Apple might launch a 16-inch MacBook Pro by October end
Over the past several weeks, a bunch of reports and leaks have confirmed the presence of a premium 16-inch MacBook Pro. And now, a new report has claimed it could go official as soon as this month itself. According to DigiTimes, the new MacBook could launch by the end of October and that it'll feature slim bezels, improved scissor-switch keyboard, and top-of-the-line internals.
Shipments of the new MacBook have already begun
The DigiTimes report claims that some manufacturers have already started shipping out the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta Computer, one of the likely suppliers for this new laptop, has begun its volume (bulk) shipments.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro will feature a new design
At present, nothing is known about the new MacBook Pro except that it'll feature an "ultra-thin bezel design." Interestingly, earlier in February, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the company is working on a new 16-inch MacBook and it would come with an "all-new design". Hence, we can expect Apple to trim the bezels and offer a 16-inch screen on a 15-inch form factor.
The upcoming MacBook Pro could feature a QHD+ LCD display
Further, according to a Forbes report, which cites IHS Markit Associate Director Jeff Lin, Apple's upcoming laptop will feature an LG-sourced 16-inch LCD screen with a 3072x1920 resolution. At this size, the new model will offer the biggest and sharpest screen ever on a MacBook. In comparison, the biggest model in the existing line-up is the 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2880x1800 pixel screen.
New Intel processors and a new scissor-switch keyboard
Citing supply chain sources, the DigiTimes report claims the 16-inch MacBook Pro will feature a more reliable scissor-switch keyboard. The new keyboard will mark the departure of the butterfly keyboard that has been plagued by issues. Further, the new MacBook will ship with Intel's latest Coffee Lake Refresh or 10th-generation Ice Lake processors, although the latter is yet to be announced for MacBook Pros.
Interestingly, macOS Catalina also has references to the new MacBook
As noted by MacRumors, "icons of a MacBook Pro with slimmer bezels" were spotted last week in the macOS Catalina 10.15.1 beta, suggesting an upcoming release of the new 16-inch model. The glyphs have "16" in the filename and reference model number of "MacBookPro16,1"