Three Refreshed MacBooks Rumored to Be Unveiled at WWDC ’17

Apple could be gearing up to unveil a trio of internally-refreshed laptop computers, including a MacBook, MacBook Pro, and even a MacBook Air, at next month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), according to a new report published Tuesday by Bloomberg

That’s according to syndicated Apple analyst and Bloomberg Technology contributor, Mark Gurman, who suggested that the refreshed trio of MacBooks will be unveiled at WWDC in direct response to recently unveiled competition from Microsoft’s new line of Education-focused Surface laptops.

Sources with knowledge of Apple’s imminent plans, who requested anonymity given their lack of authorization to speak on the record, indicated that the company’s new MacBook Pro will essentially be identical to the existing MacBook Pro models — but will be updated to Intel’s faster, more powerful Kaby Lake CPU, which will replace the Skylake CPU that currently powers the 2016 MacBook Pro. Likewise, Gurman believes that Apple plans to showcase internally upgraded variants of its 12-inch MacBook, and a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Air, which was previously slated for discontinuation even despite persistently strong demand.

Noting that the company sold approximately 4.2 million Macs during the second quarter, Gurman went on to suggest that the harvest is ripe for Apple to introduce some refreshed Mac laptops, particularly in light of the increased competition from Microsoft. Although the upgrades are expected to be largely under-the-hood, by introducing refreshed MacBook models at WWDC, Apple would be able to reign in on the competition while bolstering the Mac’s momentum in the worldwide personal computer market.

Apple’s WWDC event has traditionally been reserved as a software-only affair, where developers and constituents of the app economy come together to learn about Apple’s next-generation software titles, technologies, and advancements in a wide range of developer Kits, including HealthKit, ResearchKit, HomeKit, CarPlay, and more. While little has surfaced to suggest that 2017’s WWDC will be any different, however, not only has Apple used the event to showcase new MacBook products in the past, but the company is also slated to unveil a couple other exciting new products at this year’s event. Back at WWDC 2013, for example, Apple showcased refreshed MacBook Air models and a redesigned Mac Pro geared towards professionals.

Additionally, it’s been rumored in recent weeks that Apple would use WWDC 2017 to unveil its all-new Siri speaker, which will go head-to-head with offerings like the new Amazon Echo Show, and will be the iPhone-maker’s first-ever attempt at bringing Siri functionality to the living room. Likewise, Apple in recent weeks has been rumored to unveil a redesigned 10.5-inch iPad Pro at this year’s WWDC.

Learn more about what else we’re expecting to see at this year’s WWDC event, here. And be sure to check back with us after 10:00 am PST on Monday, June 5th, where we’ll be covering WWDC 2017 as it unfolds.

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