New MacBook Pro 2016 Rumors Round-Up: Release Date, Specs, New Features And Everything We Know So Far


Apple’s new 2016 model MacBook Pro is expected to be just weeks away, and with the company’s latest model of their flagship laptop now nearly 16 months old, the MacBook Pro is well in need of an upgrade. That 2016 variant is set to introduce the biggest set of changes yet to the MacBook Pro, but details are still largely thin on the ground.

In this article, we’ll round up all the rumors and speculation about the MacBook Pro 2016.

OLED Touchbar

As aforementioned, the new MacBook Pro is set to bring with it a number of big changes, including most notably in the design department. According to the Week, there’s been one consistent feature rumored to be heading to the new MacBook Pro; an OLED touch bar. The MacBook Pro is widely perceived as having one of the best laptop keyboards on the market, but Apple could be about to improve on that even further.

Recent leaks suggest that Apple plans to place a touch-sensitive strip above the keyboard, which would completely replace the function keys. The laptop will then be able to change that OLED display depending on what the user is doing. For instance, the bar could be used to track downloads or control music playback. The rumor is a pretty concrete one too, with Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most accurate Apple analysts, saying the new OLED touch bar will represent one of the most significant and ambitious upgrades made by Apple.

Thinner Design

According to Gotta Be Mobile, the design of the MacBook Pro 2016 will generally be improved upon over recent models, which have followed a fairly similar design pattern. Ming-Chi Kuo has already said that he expects to see a thinner and more compact design with the new MacBook Pro, closer to that of the current standard MacBook and MacBook Air models. However, that could also mean replacing the MagSafe 2 charging port and other ports with standard USB connectivity — which Apple appears to be picking up with their laptops of late.

That said, Apple is expected to keep their display variants the same. The new 2016 MacBook Pro is expected to be available in both a 13-inch and 15-inch variant, just as with previous models.


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More Power and Battery Life

Whilst Apple appears to be placing a large emphasis on the external design of its upcoming MacBook Pro, that doesn’t mean they plan on neglecting what’s on the inside. Analysts are optimistic that Apple’s 2016 MacBook Pro will provide more power and better battery life. It’s now pretty much a given that Apple will take advantage of Intel’s new sixth-generation Skylake processors with the 2016 MacBook Pro, which should provide a significant power boost.

Those new Skylake processors would also allow for much better battery life. It’s also worth noting that Intel’s latest processors also allow for wireless charging, but Apple isn’t likely to take advantage of this.

Announcement and Release

So when will we know more about the new MacBook Pro? Apple is expected to hold its final keynote event of the year in the coming weeks. The company typically dedicates its third keynote to the Mac line of products, with this year’s event expected to feature a new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac and Mac Mini. As it stands, the company is expected to have MacOS ready to utilize that aforementioned OLED touch bar by the end of October, suggesting that the company plans to have the new laptop on shelves by next month.

[Featured Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

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