Upgraded MacBook models expected to highlight WWDC 2013
Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities believes Apple will showcase updated MacBook Pro models at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with the most notable upgrade being the move to Intel's next-generation Haswell family of processors.
Kuo, who has a reliable track record in predicting Apple's product plans, said in a research note obtained by AppleInsider that while the Cupertino company is likely to bump its current MacBook lineup to Intel's latest platform, speculated upgrades like a MacBook Air with Retina display are unlikely.
While no major design changes are thought to be in store for WWDC, Kuo now thinks Apple will keep the optical drive-toting MacBook Pro alive alongside the company's most advanced MacBook Pro with Retina display and MacBook Air models. The analyst previously forecast Apple would retire the line as it moved to all-Retina product offerings.
"There is still demand in emerging markets, where Internet penetration isn't advanced, for optical disk drives," he said of the 13- and 15-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro. Apple's top-tier MacBook lineup eschewed the previous built-in SuperDrive in a bid to slim down the chassis and cut weight.
For the consumer market, Kuo said the biggest change to the MacBook lineup in 2013 will be the introduction of Intel's Haswell processor, which replaces the Ivy Bridge architecture currently used in the company's computers. Intel recently announced that Haswell will be unveiled on June 3, one day prior to the Computex Taipei trade show.
Kuo believes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro will begin shipping by the end of the second quarter, close to the forecasted WWDC launch, while the MacBook Pro with Retina display will see release later in the year due to low yield of the notebook's high-resolution panels.
Apple has traditionally used WWDC as an opportunity to launch innovative new products, with last year's event seeing the debut of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.
WWDC 2013 is scheduled to run from June 10 through 14 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Tickets to the conference sold out in less than two minutes, breaking the previous record of about two hours.
Kuo, who has a reliable track record in predicting Apple's product plans, said in a research note obtained by AppleInsider that while the Cupertino company is likely to bump its current MacBook lineup to Intel's latest platform, speculated upgrades like a MacBook Air with Retina display are unlikely.
While no major design changes are thought to be in store for WWDC, Kuo now thinks Apple will keep the optical drive-toting MacBook Pro alive alongside the company's most advanced MacBook Pro with Retina display and MacBook Air models. The analyst previously forecast Apple would retire the line as it moved to all-Retina product offerings.
"There is still demand in emerging markets, where Internet penetration isn't advanced, for optical disk drives," he said of the 13- and 15-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro. Apple's top-tier MacBook lineup eschewed the previous built-in SuperDrive in a bid to slim down the chassis and cut weight.
For the consumer market, Kuo said the biggest change to the MacBook lineup in 2013 will be the introduction of Intel's Haswell processor, which replaces the Ivy Bridge architecture currently used in the company's computers. Intel recently announced that Haswell will be unveiled on June 3, one day prior to the Computex Taipei trade show.
Kuo believes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro will begin shipping by the end of the second quarter, close to the forecasted WWDC launch, while the MacBook Pro with Retina display will see release later in the year due to low yield of the notebook's high-resolution panels.
Apple has traditionally used WWDC as an opportunity to launch innovative new products, with last year's event seeing the debut of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.
WWDC 2013 is scheduled to run from June 10 through 14 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Tickets to the conference sold out in less than two minutes, breaking the previous record of about two hours.
Comments
If there's one thing that's not needed at all it's a MacBook Air design change.
Not happening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ireland
If there's one thing that's not needed at all it's a MacBook Air design change.
Agreed.
Feel free to upgrade those specs, but that beautiful body needs no changing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ireland
Not happening.
Why do you say that? Because Ming-Chi Kuo would have mentioned it?
I would like a MBA design change. Not a fan of that aluminium rim around the display. I'd much rather have it be glass edge to edge.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ireland
Not happening.
That doesn't mean some of us wouldn't like one! I've accepted that my eventual upgrade will be to a 15" rMBP, however.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ascii
I would like to see a 17" rMBP, what a thing of beauty that would be.
I agree. I'm wondering if they can make the laptops even thinner and lighter.
I am also wondering if 802.11ac is going to be introduced this year as well. That's a technology that's supposed to be finalized.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcallows
Discrete graphics processor on the 13" MacBook Pros please.
Is there enough room for it? I think that was the main problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
I would like a MBA design change. Not a fan of that aluminium rim around the display. I'd much rather have it be glass edge to edge.
There is no glass on MBA right now because of the added weight. A thinner aluminum bezel would be nice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ireland
Not happening.
Well, don't be surprised if they bring it back. I know they most likely won't, but it would be nice if they did bring that back. Lots of high end professionals still want those beasts.
I personally would like to see a MacMiniPro where they put the high end i5 and i7, with more RAM, storage, and more ports in a slightly large foot print.
I also hope they change the case design for the MacPro system. I would love to see them put an optional redundant power supply and have the ability to be rack mounted as well as the obvious addition of Thunderbolt ports front and back.
I hope 802.11ac makes it to this year's lineup.
Needed, perhaps not, but something tells me that in the not so distant future the 'Air' design will be dropped and replaced with the form from the Retinas. The specs are kind of the same run in a way. They could switch everything to that design and have it as the lower end of the series (with the standard screens, not retina) and then the old school pros would be like a MBP Classic portion.
And I will not be shocked if these are not introduced at WWDC. Last year the software would have outed the new form but that is not likely the case. And they might want the bumps to release before June for the US BTS promo which typically begins in late May, before WWDC
I hope we see the Fusion Drive in the Macbook Pros, either rMBP, or MBP, or both. At some point, I hope Apple also offers a Fusion Drive with 256GB SSD in addition to the current one with 128GB SSD.
Bad assumption to make. Apple has hundreds of patents they have never used in their products, they just license them to others