Disappointed by the latest MacBook Pro refresh? Well, you might be in luck. Apple could be planning to unveil a new slate of MacBooks at this year’s WWDC in a bid to win back some loyalists who fled after the most recent update late last year.
Just which models are due for an update? According to Bloomberg, there are three new MacBooks in the works, all of which will likely feature updated 7th-generation Intel processors. It’s unclear, however, which particular MacBooks will be graced with much-needed updates.
Bloomberg claims Apple is working on an updated version of its 12-inch entry-level MacBook, and is even considering a refresh of the wildly popular, ultra-portable, and woefully outdated MacBook Air.
These two products might see a physical redesign, but if the MacBook Pro is set to receive some internal upgrades, it’s likely that’s all it will be — the external design was revamped just last year, so don’t get your hopes up that we’ll see any fancy new colors in the MacBook Pro lineup.
Still, Apple is facing increasing pressure from competitors like Microsoft, and a more aggressive laptop and desktop release schedule could help win back some Apple loyalists who have been disappointed with the company’s update schedule recently.
Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop is just one of many premium laptops taking aim at the now-ancient MacBook Air, which Apple hasn’t updated in over two years. Manufacturers like Dell, Asus, and Acer have all released premium, high-quality, high-portability laptops in direct competition with the MacBook Air, but according to Bloomberg, Apple still sells a fair number of the venerable ultrabooks.
That enduring popularity is definitely a good thing for customers hoping to see a modern take on the MacBook Air, which would not only benefit from an internal refresh but an external one as well. The old design is starting to look a little dated, and if brought in line with the MacBook and MacBook Pro, a brand-new Air could look pretty slick.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.