Mac users were disappointed for a second time after another no show for the MacBook Pro at another Apple Keynote. We first thought we'd get a new MacBook Pro at Apple's 21 March event, then at WWDC 2016 on 13 June. So when will the next MacBook Pro come out? Apple last updated its 13in and 15in MacBook Pro laptops in March and May of 2015 respectively, so it can't be long until the new line comes out, can it?
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MacBook Pro 2016 specs & hardware: What new features will the new MacBook Pro have?
Now that we know when to expect the MacBook Pro to arrive, let's take a look at what new features we expect from the laptop. Are we looking at a launch like the 2015 12-inch MacBook, with an entirely new design and lots of new features, or a minor update like the 2016 MacBook Air?
OLED rumours
Trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that we should expect a redesign for the MacBook Pro this year, with a thinner and lighter body, Touch ID and an OLED display touch bar just above the keyboard.
"While long overlooked, the MacBook line is the brightest spot for Apple's 2016 rollouts," Kuo said in a report sent out on 23 May that has got everyone excited.
He goes on to explain that the OLED display touch bar will replace the physical function keys, and that it could come with Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C.
Inside, we can expect to see faster Skylake processors powering the MacBook Pro and new graphics cards too.
Cellular 4G connectivity
On 24 May 2016, Patently Apple shared a patent filed by Apple, which showcases a MacBook with cellular capabilities.
With the decrease in 4G connectivity costs and SIM-only deals, it's very much possible that Apple want to bring a 4G-enabled MacBook Pro. The 4G MacBook Pro would most probably be an added hardware cost to buyers, meaning a similar price structure as the iPads.
In 2007, there were rumours around the MacBook having a 4G connection by use of an external antenna, but given Apple's sleek design, it was most likely scrapped. Given how technology has moved forward, it would be feasible to see Apple integrating a cellular connection through the MacBook's outer shell.
Screen
We expect the new Macbook Pro 2016 to have a 2304x1440 resolution, which will be the same resolution as the current 12in models. We don't expect to see a 4K/5K screen, but Apple could always surprise us, by upping those pixels per inch from 226 pixels per inch (ppi) to 400-500ppi.
One MacBook Pro rumour doing the rounds goes as far as to say that the 2016 models will have a touchscreen, and that it might even be detachable from the screen a lot like the Surface Book. We'd be very surprised if this rumour is true, but anything's possible.
Physical design
We're not expecting the design of the MacBook Pro to change much, although the Ming-Chi Kuo report suggests otherwise. It's possible that a gold model will be launched, but Apple might reserve that for the 12in MacBook, which got new colour options in March.
TechRadar reports that the MacBook Pro will get a new hinge design, and claims this will be created by Amphenol, which makes the hinges on the Microsoft Surface Book, while Kuo suggests we'll see a thinner, lighter MacBook Pro with several new features including the Touch ID sensor and touch bar.
The macOS Sierra code does reference biometric inputs, so a Touch ID fingerprint sensor is possible, particularly after the introduction of Apple Pay for Mac.
Keyboard
We expect to see a return of the Butterfly key mechanism in the new MacBook Pro 2016. The new mechanism was used in the older MacBook 2015 keyboard and we therefore expect to see this flush, easy-to-type-on key switch used in the upcoming version.
There's a frankly bizarre rumour doing the rounds about the keyboard, too: that there won't be any physical keys at all. Instead, you'll just get a flat, 'zero-travel' touch-sensitive slate that gives force feedback to offer the illusion of physical movement - just like the Force Touch trackpad.
If that seems like madness, the Parent Herald clairifies that there will at least be 'micro-perforations' to guide the fingers to the correct part of the slate, and lights to show the key layout.
The site seems to have taken this idea from a patent, but Apple fans will be well aware that patents generally don't bear fruit for years after being filed, and often don't produce anything even then: some things just don't work out in R&D, and others were patented speculatively, or as red herrings to mislead rivals. Needless to say, we certainly don't expect a feature of this kind in 2016's MacBook Pro.
Processors
The new MacBook Pro models are likely to feature Skylake processors, the new, sixth generation chips by Intel. Right now, none of Apple's MacBooks offer Skylake so it's highly likely that Apple plans to address this soon. Skylake will bring significant performance gains to the new MacBook Pro, too, making it an even faster machine.
Competitors including HP, Dell and Microsoft have already moved to Skylake, so Apple is beginning to look like it's trailing behind.
Skylake could improve battery life, too, working with El Capitan to improve efficiency. The 13in Retina MacBook Pro already offers 10 hours of battery life and the 15in model offers 8 hours, but we'd like to see that improve to match the 12 and 9 hours offered by the MacBook Air.
The 15in models of the MacBook Pro currently offer quad-core i7 processors, which means they compare very favourably with the 27in iMacs. We hope that the 2016 model maintains these quad-core processors, but when the Mac mini was updated in October of 2014 it lost its quad-core processor options, which could spell the same fate for the MacBook Pro.
Graphics
Both AMD and nVidia are looking to introduce new GPU products in 2016 which some suggest could make their way to the 2016 MacBook Pro, along with other Mac products. AMD is planning to release GPUs based on Global Foundries 14 nm FinFET processor node, while nVidia is releasing something slightly different - GPUs based on the slightly larger 16 nm FinFET Plus processor node. Both the AMD and nVidia GPUs should bring significant gains in graphics performance, an area that needs some TLC - especially with regards to gaming on a Mac.
Both AMD and nVidia are set to launch the new GPUs later this year, possibly during the Summer, but it's unclear at this stage whether it'll be ready in time to be used with the 2016 MacBook Pro. For Mac gamers everywhere, we do hope so.
There are also an increasing number of rumours which suggest AMD set aside a GPU design for Apple, for its latest FinFet 14nm architecture graphics cards. It is also presumed the new GPU will be twice as fast as the current MacBook Pro, making it a worthy upgrade for most.
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