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New MacBook Pro 2016: Release Date, Apple Rumors, Price And More

By Frank Yemi
Published on: 01:51 PST, Oct 6, 2016

The long overdue new MacBook Pro is expected this year from Apple. A release date for the new MacBook Pro is likely to be unveiled at the Apple event on 27 October later this month.

Some of the latest spec rumors include the OLED touch bar, keyboard, and design.

The core design of the MacBook Pro is not expected to be much different. There may be a gold edition for the 12-inch model, and it is going to be thinner and lighter. There are rumors of a new hinge design, according to Tech Rader:

“Metal injection-molded hinges inspired by Microsoft’s Surface Pro line purportedly began shipment back in June for the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, the 15-inch model’s hinges were set to arrive in the third quarter of the year, making the late October release window argument even more convincing.”

The touch bar feature will have an OLED display, which is a form of LED display that may highlight certain functions or apps in the MacBook Pro. It is expected to appear above the keyboard.

Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint system is expected to mirror those found on other Apple products such as the iPhone. It is unclear where the fingerprint scanner will appear on the MacBook Pro. Some rumors suggest that the MacBook Pro will feature a fingerprint power button, while others anticipate a new magic trackpad update.

We can expect to see sixth-generation Skylake processors powering the MacBook Pro and powerful graphics cards. The last Macbook had fifth-generation Broadwell chips, so Apple is going to set high goals for the latest MacBook installment.

A better processor will improve the speed and battery life of the new Macbook Pro. Tech Radar reports on some of the benefits and drawbacks of the rumored processor:

“Skylake has some tricks up its silicon sleeve that Broadwell lacks, including support for WiGig and WiDi short-range, high speed data transfer as well as wireless charging. We may not see that flip of the switch in this year’s notebooks, but it’s possible nonetheless for Apple to tap into this functionality later on.”

It is also possible that Apple moves up to Intel Kaby Lake processors. However, a sixth-generation processor is more likely due to the timing of the MacBook Pro release. The publication reports on a 5K external device:

“However, one thing Skylake can’t do is output 5K resolutions over a single cable stream. That’s why, in June, sources told Buzzfeed reporter John Paczkowski that Apple is working on a 5K external display complete with its own integrated graphics chip based on AMD’s Polaris architecture.”

The new MacBook Pro is rumored to feature a butterfly key mechanism. With the iPhone 7 coming with no headphone jack, Apple may dedicate the rest of its 2016 releases to this risky leap.

The lightning headphone may be Apple thinking ahead. Either way, don’t be surprised if the new MacBook Pro does not future a headphone jack.

The new Macbook Pro is likely going to come in a 13-inch model and a 15-inch model. The price range will likely remain the same as expected with Apple products. The current MacBook Pro range starts at $1,099 for the 13-inch model, rising to $1,119 for the cheapest 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, and it cost $2,099 for the 2.5GHz 15-inch Retina version.

While many tech analysts thought that the tablet would overtake the laptop, the MacBook Pro is still in high demand and is not out of style.

AMD and nVidia are expected to launch new GPUs in 2016, and some reports speculated whether one of these new products will launch with the new MacBook Pro.

Are you looking forward to the new MacBook Pro?

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[Featured Image by Sean Gallup/Getty Images]

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