Latest MacBook Pro 2016 Rumors Hint At March Release Date; Official Updates Expected Soon

by Jen Mendoza / Feb 09, 2016 08:59 PM EST

Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller introduces new features on the new MacBook during an Apple special event at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on March 9, 2015 (Stephen Lam/Getty Images)

Techies who are keeping abreast of the latest MacBook Pro 2016 rumors may actually get their hands on the device sooner than anticipated.

Quoting KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo via the Apple Insider, Gotta Be Mobile reported that the release date of the next-generation MacBook Pro "will likely arrive at some point during the first half of 2016."

Based on Kuo's predictions, there is a chance that the newest MacBook Pro model will be rolled out during Apple's rumored March event wherein the company will be giving updates on its Apple Watch and iPhone5se.

On the other hand, there is also a possibility that the release date of the highly-anticipated laptop will be announced at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) this coming June.

If the latest MacBook Pro 2016 rumors turn out to be accurate, consumers will definitely see major improvements in the unit, as predicted by the report.

Among the expected upgrades include the 2016 Intel's latest Skylake processors, which not only consume less energy - and thereby making the battery more energy efficient - but also have exceptional graphics performance.

The current 13-inch MacBook Pro utilizes the Intel Broadwell processors, while the 15-inch model uses Haswell processors that were first introduced in the MacBook Pro way back in 2013.

Moreover, the new MacBook Pro is anticipated to be outfitted with USB-C ports, which can either complement the existing ports or replace the Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 ports altogether.

As consumers get pumped up over the latest MacBook Pro 2016 rumors, Intel recently released an updated processor price list of several new Skylake chips which are expected to power the 15-inch variant, according to Mac Rumors.

The Skylake chips feature the following quad-core chip options: a 2.6 GHz Core i7-6770HQ, a 2.7 GHz Core i7-6870HQ, and a 2.8 GHz Core i7-6970HQ.

Users will be pleased to know that the Skylake chips will have the same price as the Haswell variants used in the MacBook Pro.

It was noted that "Opportunities for major product introductions could come at Apple's rumored March media event or at WWDC likely scheduled for mid-June, although smaller updates could come at any time via press release."

Other MacBook Pro 2016 rumors suggest that the latest model could utilize the new mobile Xeon E3 chips, which offer even better CPU, graphics, and memory performance.