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Waiting for Skylake MBP thread

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For all iMacs, you choose the CPU version, and there is no GPU choice - it's the GPU that comes with that CPU. There is already integrated graphics for the lower 2 of the 3 21.5" iMacs, discrete for the upper 21.5"iMac, 27" iMac and 27" retina iMac.
Couldn't you see Apple using that TDP headroom to get a CPU with better integrated graphics for the 21.5" iMac lineup?
 
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unobtainium said:
My guess is also March 2016, but that's purely a guess. I feel like we'd already know about suitable mobile chips being on the way if they were coming as early as Oct. And if the chips don't arrive in Oct./Nov., they won't be coming until 1Q 2016, which makes March a reasonable bet.
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We more than likely do already know about suitable mobile chips being on the way. According to the Skylake launch schedule leaked 2 months ago, Skylake H quad-core chips that likely will have Iris Pro graphics, the i7-6820HQ and i7-6920HQ, launch in October-November. Source:
http://wccftech.com/intel-skylake-l...-y-skylake-h-skylake-u-launch-september-2015/
 
nbourbaki said:
When Engadget first posted this blog entry they referred to next generation Skylake for the delay. They updated their post to reflect Cannonlake being delayed. You can see in some of the comments for this entry reflect the earlier version.
Click to expand...

Ah, that makes sense. I was wondering why there wasn't a front page article on this already. Good to know it's the next gen and not Skylake. Looking forward to a possible MBP redesign.
 
NJPT said:
We more than likely do already know about suitable mobile chips being on the way. According to the Skylake launch schedule leaked 2 months ago, Skylake H quad-core chips that likely will have Iris Pro graphics, the i7-6820HQ and i7-6920HQ, launch in October-November. Source:
http://wccftech.com/intel-skylake-l...-y-skylake-h-skylake-u-launch-september-2015/
Click to expand...

Ah, I see, thanks. But a November release would be quite late, no? How long does it usually take for Apple to ship with newly released processors? If they come in November, Apple would have to ship right away to make the holiday shopping window (November at the latest, as I don't think they tend to update products in December?) Also, quad core chips would probably not be used for the 13", and Apple might prefer to wait until the models can all be released together?
 
nbourbaki said:
When Engadget first posted this blog entry they referred to next generation Skylake for the delay. They updated their post to reflect Cannonlake being delayed. You can see in some of the comments for this entry reflect the earlier version.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up; I was wondering why the article content and http address were so inconsistent. Good to know that copy editing at Engadget is better late than never, I suppose.
 
The Skylake H dual core comes out in September and the quad core comes out in October-November. Isn't it possible that Apple would have a September event announcement for the MacBook Pro and basically say the dual core Skylake 13" will come out in September and the quad core 15" will come out in November? Or would they want to do a simultaneous release and wait till November?
 
unobtainium said:
Ah, I see, thanks. But a November release would be quite late, no? How long does it usually take for Apple to ship with newly released processors? If they come in November, Apple would have to ship right away to make the holiday shopping window (November at the latest, as I don't think they tend to update products in December?) Also, quad core chips would probably not be used for the 13", and Apple might prefer to wait until the models can all be released together?
Click to expand...

I suspect that Apple will only release a Skylake update if they can have sufficient volume in stores by the first or second week of November. They will not want to jeopardize the holiday shopping season; as I believe Mcarling pointed out, they did this once with insufficient volume of updated iMacs, and it was a revenue disaster they will not want to repeat. Whether or not Intel can deliver enough units in time is really the question.

I also expect that Apple will release the 15" and 13" MBPs separately (if that is indeed what their screen sizes will remain). Although the 15" MBP-suitable i7-6820HQ and i7-6920HQ launch in October-November, Skylake U chips with vPro (i7-6600U and i5-6300U) don't launch until January 2016. The slower Skylake U chips that launch in September (i7-6500U, i5-6200U, and i3-6100U) don't have vPro, which means they are unlikely to be utilized by Apple. Source: http://www.thinkscopes.com/2015/05/...-plattform-overview-and-thinkpad-speculation/

Staggering the releases of the 15" and 13" MBPs would be nothing new. Apple did it this year when it released the 13" MBPs on March 9 and the 15" MBPs on May 19. It also staggered the releases of the very first retina MBPs in 2012, with the 15" models announced on June 11 and the 13" ones on October 12. Although it might seem odd to release a 15" update before a 13" one, given the 13" update is older, the 13" model is actually more "up to date," since it has Broadwell while the 15" still has Haswell. It also seems that the 13" models will probably transition from 28W chips to 15W ones, which is not too surprising since with Skylake, 15W U class processors will finally have Iris GPUs instead of Intel HD ones. Source: http://www.fudzilla.com/news/notebooks/37472-skylake-15w-mobile-skus-getting-iris-graphics
 
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If its a redesign, I won't be surprise if apple has an event like a month earlier before shipment date. Something like what they did with the Mac pro
 
I really hope that the coming MBP will have:
-Possibility to get 32GB RAM (at least for 15")
-External GPU support (via Thunderbolt 3)
-Possibility to get 2TB SSD (Samsung recently announced its first 2TB 2.5" SSD)
 
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whitedragon101 said:
I am hoping they drop the price of the 1TB SSD upgrade. It is criminally high. In the UK its £400 ($624 USD)
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Seems more likely that they'll remove the 1TB option and just replace it with 2TB and maybe keep the price as high (or more). Apple has a history of charging "a little extra" from upgrades that only heavy users need.

So you would have the choices between 256GB, 512GB and 2TB. If I recall correctly, the choices used to be 256GB, 512GB and 750GB.
 
I think the base model in 13 inch will have now 256 GB SSD with 1299$ price tag, for dual core CPU, and 8 GBs of RAM. The problem is, with the option for quad core CPUs, and higher capacity SSD its pretty unpredictable which way will Apple go. Will they offer for 1499$ quad core with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD, or faster dual core, with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB SSD? Or maybe 1499 will offer only higher capacity SSD?

Its pretty unpredictable right now, apart from IMO the base model, which will have like I've said - 256 GB instead of 128 GB.
 
koyoot said:
Im staggered that no-one has posted this:

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/2974596

Quad Core i5 with Iris Pro as a mobile chip.

Well. You know what Im getting at ;). 13 inch MBP quad core possible. With a high end price...

Here is full info:
http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2015/2015052101_Launch_schedule_of_Intel_Skylake_processors.html
Click to expand...

The i5-6300HQ is indeed a mobile quad core i5 with Iris Pro, but it will still likely have a TDP of 35-45 W, which means Apple would not be putting it into a 13" MBP. i5 does not necessarily mean low wattage (as evidenced by the Broadwell i5-H5350H, which is i5 but 47 W).

If anything, I suspect Apple will decrease the U-class dual core chips in the next 13" MBPs from 28 W to 15 W, since Skylake 15 W chips will come with Iris Pro instead of Intel HD graphics, and Intel appears to possibly be cancelling 28 W mobile U class chips with the Skylake generation.

Source: http://www.thinkscopes.com/2015/05/...-plattform-overview-and-thinkpad-speculation/
 
ooans said:
Seems more likely that they'll remove the 1TB option and just replace it with 2TB and maybe keep the price as high (or more). Apple has a history of charging "a little extra" from upgrades that only heavy users need.

So you would have the choices between 256GB, 512GB and 2TB. If I recall correctly, the choices used to be 256GB, 512GB and 750GB.
Click to expand...

I seriously doubt that Apple would have a jump from 512GB to 2TB as the next storage size. That doesn't accord with their current price gap/upsell strategy. The current choices for 13" MBPs are 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, with 1TB as a $500 build to order option. I could see Apple moving up to 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB at the same price points ($1299, $1499, and $1799 respectively), with 2TB as the new build to order option.
 
35W CPU already was in Retina MBP ;). Apple will not go for 15W CPUs in MBP. They are reserved for MBA. Also 15W CPU will not have Iris Pro. Iris GT3e will be there but in 28W CPUs.

Edit. Ive read right now that 15W CPU will have Iris...

That means the latter went a bit further. MBA will get dual core CPU with Iris, 13 inch MBP will get Iris with eDRAM, and possibly quad core with, Iris with eDRAM(GT3e) or GT4 iGPU.

This time however, I will not predict the performance of each stage of GPU. I will be pleased if GT3e will be able to get 3000 its in 3dMark11.
 
koyoot said:
Im staggered that no-one has posted this:

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/2974596

Quad Core i5 with Iris Pro as a mobile chip.

Well. You know what Im getting at ;). 13 inch MBP quad core possible. With a high end price...

Here is full info:
http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2015/2015052101_Launch_schedule_of_Intel_Skylake_processors.html
Click to expand...

Wow - I hope not. If Apple releases the 13" with a quad core its time for me to upgrade. And I thought I have some time left to do so....
 
koyoot said:
35W CPU already was in Retina MBP ;). Apple will not go for 15W CPUs in MBP. They are reserved for MBA. Also 15W CPU will not have Iris Pro. Iris GT3e will be there but in 28W CPUs.

Edit. Ive read right now that 15W CPU will have Iris...

That means the latter went a bit further. MBA will get dual core CPU with Iris, 13 inch MBP will get Iris with eDRAM, and possibly quad core with, Iris with eDRAM(GT3e) or GT4 iGPU.

This time however, I will not predict the performance of each stage of GPU. I will be pleased if GT3e will be able to get 3000 its in 3dMark11.
Click to expand...

Great point, I forgot that the Ivy Bridge 13" rMBP had a 35W CPU. That being said, the 13" rMBP has topped out at 28W with Haswell and Broadwell since, and given the 15W CPU having Iris Pro, I do suspect that is the direction Apple will take. The performance difference between the 15W and 28W Broadwell CPUs is fairly minor. I also expect Apple is phasing out the MBA; looking at Apple's current product lineup and the rMB, it appears to me at least that Apple is going to let the MBA slide into obsolescence once the rMB's price falls enough to take its place as the ultraportable/inexpensive option. That would make Apple's product delineation clear: MB with core M CPUs, 13 (or 14)" MBPs with U class 15W CPUs, and 15 (or 16)" MBPs with 47W HQ class CPUs. Of course, I'll admit I'm completely speculating at this point.
 
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Topped at 28 because the 28W CPUs were simply better than 35W dual core ones. None of the 35W CPUs have had Iris iGPU, and that was main reason why Apple would use it. Also, right now there is no reason NOT TO step the game up and not go for quad core CPU regardless if it has Iris or Iris Pro iGPUs.

And no, they will not drop the MBA line still. It is still the basic line of laptops from Apple, with 899$ price tag.
 
koyoot said:
Topped at 28 because the 28W CPUs were simply better than 35W dual core ones. None of the 35W CPUs have had Iris iGPU, and that was main reason why Apple would use it. Also, right now there is no reason NOT TO step the game up and not go for quad core CPU regardless if it has Iris or Iris Pro iGPUs.

And no, they will not drop the MBA line still. It is still the basic line of laptops from Apple, with 899$ price tag.
Click to expand...

As I stated above, I'm not saying Apple would drop the MBA now; I would expect it to happen only once the MB drops in price enough to make it a palatable entry level option (perhaps in 2-3 more updates). Apple is very likely not going to keep its non-retina screen laptop options around in perpetuity, despite the continued existence thus far of the cMBP to the contrary. That leaves two options: 1) let the MBA die once the MB is cheap enough to take its place, or 2) update the MBA with a retina screen. Giving the MBA a retina screen would create major overlap with the MB, especially as the MBA price would move slightly up as the MB price inevitably moved down. That leaves option #1 as the more likely scenario, at least in my opinion. Again, this is just my best reasoned guess; obviously, none of us knows with certainty whether Apple will keep the MBA around long term or not.
 
There is one reason why they would go for 15W TDP CPU for the 13", and it's battery life.
If they step up to a 35W Quad Core, the battery life will drop compared to current generation, and it would be a bad marketing choice.
They have the 15" for heavy CPU needs.

Also, switching to 15W CPU would allow them to redesign the 13" and make it a bit slimmer/lighter, while keeping the current battery life.

Also, I don't see the MBA getting an update either. It'll go the way of the classical MacBook Pro 13", stay there until the Retina MacBook can reach its pricepoint.
 
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