With the
iPhone 7 and
Apple Watch ****** 2 launches having dominated the
Apple news cycle in recent weeks, attention is **w turning back to the Mac lineup, which has been in need of updates for quite some time as
highlighted by our Buyer's Guide. Looking ahead to the rapidly approaching holiday shopping season, rumors have suggested
Apple is preparing to update several of its Mac lines before the end of the year, led by a
Redesigned MacBook Pro that has been rumored to be ready for
Launch "as soon as October."
MacRumors has learned that
Apple is indeed moving rapidly toward a
Launch of the new
MacBook Pro models, with the company's current development work on macOS 10.12.1 focused largely on preparing the operating system to support the updated hardware's new features, which have been rumored by several sources to include
Touch ID support and an OLED "touch bar" replacing the current row of function keys across the top of keyboard.
Apple is also said to be shifting to
"Polaris" graphics chips from AMD on the higher-end 15-inch models.
Leaked MacBook Pro top case showing space for touch bar in place of function keys
Our understanding is that
Apple is planning to seed one more beta version of macOS 10.12.1 for developer and public beta testing early next week, with a goal of finalizing the software update by the end of that week so it can be loaded onto the new hardware currently being produced by Apple's supply chain partners.
This timeline could of course change should last-minute bugs or other circumstances require adjustments to Apple's plans, but if it holds true, it appears
Apple could have its new
MacBook Pro models ready to ship to customers some time in the second half of October.
With an emphasis on preparing for the new
MacBook Pro models and thus a need to stick to an aggressive timeline,
Apple appears to be pushing off all but the most critical bug fixes and security *****es beyond macOS 10.12.1. Less crucial fixes will be incorporated into the following macOS 10.12.2 update, which we understand
Apple is
Aiming to begin seeding to developers around
Late October with a goal of public release around
Late **vember.
In addition to
Redesigned MacBook Pro models,
Apple has
also been rumored to be launching updated
MacBook Air models with USB-C ports and new
iMacs with AMD graphics chips before the end of the year. It is unclear, however, whether all three lines will be updated simultaneously and whether
Apple will hold a media event to introduce the hardware or opt for a more low-key introduction via press release, perhaps with some embargoed media reviews alongside.
Finally,
Apple is reportedly working with LG on a new 5K external display to replace the discontinued
Apple Thunderbolt Display, although a timeframe for that product has yet to be reported. We've also yet to hear any word about the
Mac Pro and
Mac mini, both of which remain in significant need of updates.
Related Roundup:
MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide:
Retina MacBook Pro (Don't Buy)
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