Apple’s release window for their oft-rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro has been narrowed down, Mike Wuerthele reports for AppleInsider, with a new supply chain report suggesting that pricing will start at over US$3,000.
Mike Wuerthele for AppleInsider:
The 16-inch screen is again said to be a LCD model, running at 3072 pixels wide, by 1920. Assembly duties are said to be performed by Quanta and Foxconn. Should the new model have the same pixel density as the existing MacBook Pro, that suggests the screen is approximately a 16.4-inch display on the diagonal.
At present, it isn’t clear if the report by UDN is uniquely sourced, or a repeat of previous predictions by Ming-Chi Kuo or other venues. UDN also believes that the model will come in starting at about NT$90000, over $3000.
MacDailyNews Take: Starting at $2,999 is our best guess. So, actually, it should be just a shade under three grand to start. But, you never know, Apple could ignore the $3000 psychological barrier and go for $3,199 or $3,249 to start since it is the flagship portable professional Macintosh.
If starting prices exceed $3,000, like the Mac Pro which starts at $5,999, the 16-inch MacBook Pro wouldn’t be for average Mac users, but set apart for the pros.
For comparison, Apple’s 8-core 15-inch MacBook Pro, starts at $2,799.
I love Apple products. But I am getting worried about pricing. The starting price for a 13″ MBP is $1299, which is viable for most people. The $1499 version of the 13″ MBP is what I am getting for my son for college. I would prefer to have some lower-priced options, but I also appreciate the value of Apple products.
However, if you want a Mac laptop with a display that is larger than 13″, then the minimum price jumps substantially. The starting price for a 15″ MBP is $2399 — $1100 higher than the base 13″ MBP. Granted, there is a lot more to the 15″ MBP than just a larger display. But my point is that Mac buyers have no option for a larger laptop display without paying a lot more for the whole package. If you would like the performance equivalent of the 13″ MBP with a 15″ display, then you are out of luck.
This is something that Apple needs to fix. You shouldn’t have to be a pro user with a pro budget to purchase a Mac laptop with a 15″ display. I know that Apple loves to jam all kinds of technology into its products, but Apple needs to find a way to keep its devices affordable, too.
Yep, they’re out of control.
There is always the Apple Refurbished store and any number of previous year models. You can get a top-of-the-line 2014 15″ for about $1000 on Amazon, more than enough for anything a college student will be doing. I’ve seen plenty of deals on more recent 15″ models for under $2000. I bought a brand-new 2015 13″ with 16GB of RAM for $1250 early last year from B&H, it runs all of the same programs as the 2019 models. The value proposition has been so high for so long for Apple’s products (recent keyboard fiasco excepted) that it has made people entitled. You can’t have both cheap and quality products.
I’d love to hear how many hours the average Mac owner spends on their computer. Given the 5+ years most people have their Macs, we’re talking less than a $1 a day (in some cases WAY less) to own a Mac, still the best personal computer you can buy. Computers are more important than cars for many people, paying a couple thousand for something you’re constantly using (with 0 maintenance or other ongoing costs) for years on end is not a problem. What’s more concerning is reliability and that the aforementioned keyboard debacle doesn’t repeat itself.
Apple protects its 34% profit-margins above all — they could care less about affordability. Or the ‘average’ person. ‘Work two jobs, eat ramen, save your money, spend it all on us’ should be their motto….
And that is different from 1980 how? Actually it’s probably closer to 40% margin.
3500 – 5000 easy… starting with a 4 core i5… apple just about the dollar now, nothing really innovative
LOL. I love the smell of hubris in the morning.
hey Apple: 🖕🏼
Just go to Amazon’s refurbished store:
https://amzn.to/2JM0fNc
You can get awesome deals there on all Apple products. I don’t know why people complain about Apple’s prices when you do NOT have to pay full price unless you choose to. Refurbished products are just as good for smart buyers as buying new at the Apple Store.
You can’t expect Apple to provide premium products at sub-premium prices when they are brand new. Thus that’s where refurbished products comes in.
It all depends on the specs for the 16″ MBP.
If it has decent RAM and SSD, no issue.
I spent $3,500 for my 2012 MBP Retina; No doubt the new MBP matches or beats the pants off it for the same price.
There has been no rumors about the base configuration. However, if it’s better than this:
4-core CPU (2012 i7)
16 GB RAM
768 GB SSD
Decent keyboard
Then it beats my 2012 MBP, hands down and is well worth the money (especially given the bigger display).
For me, the real question is the keyboard. I can’t stand the feel of the Apple keyboards over the past several years (not to mention the reliability). If the keyboard isn’t substantially improved, no sale.