MacBook Pro and Macbook Air 2016 Release Date and Rumors: Will Apple Be Able To Deliver More In Less?

By Peter R - 14 May '16 09:19AM
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As Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference draws nearer, the rumors about the MacBook Pro 2016 and MacBook Air 2016 are getting louder, though the latter is unlikely to see the light of the day.

Ever since the revised MacBook was launched, expectations from MacBook Pro have gone up several notches. The MacBook was revised with Intel's latest, featuring last year's slim design but with limited expansion capabilities in the form of USB-C; expectations that Apple could include Thunderbolt and host of other expansion ports, were not met. The MacBook has received rave reviews both for its performance and design which Apple is set to replicate in its MacBook Pro 2016.

Rumors up until now have suggested revisions to both 13-inch and 15-inch variants. While Skylake will be the most prominent change, new graphic units by both NVDIA and AMD are among other possibilities being speculated.

Numerous reports have suggested that the MacBook Pro would be just as thick as the new MacBook which is 0.35 cm thick at its thickest. Last year's Pro was around 1.8 cm thick. A centimetre in thickness reduction may not seem much but on the scale of computing it implies a lot. For one, questions arise about the Pro's computing prowess and keyboard.

Reviews of the revised MacBook have been largely positive but a few gripes include the keyboard, which according to many reviews has small keys. Another consideration is thinning the laptop without comprising processing power and other features of the MacBook Pro. Given that the Pro variants offer several expansion slots, feature dedicated graphics and have faster processors, it remains to be seen how this year's MacBook Pro can get thinner.

While we wait for Apple to unveil the MacBook Pro 2016, many have already written off the 'Air' branding of Apple devices. This seems to be a logical extension of Apple's MacBooks getting thinner, making a separate line of 'thin' products unnecessary.

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