It looks like Apple is finally ready to update the four year old MacBook Pro; at least according to a source close the matter. Bloomberg reports that the new generation of machines have been in advanced testing since early this year, although it is unlikely that they will be revealed at the iPhone announcement scheduled for next month.
These new graphics cards will apparently be using AMD’s new Polaris GPUs to keep the machine’s thickness down. It is unknown which graphics card will actually make its way into the new MacBook Pro, but it looks like Apple is returning to the AMD fold after switching to Nvidia powered graphics for the current generation of MacBooks.
It is also unknown if Apple will be using AMD processors on the next generation MacBook Pro, although it may likely stick with Intel. AMD is still some way from announcing its next generation of processors; and has probably missed the boat for this round of MacBooks.
The Bloomberg report also claims that the new MacBook Pro will be thinner than existing designs, and will feature a touch strip for function keys. This touch strip will feature an OLED display and will offer functions as needed. Additionally, this strip may also integrate Apple’s TouchID for quick logins.
This is a lot of information about an unknown product, which may indicate that Apple is close to an official announcement. This refresh has been a long time coming, considering that MacBook Pro users have managed to live without an upgrade for years. That being said, it is not like Apple is not selling MacBooks. Despite the age, sales of the devices increased by 6-percent last year. Which isn’t too bad in a time when PCs sales are slowing.
[Source: Bloomberg]
