The next MacBook Pro redesign (merged)

[doitdada]

Last time a mid and late update happened in the same year, was in 2012, when 10.8 (Mountain Lion) was released. May as well happen this time around. Check the data on this list...
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204319

 

[toddzrx]

How do people see the MBP going design wise in relation to the MBA and MacBook lines?

I think the MBA will get a Skylake upgrade as its last. The MBP re-design will bring 14 and 16" screens, and they will add a 14" rMB and lower end 12" rMB. So in a couple years from now, Apple will have just 2 laptop series in 2 different screen sizes: Macbooks for consumer grade and Pros for heavier lifting. They'll probably drop the "Retina" marketing term since by then, everything will be "Retina".

 

[adamchris123]

Last time a mid and late update happened in the same year, was in 2012, when 10.8 (Mountain Lion) was released. May as well happen this time around. Check the data on this list...
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204319

The skylake cpu's that intel just released are not the right ones for the mbp. The cpu's with iris pro are the ones apple uses, and according to intel they won't be released until 2016.

 

[Plinko1]

Hi! I've a question! In your opinion the next rMBP 13 will be change the design?(thinner and lighter) and will it be released in early 2016? I'm undecided for buy now a rMBP 13! Not for the processor, but for the design, this line of rMBP was selling for the first time in 2012, and the previous line in the 2009, i think that this year(or early 2016) apple change the design!
(Sorry for my english, i'm an italian guy!)

 

[doitdada]

Mr Italo
Buy it for how you use, not the design.

 

[Plinko1]

Mr Italo
Buy it for how you use, not the design.

Yes, of course! I don't buy the macbook for its design, but i don't want to spend 1500€ for a macbook that will be update in 2 mounth with a thinner and lighter design!

 

[doitdada]

I guess an update in the spring for the Pro line. iMac and iPad Pro along with iPhone this year.

 

[MacFather]

They will get rid of famous light Apple icon on the back of lid.

I don't think so. A glowing  logo is important for Apple in the product placement (movies/TV shows), where MacBooks are instantly recognizable.

 

[Patrick-Photo]

I don't think so. A glowing  logo is important for Apple in the product placement (movies/TV shows), where MacBooks are instantly recognizable.

They did on the 12" rMB. I wouldn't mind leaving the glowing apple behind if it adds to better structural integrity and a thinner lid.

 

[zhenya]

I really had a hard time believing they would abandon the glowing apple on the Macbook, but they did. Perhaps it was just a result of their obsession with thinness on this device. Perhaps it will survive on the larger devices where the tiny advantage gained is less of a concern. It's certainly iconic and hard to see them abandoning all the free 'advertising' it generates.

 

[oldmacs]

I'm going to get flamed, but I hold some hope that Apple maintains a laptop range that cater to a range of needs.

There are plenty of people who would rather a laptop that didn't sacrifice everything for a thinner laptop. What if they A. beefed up the Macbook Air into a Macbook Pro replacement for those who want a thinned down laptop, and continue upgrading the Macbook Pro with form factor changes only when they don't compromise on other things.

Or B (My personal favourite) is that they thin down the retina Macbook Pro taking on rMB design cues, but also update the Classic Non Retina Pro, with better performance, a retina display and Hybrid drives or SSDs for those who want an laptop that the only compromise is a lack of thinness.

I just think that sliming the laptop line to 2 is a poor idea, especially when the two models are both laptops for people who are only really concerned with slimness.

 

[Technarchy]

I really had a hard time believing they would abandon the glowing apple on the Macbook, but they did. Perhaps it was just a result of their obsession with thinness on this device. Perhaps it will survive on the larger devices where the tiny advantage gained is less of a concern. It's certainly iconic and hard to see them abandoning all the free 'advertising' it generates.

Tim Cook would have to be crazy to give up the free advertising that comes with this:

 

[oldmacs]

Tim Cook would have to be crazy to give up the free advertising that comes with this:

Thats what my uni looks like often as well I'd say 70 percent of my people have them. Depends what you're doing, I'm doing Arts and IT and Science, and the number using Macs is far higher in Arts and Science then IT.

I love the glowing Apple logo, its one of those awesome little things about Macbook Pros. Its the little things that are amazing, like magsafe etc.

 

[lewdvig]

I think there will be only MacBooks after January.

12", 14" and 16"

There will be a lower spec version of the 12" (less SSD capacity) to take the current 13" MBA spot. The 11" will cede to the iPad.

14" and 16" MacBooks will be based on skylake and there will be no dGPU option, as the GT4e will be 20% faster than R9 370x while the 16" will have longer battery life, less heat and weight.

That is pure speculation, and probably repeats what others have said.

 

[doitdada]

16" not likely.

 

[oldmacs]

I think there will be only MacBooks after January.

12", 14" and 16"

There will be a lower spec version of the 12" (less SSD capacity) to take the current 13" MBA spot. The 11" will cede to the iPad.

14" and 16" MacBooks will be based on skylake and there will be no dGPU option, as the GT4e will be 20% faster than R9 370x while the 16" will have longer battery life, less heat and weight.

That is pure speculation, and probably repeats what others have said.

That would suck majorly.

 

[mayuka]

I think there will be only MacBooks after January.

That would make anyone unhappy. The Pros that would once again complain that Apple doesn't care anymore. And the newbies that want to get a cheap entry into the Mac OS X ecosystem. The Pro series has an extraordinary reputation for being built extremely well and having extremely solid and good hardware components inside. The Macbook Pro line is industry leading and many other manufacturer are copying the design and the technic inside. Many students on the other hand do not have much money and as a result only can afford one of the current Macbook Air models where 1000 $ is the magic line. I really can't think that Apple would consolidate both lines into just one model, in particular since there are three different series of intel chips: M, Y and U that serve much much different purposes and have different speeds.

 

[lewdvig]

Maybe, but Apple are always reinventing. Almost each time there have been critics.

As IGP and discrete GPU performance for thin and light notebooks diminishes, I don't know why folks would need power consumption, heat, noise, complexity and point of failure. AMD has nothing that would fit in a really thin machine, and the next Iris Pro should be pretty close to a Nvidia 950m.

Also, Intel IGP across the board except Mac Pro would make it easier for Apple to optimize the experience and really take advantage of Metal. It just seems to me like Apple is ready to leave dGPU behind.

I figure there would be three screen sizes, but maybe only two; 12 and 15 inches. By reducing bezels, I think a 16" 16:10 screen would fit in the current footprint. That's the only reason I suggested it.

Like the MBA before it, I think MacBook comes down to the $999 magic number (128 GB SSD).

 

[Serban]

Rumours says that in 2018 we will have Intel's iGPU Iris Pro on par with the last 680MX from nvidia.But again probably in 2018 Nvidia will have a faster and more capable dGPU over 60% than 680MX
And from 2016 or 2017 at max, we will have Macbook(12" and 14") and Macbook Pro(13" and 15")
iPad(9.7") and iPad Pro(12.9")
iPhone and iPhone plus
Apple watch 38 and 42mm

 

[Aluminum213]

It's going to be thinner, that's a given, it's also impossible for it to be thinner and not lose ports

Apple will add a couple USB-C ports and expect the user to buy a dongle for everything

 

[lewdvig]

Actually, thinking about my theory some more; if Apple announces an iPad Pro then it stands to reason they will keep consumer and pro lineup differentiation across the board.

But I do still think the MacBook Air line is toast.

 

[Patrick-Photo]

Maybe, but Apple are always reinventing. Almost each time there have been critics.

As IGP and discrete GPU performance for thin and light notebooks diminishes, I don't know why folks would need power consumption, heat, noise, complexity and point of failure. AMD has nothing that would fit in a really thin machine, and the next Iris Pro should be pretty close to a Nvidia 950m.

Also, Intel IGP across the board except Mac Pro would make it easier for Apple to optimize the experience and really take advantage of Metal. It just seems to me like Apple is ready to leave dGPU behind.

I figure there would be three screen sizes, but maybe only two; 12 and 15 inches. By reducing bezels, I think a 16" 16:10 screen would fit in the current footprint. That's the only reason I suggested it.

Like the MBA before it, I think MacBook comes down to the $999 magic number (128 GB SSD).

That's why it should have Thunderbolt 3. Leave the dGPU behind, you can game a bit on the go and when you get home you can connect it to a dedicated GPU via Thunderbolt-3 that's settled below or even in your Thunderbolt-3 Display (two versions could be available one with and one without a GPU, the design as the current iMac holds enough space so a revamped TB3 Display could be in the works).

 

[pjfan]

I've gotta weigh in on the random predictions, It would be neat to see these sweeping updates:

• The MacBook Battery Layering implemented for all laptops
• Updated SSD Speeds on MacBook series to match Pro Series
• Retina Screens for all laptops
• Starting Storage space of 256 SSD on all Machines (Fusion option available for Desktops)
• New Butterfly keyboards (Pros would offer slightly more travel)
• External Butterfly Keyboard available
• Partnership with AMD or Nvidia for external GPU TB3 design (year away from release at least)
  • However, they'll maintain a dGPU system for the next few years
• Force Touch on all, along with external force touch pad
• Pros continue active cooling, which offers space for ports
• iOS devices convert to USB-C Ports

I doubt we'll see any of these until June/July next year.. maybe small performance bump here and there. I suspect I'll go the way of MacBook as soon as the update hits. Anyone that is thinking about going Pro ought to buy now, in my opinion, unless you really don't need it. For MacBook, still should probably buy now, but I personally am just being cheap and coping with my Air.

The one thing I can't get through my head (All of this is fictional, so it doesn't really matter) is if the MagSafe is dead. That's terribly hard for me to believe... perhaps the argument is that ultra mobiles ought to have USB-C, and Heavy lifters will have dedicated power adapter w/ MagSafe.

 

[jozero]

Is anyone really expecting to be shocked by the Macbook Pro redesign ?

The new 12" Retina Macbook is very much informed by the existing Air design. Same wedge shape, as time marches on Apple marches to thinner, lighter and smaller.

On this page Apple compares the 13" retina to the CD model :
http://www.apple.com/ca/macbook-pro/design-retina/
" the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is 25 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than the 13‑inch MacBook Pro without a Retina display."

Lets apply the same thing. Or take the percentage saving going from the non-retina macbook 13/11 to the 12. Take that percentage and slim down the pro the same way. I bet the pronounced "under curve" cheat will be mostly gone. Reduce the weight by the same - likely 3.5 pounds to 2.9 pounds for the 13".

Give it USB C, the new keyboard, the force trackpad. Give it the 3 colours.

Not discounting the engineering all this requires at all, and yah the devil is in the details, but radical redos of Apple hardware are very rare.

What sucks is waiting for the inevitable.

 

[MushroomMan]

Is anyone really expecting to be shocked by the Macbook Pro redesign ?

The new 12" Retina Macbook is very much informed by the existing Air design. Same wedge shape, as time marches on Apple marches to thinner, lighter and smaller.

On this page Apple compares the 13" retina to the CD model :
http://www.apple.com/ca/macbook-pro/design-retina/
" the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is 25 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than the 13‑inch MacBook Pro without a Retina display."

Lets apply the same thing. Or take the percentage saving going from the non-retina macbook 13/11 to the 12. Take that percentage and slim down the pro the same way. I bet the pronounced "under curve" cheat will be mostly gone. Reduce the weight by the same - likely 3.5 pounds to 2.9 pounds for the 13".

Give it USB C, the new keyboard, the force trackpad. Give it the 3 colours.

Not discounting the engineering all this requires at all, and yah the devil is in the details, but radical redos of Apple hardware are very rare.

What sucks is waiting for the inevitable.

I do hear what you are saying, but I would strongly argue that the 2008 pre-unibody to 2008 Unibody was actually a very 'significant' redesign.....possibly even shocking some people - in a good way!

If we get a jump like that it would be great and the main things I am expecting are:
* USB C
* Keep MagSafe
* Add force touch
* Keep SD card reader

It is also possible IMHO for a display upgrade as the retina screens were introduced 3 years ago, and display technology seems to move a lot in 3 years?