The rumor mill regarding Apple’s October 27th media event has gotten a bit more specific.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new research report outlining his expectations for next Thursday’s “Hello Again” event where Apple is expected to make a number of Mac-related announcements.
Kuo’s note states that Apple will release the next-gen MacBook Pro in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes. The new notebooks will include an OLED touch bar and Touch ID sensor, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, and the same butterfly keyboard design introduced on the MacBook in 2015.
Kuo added the following new tidbits to the rumor mix:
Our new predictions also include: (1) Intel’s (US) Skylake processor; (2) the same panel resolution but better display quality and energy efficiency thanks to an oxide panel; (3) a new option of 2TB SSD storage capacity; (4) adoption of a similar processor as Apple Watch to control the OLED touch bar more energy-efficiently in the new MacBook Pro models; and (5) a Type-C & MagSafe-like adapter rolled out by Apple or a third-party supplier, given positive reviews for the MagSafe charging design.
Kuo also stated that Apple will introduce a “13-inch MacBook”, something which has been previously mentioned in the rumor mill. Rather than being a slightly larger version of the current 12-inch MacBook, however, this is likely to be a MacBook Air, which would align with other rumors claiming that only the 13-inch MacBook Air will be seeing an update with new USB-C ports.
While it’s been rumored that Apple is working on a next-gen iMac, complete with discrete AMD graphics and a new standalone external 5K display, Kuo says those products will not be ready until the first half of next year. It is still possible, however, that Apple could announce them at next week’s event.
Apple’s event is being held at the company’s Cupertino campus and kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time on Thursday.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors