Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
if by end of year we'll really have:
11" mba
12" mb
14" mb
13" mba
13/14" mbp
15/16" mbp

...i just don't know what to think anymore...

Well, that's really 11.6", 12", 13", 13.3", etc.

I'd be inclined to buy if they brought out a 14.159265" one. They could even call it the Apple PI!
[doublepost=1465473415][/doublepost]
Apple's product lineups don't make sense anymore. What happened the Jobsian idea of narrowing the focus to a couple products and doing them exceptionally well? Every announcement makes their offerings a bit more cluttered, confusing, and watered down.

I think it makes much more sense if the Macbook takes over in the ultraportable category (maybe introduce a 14" model), the Air is phased out, and the Pro carry on as the powerful big brother (albeit in a refreshed package).

What Apple is doing instead feels excessive.

Agreed, if they would add several ports and an SD/SX camera card slot, too!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Val-kyrie



Apple plans to announce new MacBook Air models within the month of June, and begin shipping the notebooks to retailers in August, according to Japanese website Mac Otakara. The conflicting report also claims that Apple will announce a refresh to its entire MacBook Pro series this month, although it did not specify when shipments of those models would begin.

macbook_airs_2015-800x263.jpg

The report, citing "a reliable Chinese supplier," mentions earlier rumors that Apple will discontinue the smaller 11-inch MacBook Air to focus on 13-inch and all-new 15-inch models, although it is unclear if Mac Otakara's source is independently corroborating them. All of the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are expected to be equipped with Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, while USB-A, MagSafe 2, and Thunderbolt 2 ports found on existing models will allegedly be removed.

Mac Otakara said it is unclear whether Apple plans to announce the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models at WWDC 2016, but multiple reliable sources have indicated that it will effectively be a no-hardware event. Apple could still make a non-WWDC announcement in June by way of press release, as was the case with the new 12-inch MacBook in April, possibly indicating only minor updates.

Today's report is mostly in line with Taiwan's hit-or-miss Economic Daily News, which reported that Apple will announce slimmer 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with "fully redesigned" internal components at WWDC 2016, followed by a launch in the July-September quarter. That report is from November 2015, however, so Apple's exact product roadmap may have changed over the past eight months.

Taiwanese website DigiTimes also reported that Apple will begin shipping new "ultra-thin" 13-inch and 15-inch MacBooks at the end of the June quarter. The report said the new MacBooks will "share a design similar to the existing 12-inch MacBook" and be "thinner than [the] existing MacBook Air," which makes it difficult to infer whether the report is referring to the MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro lineup.

In a recent research note, however, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will not introduce new MacBook models until the second half of 2016, including a thin and light 13-inch MacBook in the third quarter, and two thinner and lighter 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models in the fourth quarter. Other reliable sources have also suggested new Macs will be released later in the year.

In terms of the new MacBook Pro, Kuo said the 2016 model will feature a thinner and lighter form factor, Touch ID, and a new OLED touch bar positioned above the keyboard. Leaked photos of what appears to be the notebook's unibody revealed space for the OLED touch panel and four USB-C ports. The new MacBook Pro is also expected to adopt metal injection mold-made hinges, which are reportedly already shipping.

Other improvements to the 2016 MacBook Pro should include faster Skylake processors across the lineup, while the top-of-the-line models may sport AMD's new 400-series Polaris graphics chips. Apple last refreshed the 13-inch MacBook Pro in March 2015, followed by the 15-inch model in May 2015, with Force Touch trackpads, faster flash storage, longer battery life, and improved graphics.

Meanwhile, Apple has not fully refreshed the MacBook Air since March 2015, when both the 11- and 13-inch models were upgraded with faster Broadwell processors, Thunderbolt 2, and Intel HD Graphics 6000. The 13-inch MacBook Air also received up to two times faster flash storage. The only minor update to the lineup since then was in April, when Apple bumped the stock 13-inch MacBook Air to 8GB of RAM, up from 4GB.

Apple not updating the 11-inch MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM as well lends credence to rumors claiming the ultra-portable model will be discontinued.

While it is widely believed that Apple may eventually discontinue the entire MacBook Air, which currently sits awkwardly between the Retina MacBook and MacBook Pro, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said the notebook will remain part of Apple's lineup for now, repositioned as its lower-priced offering.Apple's WWDC 2016 keynote will occur on Monday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Article Link: Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro With USB-C May Still Be Unveiled in June



Apple plans to announce new MacBook Air models within the month of June, and begin shipping the notebooks to retailers in August, according to Japanese website Mac Otakara. The conflicting report also claims that Apple will announce a refresh to its entire MacBook Pro series this month, although it did not specify when shipments of those models would begin.

macbook_airs_2015-800x263.jpg

The report, citing "a reliable Chinese supplier," mentions earlier rumors that Apple will discontinue the smaller 11-inch MacBook Air to focus on 13-inch and all-new 15-inch models, although it is unclear if Mac Otakara's source is independently corroborating them. All of the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are expected to be equipped with Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, while USB-A, MagSafe 2, and Thunderbolt 2 ports found on existing models will allegedly be removed.

Mac Otakara said it is unclear whether Apple plans to announce the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models at WWDC 2016, but multiple reliable sources have indicated that it will effectively be a no-hardware event. Apple could still make a non-WWDC announcement in June by way of press release, as was the case with the new 12-inch MacBook in April, possibly indicating only minor updates.

Today's report is mostly in line with Taiwan's hit-or-miss Economic Daily News, which reported that Apple will announce slimmer 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with "fully redesigned" internal components at WWDC 2016, followed by a launch in the July-September quarter. That report is from November 2015, however, so Apple's exact product roadmap may have changed over the past eight months.

Taiwanese website DigiTimes also reported that Apple will begin shipping new "ultra-thin" 13-inch and 15-inch MacBooks at the end of the June quarter. The report said the new MacBooks will "share a design similar to the existing 12-inch MacBook" and be "thinner than [the] existing MacBook Air," which makes it difficult to infer whether the report is referring to the MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro lineup.

In a recent research note, however, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will not introduce new MacBook models until the second half of 2016, including a thin and light 13-inch MacBook in the third quarter, and two thinner and lighter 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models in the fourth quarter. Other reliable sources have also suggested new Macs will be released later in the year.

In terms of the new MacBook Pro, Kuo said the 2016 model will feature a thinner and lighter form factor, Touch ID, and a new OLED touch bar positioned above the keyboard. Leaked photos of what appears to be the notebook's unibody revealed space for the OLED touch panel and four USB-C ports. The new MacBook Pro is also expected to adopt metal injection mold-made hinges, which are reportedly already shipping.

Other improvements to the 2016 MacBook Pro should include faster Skylake processors across the lineup, while the top-of-the-line models may sport AMD's new 400-series Polaris graphics chips. Apple last refreshed the 13-inch MacBook Pro in March 2015, followed by the 15-inch model in May 2015, with Force Touch trackpads, faster flash storage, longer battery life, and improved graphics.

Meanwhile, Apple has not fully refreshed the MacBook Air since March 2015, when both the 11- and 13-inch models were upgraded with faster Broadwell processors, Thunderbolt 2, and Intel HD Graphics 6000. The 13-inch MacBook Air also received up to two times faster flash storage. The only minor update to the lineup since then was in April, when Apple bumped the stock 13-inch MacBook Air to 8GB of RAM, up from 4GB.

Apple not updating the 11-inch MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM as well lends credence to rumors claiming the ultra-portable model will be discontinued.

While it is widely believed that Apple may eventually discontinue the entire MacBook Air, which currently sits awkwardly between the Retina MacBook and MacBook Pro, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said the notebook will remain part of Apple's lineup for now, repositioned as its lower-priced offering.Apple's WWDC 2016 keynote will occur on Monday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Article Link: Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro With USB-C May Still Be Unveiled in June
 
And yet the Air still far outsells the MBP.

The current rMBP, maybe (although there are endless posts here along the lines of "Should I buy a rMBP or an Air?" so its clear there is some confusion. Yes, for some people that extra half pound makes the difference (and the awfulness of the Air's display is somewhat exaggerated).

But unless Apple have a sudden and dramatic change in design priorities, most predictions for the re-designed 13" rMBP (maybe this summer, maybe not until Kaby Lake) put it in the same size/weight bracket as the Air.

The alternative is that the new rMBP gets a price increase to leave a slot for the Air (not impossible - see iPad Pro) or (as I've suggested before) the new 13" rMBP gets an "Air" badge.
 
What do they wanna add to current air model? Retina display? USB type C? Butterfly keyboard? Then why not introducing another size (brobably 14") of current MacBook?
Moreover, why apple bumped 13" Air RAM to 8gb earlier in April then?! Wouldn't it be better if they intoduced it all at once?
I think, They are sorting way more crucial industry issues out at this stage than yearly updates of their products.
It's so simple: read MacBook history
 
I can see a scenario where Apple casually announces a USB-C MBP -- either at WWDC or just by press release -- but no major case changes. Call it MBP Mid 2016. Then in then fall completely revamp the case with the OLED bar but only minor performance tweaks. Call it MBP Late 2106. Apple has done similar before so not out of the realm.

I just see the WWDC being laser focused on the 4 OSes and there are so many to cover and only two hours max. Take out the usual pre-opening fluff about how eco-sensitive Apple is, or how great Apple Music is doing, that leaves maybe 25 minutes per OS. No time for hardware. Plus WWDC of late has not been a hardware showcase. If Apple show off an new h/w update it seems the Mac Pro would be the logical choice being it's a bit crusty again.
[doublepost=1465403396][/doublepost]

Agree. Apple should never have brought MacBook back. It should have been the next gen Air. Then it would be an easy choice for consumers feather weight, ultra-portable Air, or light, but still full featured Pro. Apple just invites so much confusion as it is now.

i see the macbook for the lowest entry
the Air for the 13"
the pro for the 15"
 
Give Linux a go first before shelling our for a Windows 10 licence, something like Elementary OS or Ubuntu Mate. Unless you're wedded to Office and Adobe's stuff, Linux is great alternative to OS X.

Oh, don't worry, Linux will be a candidate: I use Linux for server/command-line stuff, but its never won me over as a desktop environment. Anyway, I need Office to deal with other people's files (no, LibreOffice doesn't load Office documents flawlessly if they have any non-trivial layout) and IE to test web sites.

There's also interesting stuff happening with the Linux subsystem for Windows, which sounds like a gimmick until you start to think about using containers for developing web-based stuff. I wants to play with that...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Osty
A new 13 or 14" Macbook will come to replace the Air 13, with similar specs. The current Airs will stay as is and linger in the background until sold out (cheap, well-powered and light).

New MBP's announced at wwdc.

So thats my bet. A bee Macbook size and new mbp's announced.

Would t it be a tragedy if the only announced a 13" mbp tho...

I think the 13" MB Air will be retained and will remain the cheap laptop in the range for another year or so. Like the way the older heavier 13"MBP hung around.

For it to remain cheap it will have to keep a non retina screen, and maintain its current form factor. No point spending R&D money redesigning it. 8gb/128gb base model with a 1.8ghz i5 in it. Then an 8/256 coming in slightly under the 12" MB. Add USB c ports.

I don't see it as a long term strategy though. Better to lower the MB price next revision once the R&D costs have been paid off and the cost of retina displays keep dropping. Then I'd see space for a larger screened rMB that still uses a CoreM chip.

Sitting above that will be the new 13"rMBP and 15"rMBP (unless they can reduce the bezel and get slightly larger screens).

Ideally the laptop range would be:-
12" rMB Core M Tapered unibody
14" rMB Core M Tapered unibody
13" rMBP i5/i7 Thinner but not tapered
15" rMBP i7 Thinner but not tapered.

That would be a sweet lineup.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MrUNIMOG
if by end of year we'll really have:
11" mba
12" mb
14" mb
13" mba
13/14" mbp
15/16" mbp

...i just don't know what to think anymore...
I think it'll be more likely:
13" MBA
12" MB
13/14" MB (with more ports and higher class CPU)
13" MBP
15" MBP
 



Apple plans to announce new MacBook Air models within the month of June, and begin shipping the notebooks to retailers in August, according to Japanese website Mac Otakara. The conflicting report also claims that Apple will announce a refresh to its entire MacBook Pro series this month, although it did not specify when shipments of those models would begin.

macbook_airs_2015-800x263.jpg

The report, citing "a reliable Chinese supplier," mentions earlier rumors that Apple will discontinue the smaller 11-inch MacBook Air to focus on 13-inch and all-new 15-inch models, although it is unclear if Mac Otakara's source is independently corroborating them. All of the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are expected to be equipped with Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, while USB-A, MagSafe 2, and Thunderbolt 2 ports found on existing models will allegedly be removed.

Mac Otakara said it is unclear whether Apple plans to announce the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models at WWDC 2016, but multiple reliable sources have indicated that it will effectively be a no-hardware event. Apple could still make a non-WWDC announcement in June by way of press release, as was the case with the new 12-inch MacBook in April, possibly indicating only minor updates.

Today's report is mostly in line with Taiwan's hit-or-miss Economic Daily News, which reported that Apple will announce slimmer 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with "fully redesigned" internal components at WWDC 2016, followed by a launch in the July-September quarter. That report is from November 2015, however, so Apple's exact product roadmap may have changed over the past eight months.

Taiwanese website DigiTimes also reported that Apple will begin shipping new "ultra-thin" 13-inch and 15-inch MacBooks at the end of the June quarter. The report said the new MacBooks will "share a design similar to the existing 12-inch MacBook" and be "thinner than [the] existing MacBook Air," which makes it difficult to infer whether the report is referring to the MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro lineup.

In a recent research note, however, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will not introduce new MacBook models until the second half of 2016, including a thin and light 13-inch MacBook in the third quarter, and two thinner and lighter 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models in the fourth quarter. Other reliable sources have also suggested new Macs will be released later in the year.

In terms of the new MacBook Pro, Kuo said the 2016 model will feature a thinner and lighter form factor, Touch ID, and a new OLED touch bar positioned above the keyboard. Leaked photos of what appears to be the notebook's unibody revealed space for the OLED touch panel and four USB-C ports. The new MacBook Pro is also expected to adopt metal injection mold-made hinges, which are reportedly already shipping.

Other improvements to the 2016 MacBook Pro should include faster Skylake processors across the lineup, while the top-of-the-line models may sport AMD's new 400-series Polaris graphics chips. Apple last refreshed the 13-inch MacBook Pro in March 2015, followed by the 15-inch model in May 2015, with Force Touch trackpads, faster flash storage, longer battery life, and improved graphics.

Meanwhile, Apple has not fully refreshed the MacBook Air since March 2015, when both the 11- and 13-inch models were upgraded with faster Broadwell processors, Thunderbolt 2, and Intel HD Graphics 6000. The 13-inch MacBook Air also received up to two times faster flash storage. The only minor update to the lineup since then was in April, when Apple bumped the stock 13-inch MacBook Air to 8GB of RAM, up from 4GB.

Apple not updating the 11-inch MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM as well lends credence to rumors claiming the ultra-portable model will be discontinued.

While it is widely believed that Apple may eventually discontinue the entire MacBook Air, which currently sits awkwardly between the Retina MacBook and MacBook Pro, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said the notebook will remain part of Apple's lineup for now, repositioned as its lower-priced offering.Apple's WWDC 2016 keynote will occur on Monday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Article Link: Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro With USB-C May Still Be Unveiled in June
 
I would prefer they don't try to make the macbook pro thinner and lighter I don't mind the thickness and weight. If they keep roughly the same form factor and shove as much punch into the laptop I think would be great.
 
If I had to guess, from everything I've heard, Apple's gotten the form factor of the Pro down to a small enough point that they're going to just ditch the Air completely and merge the two. If you want something REALLY tiny, you get a Macbook, and if you want something with actual computing power, you get a Macbook Pro.

If they pull that off, it'll be the best of both worlds--very small, very light, very portable, very powerful. If so, shutupandtakemymoney.gif, but... I worry that it'll be a bunch of ompromises. Not particularly fast, not particularly small.

No it's not. You merge Pro with Air and you get a thin computer with 3h battery life. Yay! :( Even the current pro models don't last even half a day of normal use with the lousy battery they have. Also, cutting down all connectivity and replacing them with a bag full of dongles is anything but 'pro' use. I actually need to work on my computer. Currently I'm forced to drag around a Chromebook so I have at least something that can survive the full work day. I only pull out the macbook when I need to do something I can't do on the CB - the other option is to live less than 2m away from the nearest power outlet. Good going, Apple. :p
 
4 USB-C ports is just about manageable. But as it looks like replacing 5 ports on my 15" rMBP (Magsafe, 2 Thunderbolt, 2 USB), all of which I use, I would prefer more. Especially if it also replaces HDMI. The ports are so small it shouldn't be an issue fitting them in.

Exactly. You trade SD card, HDMI, 2*TB, 2*USB and Magsafe to 4 USB-C's. Sounds like a good deal? No, not really. 6 USB-C's would be closer to manageable in the far future when you can actually plug in those USB-C's to something. As long as it simply means a horde of dongles in my bag it doesn't tempt even that much. But that's the new Apple's "Pro" direction anyway. No battery life, no power, no connectivity but "omg it's so thin". No matter if it'll burn you hot as lava for those few hours it can survive on that microscopic battery.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jwdsail
I don't see the r-MacBook line altering at all, for the simple reasons that the current model has just had a spec bump, and the only way to expand the line up (meaningfully) from 12" would be a 14" model; 13" is too close, and 15" is already available in the Pro lineup.

The MacBook Air line is also too much of a winning formula to simply ditch. But would Apple really give it a redesign without a Retina display? Even if they did, the product would be so similar to the r-MacBook that it wouldn't warrant existence; USB-C and butterfly keys are pretty much guaranteed.

This dilemma is precisely why Apple could lose touch with its customers. The MacBook Air has been almost unanimously lauded by seasoned reviewers as one of Apple's greatest products. All they had to do was give it a Retina display, butterfly keys (Each to their own I guess...), update the USB to type C, and add colour options if they wanted.

The most important factor, however, is the pricing. If the MacBook Air had the above specs at the same prices, it would be an instant hit. Right now, it's neither here nor there and Apple only have themselves to blame.

It's exactly what I've been waiting for. if it doesn't happen, well, I guess they will have lost my business.
[doublepost=1465490807][/doublepost]
Apple is a much larger company now - in no small part because they have expanded their product line to appeal to more types of customers.



This is likely the plan - 12" MacBook anchoring the bottom, the 13" MacBook Pro in the middle and the 15" MacBook Pro at the top.

I could see Apple dropping the 11" Air and dropping the price of the 13" Air to $999 and then next year phasing it out for the above line-up.

Best Buy was selling the 13" Air for $899 for 4 weeks running in May.
 
I decided that WWDC is the one day when we DEFINITELY won't see any Mac updates, and now I check Macrumors every day to see if a press release is up. I think I'm making myself even more miserable than the people who still believe WWDC keynote will last eight hours and feature updates of absolutely everything.
 
Looks like Apple may have a lot to announce at WWDC, if what Phil Schiller says here is anything to go by. The BIG App store change was something that probably should of happened at WWDC but they have "a busy enough keynote" that they are going to talk more about the App store changes in the afternoon and "later in the week"

http://daringfireball.net/2016/06/the_new_app_store

Wow, THIS actually makes me really existed for WWDC. I'm not yet convinced that we'll see hardware, but it certainly does sound like we might see something pretty interesting.

Regarding the ongoing discussion, I keep wondering, how many of those complaining about dongles are actual PROs. Depending on your definition, I myself might or might not be a Pro. But seriously, if you're a Pro, don't you usually already carry a lot of stuff with you? Do a bunch of dongles REALLY matter? You want Ports, yet you don't want Ports that are somewhat universal? And at a desk, don't most already have a dock, anyways?

Just wondering...
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.