“Apple’s suppliers have already begun providing it with parts for an upcoming 13-inch ‘MacBook’ update, according to a paywalled report from China’s Commercial Times summarized by DigiTimes,” Juli Clover reports for MacRumors. “Notebook hinge maker Jarllytec reportedly started shipping metal injection mold-made (MiM) hinges to Apple in May, said to be destined for a 13-inch MacBook. The MacBook in question is likely to be a future revamped 13-inch MacBook Pro, which past rumors suggest will use MiM hinges. Metal injection molding is a technique used to create small, intricate metal parts. Apple is rumored to be using hinges crafted this way to save space, as the next-generation MacBook Pro models are said to be ultra-thin. ”
“The same report suggests Jarllytec will begin shipping hinges for 15-inch MacBook models in the third quarter of 2016, raising the possibility that Apple will stagger the releases of the redesigned MacBook Pro, first introducing a 13-inch model and following it up later with a 15-inch model,” Clover reports. “If Apple already has hinges in hand for a 13-inch MacBook Pro, it would perhaps be ready to debut in the next couple of months.”
“In addition to being ultra thin with a MacBook-style design, Apple’s next-generation MacBook Pros are expected to include an OLED touch panel that will replace the function keys on the existing MacBook Pro.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We’re very interested to see how the size and weight of Apple’s smallest next-gen MacBook Pro compare to those of the 12-inch MacBook. That’ll help determine our next road Mac upgrades!
Don’t forget that the Pro model means, in part, ports!
I need multiple Thunderbolt and USB-C ports. USB-3, SDK, original headphone jack and Ethernet ports would be helpful, but not a deal breaker.
“Thunderbolt and USB-C ports”
Note that USB-C incorporates Thunderbolt.
Sometimes.
Yes yes! I am so sick of “thin” being used as an excuse to drop one feature after another!
USB-C incorporating Thunderbolt is a face saving way to admit that the port’s devices are so stupidly expensive that no one will ever use them.
A customer once told me this: “If you think something is too expensive, you need to take a look at your job.”
I trust that you kicked that customer right in the huevos?
The MacBook Pro is in real need of a total revamp. The Retina versions were a nice bump in terms of screen resolution and thinness. But the design remains largely unchanged.
It needs a total redesign. Get rid of the sharp corners. Make it thinner and lighter. Change the keyboard (fingers slip off very easily). Get rid of the screen bezels… make the entire unit smaller as a result… make the whole palmrest a trackpad…
If the 12″ MacBook is an indication of what’s to come, I’m not super impressed. I like the 12″ MacBook but don’t love it. It’s basically just a MacBook Air with a Retina screen… which it should just be a MacBook Air but good old Tim Cook…
The problem is the 12″ MacBook incorporates few of the changes I’ve mentioned above, and it’s terribly underpowered.
Meanwhile, ASUS can make a laptop that’s super thin like the MacBook with more power.
I like the size and weight of my 15″ rMBP…
I am worried about the drawbacks or what Apple is giving up to achieve thinner designs. What I do know, is things get pretty hot, when you push it, on current designs.
Maybe the hinge is for the MacBook and not the Pro?
What if they can give up the cpu and plug into a phone and use that CPU. Maybe not for a pro model but does a base MacBook need more horse power than a phone or iPad?
I’ll reserve judgement for official announcements, but am not hopeful for a replacement that can reasonably replace my 2011 MBP functionality-wise. Given Apple’s recent trend of de-contenting in the name of slimness, I’d say the odds are pretty grim.
Then again maybe they won’t.
Wonder what this means the the Air’s. Retina and ports are nice, but the battery life for an Air is spectacular.
Battery life. <–Concern.
Pro is supposed to be ultra powerful, ultra long battery life, ultra stable OS & ultra reliable.
Weight; not a big deal (other models do that)
Thinner, doesn’t matter given what else I have to carry & on a desk, who cares?.
I hope Apple won’t be keep measuring their success in the size and weight of their PRO computers. Because size and weight reduction is super if you get a faster more powerful computer, but not when performance is sacrificed.
Because Intel is mostly reducing the power envelope of their processors and only marginally incrementing performance I understand a thinner design on portable Pro Macs is posible and maybe the only way to go. But graphic performance is also a key for profesional work. Graphic cards in general are becoming cooler and consuming less power so it would also be logical to think that the overall size and weight could be reduced.
However, Apple got away in recent years using relatively weaker graphic performance on their “Pro” level portable Macs if we consider the possibilities offered in the market. Yes, the newer Apple model has been faster than the model it replaced, but outside the Apple line of pro portable machines there are much more powerful graphic performance at every generation. How much? Maybe up to 2x on single GPU machines.
I don’t know about you lightweights, but I want a MacBook Pro with a Xeon D processor and Tesla P100 GPU/accelerator.
Battery life! I don’t need no stinkin’ battery life.