Apple to Add Kaby Lakes to Pro Laptops; Upgrades Await Other Notebooks Next Month
Apple will reportedly upgrade the standard MacBook model and the Pro lineup with Intel's Kaby Lake chips next month.
According to an exclusive report by Bloomberg, sources from Apple said they are planning to introduce new versions of the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with faster chips.
These upgrades are likely to be announced during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference that starts on June 5.
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The report mentioned that Kaby Lake processors are mostly likely going to land on MacBook Pro models. However, it is unclear if the same generation of chips will be installed on the standard 12-inch MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Air as well.
Bloomberg's source reportedly said these brands will generally be upgraded "with a faster Intel chip." Off the box, the 12-inch MacBook currently has a 1.1GHz m3 processor and a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core m5 processor variants while the 13-inch MacBook Air has a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5.
It is important to note that the MacBook Air brand has been repeatedly speculated to be discontinued so it is interesting to learn that Apple still considers to upgrade the product. Additionally, Bloomberg's source spilled that the 13-inch MacBook Air's sales "remain surprisingly strong." It is currently the cheapest MacBook-branded laptop at $999.
There is also no denying that upgrading the MacBook laptops is very necessary so Apple will not be left trailing behind Microsoft which recently introduced a $999-worth Surface Laptop that runs with Intel Kaby Lake chips and features the speedy Windows 10 S.
However, it is important to note that Apple's reported plans for its MacBooks are merely upgrades. Some fans of the brand are still looking forward to seeing a new generation of laptops other than the MacBook Pros.
Apple introduced a new lineup of MacBook Pros with the addition of the OLED Touch Bar on some variants last November 2016. However, it is safe to say that other MacBook products are in dire need of upgrades this time as well.
While the 12-inch MacBook received several system upgrades last year, the 13-inch MacBook Air badly needs some attention as well. The "Air" branding supposedly means that it is one of the world's thinnest laptops. However, it is now one of the bulkiest, even in Apple's MacBook products.
