Apple’s next-generation MacBook Pros with Intel Kaby Lake processors have been all but confirmed by references in the latest macOS beta release.
Files point to a trio of new machines that are likely to make their debut in the coming months, succeeding the existing models powered by Skylake CPUs.
It’s been less than four months since Apple unveiled its latest MacBook Pros, so we’re not expecting a refresh just yet — but it will come at some soon. And when it does, it will bring Intel’s latest Kaby Lake chips, as promised by a reliable analyst last month.
The machines were revealed in plist files buried in the latest macOS 10.12.4 beta, which rolled out on Monday. There are three identifiers, likely tied to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with function keys, the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros with Touch Bars.
Pike’s Universum, which first made the discovery, reports that it has cross-referenced the motherboard identifiers with Intel’s Kaby Lake lineup and determined the chips like to be used. They include:
13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar
- Intel Core i5-7260U 2.2GHz (max Turbo Boost 3.4 GHz) with Intel® Iris™ Plus Graphics 640 (15W)
- Intel Core i7-7660U 2.5 GHz (max Turbo Boost 4.0 GHz) with Intel® Iris™ Plus Graphics 640 (15W)
13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Intel Core i5-7267U 3.1 GHz (max Turbo Boost 3.5 GHz) with Intel® Iris™ Plus Graphics 650 (28W)
- Intel Core i5-7287U 3.3 GHz (max Turbo Boost 3.7 GHz) with Intel® Iris™ Plus Graphics 650 (28W)
- Intel Core i7-7567U 3.5 GHz (max Turbo Boost 4.0 GHz) with Intel® Iris™ Plus Graphics 650 (28W)
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2.8 GHz (max Turbo Boost 3.8 GHz) with Intel® HD Graphics 630 (45W)
- Intel Core i7-7820HQ 2.9 GHz (max Turbo Boost 3.9 GHz) with Intel® HD Graphics 630 (45W)
- Intel Core i7-7920HQ 3.1 GHz (max Turbo Boost 4.1 GHz) with Intel® HD
macOS 10.12.4 is expected to make its public debut in late February or early March, so the new MacBook Pro lineup could appear anytime after that. However, given that the current lineup is still pretty fresh, it’s likely we’ll be waiting a few months yet.
WWDC in June could be a good time for Apple to announce the refresh, but incremental upgrades like this one often appear with little more than a press release to say they’re on sale.
According to reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who confirmed Kaby Lake would be available with the next MacBook Pro, Apple is planning a refresh for the second half of 2017. Kuo has also promised that some machines will be available with up to 32GB of RAM.
Via: MacRumors
