2016 MacBook Pros with Intel Skylake
05:20Apple is expected to revamp its MacBook Pro lineup with Intel's latest-generation Skylake processors in the fourth quarter of 2016. Intel's new chips should give a slight power boost while also offering better battery life, thanks to efficiencies made with the sixth-generation processor. There are also rumors that the MacBook Pro could get a complete redesign this year, but there has been little hard evidence to support that thus far.
Appearance & Design
Like in previous years, Apple's MacBook Pro lineup is expected to remain in screen sizes of 13 and 15 inches with high-resolution Retina displays. They'll also lack optical disc drives and other ports, as Apple strives to make its notebooks as thin and light as possible. It's likely that dedicated graphics card upgrades will remain limited to the larger 15-inch model because of space constraints.
Initial expectations pegged a launch in the first half of 2016, but more recent rumblings suggest Apple might hold out for a drastic redesign. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has in the past proved accurate in predicting future Apple releases, sees a bold redesign in the works that should hit store shelves in late 2016. Following a trajectory of progressively slim designs, this year's MacBook Pro is thought to be both thinner and lighter than existing iterations.
Internals
In a research note to investors, Kuo said Apple is planning to introduce an OLED touchbar that will replace MacBook Pro's physical function key row. Integrating a touchbar would negate the need for dual-function keys that control both operating system utilities and hardware adjustments specific to Mac. Further functionality could be implemented through user-customizable actions, if Apple so chooses.
The new MacBook Pros are also said to come with a version of Apple's Touch ID fingerprint recognition technology. Currently limited to iOS devices like iPhone and iPad, Touch ID on Mac could facilitate user authentication, system-level security and even Apple Pay transactions.
Supposedly leaked photos of what appears to be a next-generation MacBook Pro chassis seemingly support rumors of an OLED touchbar, but leave little room for a Touch ID module. A notch in the upper-right corner of the keyboard, where the power button resides on contemporary Macs, would be a logical home for an authentication component, as would integration with the OLED touchbar itself.
Intel's new Skylake platform is expected for inclusion and offers the usual performance improvements — boosting CPU speeds by 10 to 20 percent, and integrated graphics chips by 16 to 41 percent — but also continue a trend towards efficient power use, thanks to smaller 14-nanometer architecture. In laptops, switching to Skylake could add as much as 30 percent more battery life.
It's also possible that USB-C could finally make its way to the MacBook Pro. Indeed, the purportedly leaked images show four pill-shaped ports, two on each side. Apple is also expected to include Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, a protocol that shares a connector design with USB-C.
Interestingly, the photos do not show a slot for Apple's MagSafe charging interface, suggesting MacBook Pro will go the way of the 12-inch MacBook with Retina display and charge over USB-C.
Apple was among the first to adopt the new USB-C connector with its all-new 12-inch MacBook, featuring a single USB-C port for both charging and connecting devices. USB-C is reversible, like Apple's proprietary Lightning connector, but the open standard is expected to be adopted by most forthcoming PCs and will not be limited to Apple hardware.
Finally, Skylake technology also allows other advanced features like wireless charging, but there has been no indication that Apple plans to offer such upgrades in this year's models.
Release date
Industry insiders project Apple to release its new MacBook Pro models in the fourth quarter, later than past refresh cycles but likely in time for the lucrative holiday shopping season. Projections at this early stage are of course best guess estimates. Suppliers face a considerable challenge in the coming months as production ramp up for exotic components like the rumored OLED touchbar come with serious technical hurdles.
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