MacBook Pro might become a lot more 'pro' this year, report claims
There was no shortage of complaints about Apple's refreshed, 2016 MacBook Pro line, be it shoddy battery life or absence of any ports besides USB-C. But one complaint stood above others as it indicated that Apple may be neglecting a crucial target market: With aging processors and a maximum of 16GB of RAM, the new MacBook Pro does not appear to be a machine for professionals.
That might change in 2017. According to a report by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors), Apple will launch new variants of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro this year, with Intel's latest Kaby Lake processors. Later in the year, a "significantly redesigned" 15-inch Pro with 32GB of RAM will arrive.
Kuo also says Apple will update the MacBook with Kaby Lake processors and, possibly, a 16GB of RAM option. Currently, the 12-inch laptop maxes out at 8GB of RAM.
Mass production of the new MacBook could start in the early second quarter, Kuo claims; the updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models could enter mass production in the early third quarter, and the 15-inch MacBook Pro with 32GB of RAM could enter mass production in the early fourth quarter (that's March, July and September, respectively).
Kuo shared another, very interesting prediction -- the 13-inch MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar will get cheaper this year, in order to replace the MacBook Air, which is currently in limbo as it hasn't been updated at all during Apple's latest PC event.
This could solve a crucial problem for many Apple users: price. The 13-inch MacBook Air was a solid entry-level machine that cost a thousand bucks, but is now too obsolete to recommend. On the other hand, the 13-inch Pro sans the Touch Bar costs $1,500 without bringing enough innovation, horsepower or ports (it only has 2 USB-C ports) to justify that price.
As always, none of this has been confirmed by Apple and is firmly in rumor territory. We expect a lot from Apple this year; hopefully the company makes the right news in its somewhat neglected PC department.
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
