thing as well.
4) Like I said, the 13" rMBP had its price dropped because of the February refresh, which has happened... every other year before. It's a usual ritual for Apple. The Chromebook Pixel being released near February is just coincidental.
5) The price of the MBA wasn't dropped. It has remained the same since forever. Apple is just upgrading its base specs.
6) Apple changes the ad campaign of the iPhone 5 all the time. Same for the iPad. It doesn't necessarily mean they're looking at the competition.
Talking about which, they actually have always looked at the competition. Steve always plugged remarks about the competition into his presentations. It's not like Tim Cook is doing more of it. And I'd think they'd do a lot more than this if they were feeling threatened by the competition.
Or they'll just upgrade its internals like always. I don't see why they have to redesign it so often. The last time they redesigned it was less than 3 years ago. They usually redesign products on a 4-year basis.
Amazon.com isn't the only place where you can buy rMBP, though, so its ranking is not reflective of actual sales at all.
And if the rMBP 15" wasn't selling well, Apple would have dropped its price by February just like with the 13". Why wait until a few months later?
Yeah, but again, you're just wishing for a price drop like with the 13". We both know how that turned out.
Except there is a $1799 15" unibody MacBook sandwiched in between.
Also Apple's pricing tier doesn't have to be consistent as long as they sell things. Note: rMBP 13" initial pricing.
Again, just because they dropped the price of one computer doesn't mean they have to drop the price of the other as well.
Now you're just being unreasonable. Sorry...
But... $1399 for a 13" MBA with a slower processor, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD vs $100 more for a 13" rMBP with a significantly better screen, significantly better processor, 8GB RAM, and the same 256GB SSD doesn't make sense. And I think it would matter because it makes Apple's pricing tiers too much of a joke. It may not be consistent, but I think that it makes some sense at the very least.
I'm completely ruling it out because there's no indication of better power consumption. I'm only seeing increased TDP.
And despite what people may like to argue, TDP is a measure of power consumption... to some extent.
This is exactly why the MBP 13" 2010 and MBP 13" 2011 don't seem to look much different in terms of battery longevity even though Sandy Bridge was supposed to be very power efficient over good ol' Core 2...
No, TDP is higher all across the board. At least that's true for desktop.
Like I said, this is a situation where you can't both have your cake and eat it.
Haswell desktop already got a sneak preview, plus I'm sure you'll see more of it soon as June is almost upon us.
The problem here is this... the architecture obviously is much more efficient, but Intel is also increasing graphics performance (significantly) and CPU on top of that efficiency.
Now if we were talking about the same performance profile, then sure, I can see how battery life will improve, but... I don't see how you can have significantly increased performance and battery life all in one package across the board. That's like saying they somehow boosted efficiency to the point where it's still more efficient than the old model while running significantly faster.
I'm just speculating, but as with the time when we were discussing the 13" rMBP... I'm basing these on factual information and calculations. Not on fiction. I'd like to blindly believe in good faith from Intel as well, but... I'm sure you know as well as I do that Intel hasn't been reliable with information as of late.
Well, like I said, if they were going to release 10.9, then we should be hearing about that already.
And 10.9 or not doesn't take away the fact that there are indeed Radeon HD 7000 drivers in the operating system. AMD drivers are just like nVidia drivers. One driver works for all of their graphics cards. It's just a matter of which ones Apple will use. If the drivers are in there, then Apple must use them for something.
I don't think they would know about something like that so many months in advance that they'd have the time to plan a refresh and a price drop for their current products. It's not like they can just up and refresh their computers overnight.
I'd think they planned this as early as last year. Otherwise they wouldn't have enough time to order the chips from Intel to put into the February release.
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I think that the 13" rMBP will stay with whatever the $1199 13" Air gets as far as SSD size goes.
If the $1199 13" Air gets bumped to 256GB then so will the $1499 13" rMBP. If the Air stays at 128GB then a $1499 256GB 13" rMBP doesn't make much sense.
If the $1199 13" Air gets bumped to 256GB then so will the $1499 13" rMBP. If the Air stays at 128GB then a $1499 256GB 13" rMBP doesn't make much sense.