Images of 16-inch MacBook Pro reportedly in macOS Catalina 10.15.1 beta 2

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited June 2020
A reference to a "MacBook Pro 16,1" and images in the macOS Catalina 10.15.1 beta suggest that the long-rumored refresh and new size of the MacBook Pro is coming relatively soon.

Alleged 16-inch MacBook Pro image in macOS 10.15.1 Catalina beta 2
Alleged 16-inch MacBook Pro image in macOS 10.15.1 Catalina beta 2


Rumors about the 16-inch MacBook Pro have been circulating since early 2019. However, images said to be of the new model have appeared in the latest beta for macOS Catalina.

Reader Maxime from French-language MacGeneration discovered the images, as well as the 16,1 designation. As pointed out by the publication, the images are very slightly different in bezel size and space around the speakers than those for the 15-inch MacBook Pro currently in use.

15-inch MacBook Pro in macOS Catalina 10.15.1 beta 2
15-inch MacBook Pro in macOS Catalina 10.15.1 beta 2


While the publication claims that the 16 in the 16,1 designation means that it a 16-inch model, that number has incremented over the years and doesn't mean anything in regards to size. For example, the 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro was designated the MacBook Pro 13,3. Apple retained the 15,1 through 15,4 designations for the MacBook Pro line for 2018 into 2019, as it does on occasion between updates.

Production of the 16-inch MacBook Pro has reportedly already begun. Rumors suggest the laptop was designed by Apple's pro product team, the same group that worked on the upcoming Mac Pro. If true, the Pro could benefit from custom hardware specifically designed to handle professional applications.

Rumors also suggest that the 16-inch MacBook Pro will be powered by an refresh of Intel's Coffee Lake-H mobile processor series. Apple currently relies on Coffee Lake-H silicon to power its 15-inch MacBook Pro lineup. A 96W USB-C power adapter is said to be included, and a new scissor-switch mechanism for the keyboard is predicted as well.

Pricing is expected to exceed $3000 for the unit.

AppleInsider cannot verify the presence or authenticity of the images at this time. The image on the screen is from OS X dating back to over a decade ago.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 34
    Let's see if they finally add a decent camera on these computers, besides fixing the keyboards.
    williamlondonfastasleep
  • Reply 2 of 34
    AI_liasAI_lias Posts: 434member
    Apple, please provide a 16” entry level laptop for regular people. 13” is too small. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 3 of 34
    Presumably this larger, more “pro” size will also be outfitted with a full array of connectors actual people need. A 17” screen would be nice, but this sounds promising.
  • Reply 4 of 34
    Squints intently at the keyboard....is it fixed?....is it fixed!?
    williamlondon
  • Reply 5 of 34
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    Seems like PRO kind of MBP that people complained not having and wanted to buy. But, performance comes with price so accept it. Going forward, Apple will have higher cost 16" PRO category MBP and lower priced 15.4" consumer MBP. I want to see MBA update with 3-4 ports. Going forward USB4 and WiFi 6 support welcome.
    edited October 2019 caladanian
  • Reply 6 of 34
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    Presumably this larger, more “pro” size will also be outfitted with a full array of connectors actual people need. A 17” screen would be nice, but this sounds promising.
    We're not expecting anything other than Thunderbolt 3/USB-C.
    fastasleepcaladanian
  • Reply 7 of 34
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    I couldn't see the differences until I saw a side-by-side on The Verge.



    Based on this, people expecting the FaceTime camera to be much improved are probably SoL.


    PS: This is always my biggest gripe with AnandTech's in-depth iPhone reviews. They compared a wooping 9 smartphone cameras., but they make you click a button to swap the image out instead of giving you an option to see them side-by-side.
    edited October 2019 urahara
  • Reply 8 of 34
    Meanwhile, my supposedly "flawed" keyboard on my 15-inch Touch Bar MBP is still working fine, after hours of daily use for years.

    Nobody I know has had their keyboard go bad. I'm beginning to wonder if only people who take their laptops to the beach, or just work in dirty environments are the ones having problems.

    That being said, I plan to get the 16-inch model and give my flawless 15-inch MBP to my wife. She has a 2013 model and prefers the feel of my keyboard.
    chasm
  • Reply 9 of 34
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Appleish said:
    Meanwhile, my supposedly "flawed" keyboard on my 15-inch Touch Bar MBP is still working fine, after hours of daily use for years.

    Nobody I know has had their keyboard go bad. I'm beginning to wonder if only people who take their laptops to the beach, or just work in dirty environments are the ones having problems.

    That being said, I plan to get the 16-inch model and give my flawless 15-inch MBP to my wife. She has a 2013 model and prefers the feel of my keyboard.
    You not having an issue doesn't mean there isn't an issue. There's a reason Apple has made modifications to prevent ingress and why there is a keyboard service program.
    PickUrPoisonviclauyyc
  • Reply 10 of 34
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Appleish said:
    Meanwhile, my supposedly "flawed" keyboard on my 15-inch Touch Bar MBP is still working fine, after hours of daily use for years.

    Nobody I know has had their keyboard go bad. I'm beginning to wonder if only people who take their laptops to the beach, or just work in dirty environments are the ones having problems.

    That being said, I plan to get the 16-inch model and give my flawless 15-inch MBP to my wife. She has a 2013 model and prefers the feel of my keyboard.
    The thing is, when things go wrong, people complain. When they're fine, they don't say a thing. For every complaint about the keyboard you read about – most of which are echoed across sites like this, then echoed again by people who are easily suggestible so think they have a problem, then echoed again by people who don't have a problem but want to belong to something special – there are a thousand users who don't have an issue. Who, aside from yourself, you never hear from.


    williamlondon
  • Reply 11 of 34
    What a bummer. After the iPad Pros I thought they'd be able to shave much more bezel off of Macbook screens. This really is just a bigger 15" laptop, what is even the point.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 12 of 34
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Eric_WVGG said:
    What a bummer. After the iPad Pros I thought they'd be able to shave much more bezel off of Macbook screens. This really is just a bigger 15" laptop, what is even the point.
    Getting around 13% more display area, plus all the benefits of having more internal capacity for components seem like excellent points to me. I'd also think the physical Escape key is a plus for many.
    edited October 2019 StrangeDaysdocno42
  • Reply 13 of 34
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Presumably this larger, more “pro” size will also be outfitted with a full array of connectors actual people need. A 17” screen would be nice, but this sounds promising.
    We're not expecting anything other than Thunderbolt 3/USB-C.
    That is kinda sad.   HDMI out is extremely useful still.   As for USB-C I do believe that is the future, the problem is dependence on the past which means a USB 3.x port. 

    Frankly if Apple hasn’t addressed the following issues the the so call “pro” team has failed!
    1. The keyboard
    2. the number of ports, if they go USB-C only that means a minimal of 4. 
    3.  The reality of the wide spread use of HDMI should not be underestimated.  
    4.  Battery life that real users can appreciate.   I’m sorry but Apples misleading advertising sucks here, we need long battery life doing demanding work.   That means a big battery and the lowest power design possible.  
    5.  Cooling.   Let’s make sure this laptop doesn’t run at the edge of thermal failure.  
    6.  If it is the thinnest laptop ever they have failed to address the needs of demanding users.  
    viclauyycwilliamlondon
  • Reply 14 of 34
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Soli said:
    Eric_WVGG said:
    What a bummer. After the iPad Pros I thought they'd be able to shave much more bezel off of Macbook screens. This really is just a bigger 15" laptop, what is even the point.
    Getting around 13% more display area, plus all the benefits of having more internal capacity for components seem like excellent points to me. I'd also think the physical Escape key is a plus for many.
    Display area is huge for a number of applications.   One inch might not seem like much but the movement from 13” to 15” is huge from the usability standpoint.   I’m not sure ho some is this reality.  

    As for the escape key I’m not sure how that ever made it past the UI people at Apple.   A hardware escape key is very important.  

    I’m hoping the Pro tea got this right but I have this feeling that they are basically just stretching a 15” and not adding real capability beyond the screen.   We will see when it ships but my confidence in a Apple has slipped significantly when it comes to Macs.   
  • Reply 15 of 34
    I had my keyboard go wrong and it was replaced after a year of daily use. I've not had any keyboard issues since then, although the replacement is exactly the same as the original one. The inevitable battery swap was a bonus ;-).
  • Reply 16 of 34
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    wizard69 said:
    Presumably this larger, more “pro” size will also be outfitted with a full array of connectors actual people need. A 17” screen would be nice, but this sounds promising.
    We're not expecting anything other than Thunderbolt 3/USB-C.
    That is kinda sad.   HDMI out is extremely useful still.   As for USB-C I do believe that is the future, the problem is dependence on the past which means a USB 3.x port. 

    Frankly if Apple hasn’t addressed the following issues the the so call “pro” team has failed!
    1. The keyboard
    2. the number of ports, if they go USB-C only that means a minimal of 4. 
    3.  The reality of the wide spread use of HDMI should not be underestimated.  
    4.  Battery life that real users can appreciate.   I’m sorry but Apples misleading advertising sucks here, we need long battery life doing demanding work.   That means a big battery and the lowest power design possible.  
    5.  Cooling.   Let’s make sure this laptop doesn’t run at the edge of thermal failure.  
    6.  If it is the thinnest laptop ever they have failed to address the needs of demanding users.  
    1: Agreed, BUT our data so far on the 2019 on keyboard failure rates is roughly equivalent to the 2012 through 2015 over the same time period of availability.
    2: Half the 13-inch MBP and the entire 15-inch MBP has four now.
    3: USB-C is HDMI. It is literally a mode of USB-C.
    4: Processing power and lowest power design are mutually contradictory terms.
    5: It doesn't now. The 2019 is hugely better than the 2018, which (after a patch on the i7 and i9) was better than the 2017.
    6: The two are not mutually contradictory. It may not be for you, but that doesn't make it a failure.
    edited October 2019 thtSoliStrangeDayscommentzillachiafastasleep
  • Reply 17 of 34
    Soli said:
    Appleish said:
    Meanwhile, my supposedly "flawed" keyboard on my 15-inch Touch Bar MBP is still working fine, after hours of daily use for years.

    Nobody I know has had their keyboard go bad. I'm beginning to wonder if only people who take their laptops to the beach, or just work in dirty environments are the ones having problems.

    That being said, I plan to get the 16-inch model and give my flawless 15-inch MBP to my wife. She has a 2013 model and prefers the feel of my keyboard.
    You not having an issue doesn't mean there isn't an issue. There's a reason Apple has made modifications to prevent ingress and why there is a keyboard service program.
    I don’t doubt that some people have an issue. But I do doubt that it’s more than the expected service rate Apple said it’s at. I just don’t think they’d lie about it, but I do believe publications like the WSJ will trumpet it very loudly in order to get clicks and make a name for themselves with videos of writers wearing butterfly wings. Only Apple. 
  • Reply 18 of 34
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    wizard69 said:
    Presumably this larger, more “pro” size will also be outfitted with a full array of connectors actual people need. A 17” screen would be nice, but this sounds promising.
    We're not expecting anything other than Thunderbolt 3/USB-C.
    That is kinda sad.   HDMI out is extremely useful still.   As for USB-C I do believe that is the future, the problem is dependence on the past which means a USB 3.x port. 

    Frankly if Apple hasn’t addressed the following issues the the so call “pro” team has failed!
    1. The keyboard
    2. the number of ports, if they go USB-C only that means a minimal of 4. 
    3.  The reality of the wide spread use of HDMI should not be underestimated.  
    4.  Battery life that real users can appreciate.   I’m sorry but Apples misleading advertising sucks here, we need long battery life doing demanding work.   That means a big battery and the lowest power design possible.  
    5.  Cooling.   Let’s make sure this laptop doesn’t run at the edge of thermal failure.  
    6.  If it is the thinnest laptop ever they have failed to address the needs of demanding users.  
    HDMI is useful for TV's but don't even think about having it on a laptop. It's ugly. I love the fact that Apple got rid of all ports and used USB-C to rule all. With USB-C, you can power up, you can send TV signal with USB-C to HDMI cable, you can send data with USB-C to USB-A/B, you can even send signal with VGA. You can use USB-C for ethernet. 

    I am very happy with Apple's decision to use USB-C only. And I hope the future Macs will not use any other ports. I am tired of people demanding that Apple should support their legacy devices when it can be done with a simple dongle. 


    chiawilliamlondonStrangeDaysfastasleep
  • Reply 19 of 34
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    Remember how old MacBook used to look with ports.... how ugly is that?!?! Don't ask Apple to include more ports. Just no. 



    VS this new MacBook-- beautiful and consistent ports to do EVERYTHING. 

     
    chiaStrangeDaysfastasleep
  • Reply 20 of 34
    Soli said:
    Eric_WVGG said:
    What a bummer. After the iPad Pros I thought they'd be able to shave much more bezel off of Macbook screens. This really is just a bigger 15" laptop, what is even the point.
    Getting around 13% more display area, plus all the benefits of having more internal capacity for components seem like excellent points to me. I'd also think the physical Escape key is a plus for many.
    hm? Rumors are new keyboard, doesn't necessarily mean an Escape key.

    Although, IMO Apple's way out of this Touch Bar mess is to restore the F-key-row and put the Touch Bar above it… we're not exactly lacking for space up there
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