Apple expected to announce a 13 inch 2017 MacBook Pro October 27th after Microsoft event
According to MacWorld UK, Apple could be getting ready to deliver early news of its upcoming 2017 MacBook Pro, as soon as this month, just one day after Microsoft’s own October 26th Surface event.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as Microsoft is expected to announce a new Surface desktop AIO, alongside a 2nd generation Surface Book, and quite possibly a Surface Pro 5.
What we know so far about the upcoming MacBook Pro, is that it will be rather different from any previous model, while still retaining similarities with the 12 inch MacBook Retina. For one thing, the still unconfirmed rumor of an OLED touchbar replacing the top function keys on the new MacBook keyboard is still very much alive, and such rumor is also corroborated by the discovery of code hints within macOS Sierra’s source.
Also possible is the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack. Apple has been asking Mac users whether or not they use the 3.5mm analog port, and chances are that public opinion will be a deciding factor for Apple to consider in the removal or retention of the analog audio jack in future MacBooks.
A touch-ID power button could also be in the works, at least according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who was also one of the first to mention the OLED touch bar.The power button on the new MacBook will likely function in the same way as it does on iPads and iPhones, with a strong possibility for Apple Pay support.
While there is a strong chance that the new MacBook Pro will feature the same butterfly mechanism for its keyboard as the 12 inch MacBook, there is also a rumor that Apple may use one of its most outlandish patent designs to create a keyboard that will have no physical keys at all, but rather a single capacitive slate, powered by Apple’s patented haptic engine.
There has been also talk about 4G connectivity, which was already introduced years ago in a single prototype. This rumor might be a lot more realistic than others, as Apple may be looking for a response to Microsoft’s own feature baked into Windows 10, which automatically searches for available paid Wi-Fi services.
As the Apple’s latest new accessory, Apple Pencil can be used only with the iPad Pro, which so far only counts two models. Future plans to expand support of Apple Pencil may include more iPad models in more sizes, as well as support for the Apple Magic Trackpad, and other trackpads across the MacBook product line.
In regard to internals, there is also words of NVIDIA GPUs replacing AMD and Intel integrated graphic hardware in future MacBooks, as AMD struggles to catch up to NVIDIA’s latest products, like the GTX 1080 and Titan X.
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