Apple registers Russian trademarks for three new MacBooks ahead of Oct. 27 event
Russian trademark filings published on Monday indicate that Apple is preparing three new computers running macOS Sierra, just days ahead of a press event expected to showcase new MacBooks, including a OLED touchbar-equipped MacBook Pro.
A concept render of the MacBook Pro touchbar.
The new hardware is identified by the model numbers A1706, A1707, and A1708, Consomac noted. No other details are included with the filings, except that the products are "portable personal computers," ruling out iMacs, Mac minis, or Mac Pros.
The information is consistent with claims by KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has said that Apple will announce not just revamped MacBook Pros in 13- and 15-inch sizes, but a 13-inch basic MacBook. The current MacBook, starting at $1,299, has a 12-inch Retina display.
The MacBook Pro is expected to get the bulk of upgrades though, including not just the touchbar but things like Intel Skylake processors, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, and up to 2 terabytes of SSD storage. USB-C support may or may not include a first-party MagSafe-style adapter.
Apple appears to be all but abandoning the MacBook Air line. Though it was technicially upgraded in April, the only change was a default 8 gigabytes of RAM on 13-inch models -- the devices lack both start-of-the-art processors and Retina displays.
A concept render of the MacBook Pro touchbar.
The new hardware is identified by the model numbers A1706, A1707, and A1708, Consomac noted. No other details are included with the filings, except that the products are "portable personal computers," ruling out iMacs, Mac minis, or Mac Pros.
The information is consistent with claims by KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has said that Apple will announce not just revamped MacBook Pros in 13- and 15-inch sizes, but a 13-inch basic MacBook. The current MacBook, starting at $1,299, has a 12-inch Retina display.
The MacBook Pro is expected to get the bulk of upgrades though, including not just the touchbar but things like Intel Skylake processors, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, and up to 2 terabytes of SSD storage. USB-C support may or may not include a first-party MagSafe-style adapter.
Apple appears to be all but abandoning the MacBook Air line. Though it was technicially upgraded in April, the only change was a default 8 gigabytes of RAM on 13-inch models -- the devices lack both start-of-the-art processors and Retina displays.
Comments
Nothing you haven't already figured out.
Also, couldn't there be some way to explain why there are no trademarks in the story about trademarks? As dysamoria above says.
Wonder what will be on that 13" MacBook to justify its spot alongside the 12"? Can't be just a 13" version of the standard MacBook, that would make no sense for Apple to do. Hopefully it'll have the more powerful Skylake processors and maybe a few more ports to differentiate it. Could it be an ARM powered laptop? macOS has added the ARM Hurricane family support to the code. Maybe this'll be its introduction? Would be pretty cool and would be the groundbreaking thing to justify the Hello Again tagline for the event. Just thinking out loud here.
I think Sog may need restraining for his own safety.
Apple introduces the new laptops all running on SOCs derived from the A10, but better suited to Macs (so more CPU cores and iPhone-specific stuff, like camera ISP, removed), and based on TSMC's 10 nm process, not the 16nm used in the iPhone 7.
They announce that the full desktop lineup (Mac Mini, iMac, and Mac Pro) will also receive an ARM-based refresh in early 2017.
Such a delay for the desktops would be understandable if the desktop ARM chips are more heavily modified to deliver higher performance. For example, they might have beefier vector units, more cores, and higher clock speeds.
Probably won't happen, but that's my dream.
agree a 14" rMB would make more sense than a 13" rMB alongside the 12" model.
It doesn't really matter. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth no matter what they announce. Someone, somewhere won't be happy. And given how things have been built up in the absence of actual information (not to mention such a long time between updates), it's almost impossible for Apple to release something that does all the wondrous things people are expecting.
So, my prediction is that Apple will announce new MacBook Pros with a new form factor, and after some initial excitement, people are going to start complaining about the things that aren't there. Someone will claim that they're just playing catch up with Dell or HP or Lenovo. A few people will complain about the keyboard. Someone on this very forum will complain about memory and/or storage options. And there'll be the usual complaints about the lack of a touchscreen. Meanwhile Apple will sell a tonne of them.
http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-registers-three-new-macs-in-eurasia-ahead-of-thursdays-hello-again-event.2008894/page-9
"Happy to say you are wrong lol. What you are referring to may be model number, but this article stated that the leaked model numbers are A1706,A1707 and A1708. This doesn't quite fit into the format you are stating. You may say what you've looked up is called part number. Check this website for the part numbers of each MacBook Pro models, which Apple says are model number and admittedly quiteconfusing:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201300
Now check this website which has the model numbers of all Macs ever built:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_capability/mac-specs-by-model-number-family-number.html
I've checked carefully in this website that under the same product line the model number only changes when there is a physical change to the hardware. That's why the Early 2015 MacBook and Early 2016 MacBook have the same model number, but the Late 2012 and Late 2013 13" Retina MacBook Pro have different model numbers because the 2013 MBP is ever so slightly thinner. The model number doesn't change with spec upgrades so the MBPs have stayed with the same model number since late 2013.
Another point is, it really doesn't make sense to have these 3 leaked new model numbers representing a 13", 15" MBP and a new 13" rMB. They are not under the same product line and none of the Macs that are different class have consecutive numberings. E.g. You don't see an iMac and a Mac mini will have consecutive model number due to them having very different physical form factors.
Hence, the only reason to justify the 3 consecutive model numbers is Apple has 3 form factors planned right from the start when they are developing the newly redesigned MBP. So echoing previous posts, I am calling it too: we will see a 13" / 15" / 17" MBP on Thursday. I am honestly surprised by this because no leaks about this is out until now."
I mean the Retina Pro didn't get a new family number it just fitted into the existing number family also the unibody was in the same family with machine overhaul.
Maybe the will unify the new MacBook and the Pro's into one line which could well be 12"/14"/16" screens after all distinct screen format changes like the change to wide screen did in the past warrant a new family number.