Apple is reportedly on track to ship a new 13-inch version of the Retina MacBook Pro before the end of the year, according to NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim.
If you recognise the name, that’s because it’s the very same chap who told us yesterday that he believes Samsung to be working on an iPad-beating 10-inch Nexus tablet with Google. He seems to have insider knowledge in the display market, and claims that Apple has gotten things spot on to start making smaller versions of the Retina MacBook Pro that it launched earlier this year.
Apple launched the stunning 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display in June and shortly after we were hearing reports of a smaller 13-inch model joining it in autumn of this year. Shim is now backing up these rumours, confirming that the new model will be here before 2013.
Speaking with CNET, he confirmed that the 13-inch model would sport a slightly lower resolution than its bigger 15-inch brother – 2,560 x 1,600 pixels compared to the 15-inch model’s 2,880 x 1,800-pixel screen. Pricing is yet to be determined, but Shim believes it will fall somewhere between the pricey 15-inch Retina model and the top spec 13-inch MacBook Pro, which would make it between £1,249 and £1,799.
Apple introduced the Retina MacBook Pro at an event in June, where the slimmer and sleeker notebook rose through the floor on a plinth. The new model boasts the highest resolution screen found on any notebook computer – according to Apple, of course – and has a very slim and lightweight body. We like to think of it as the result of a wild night of passion between the MacBook Pro and a MacBook Air.
Mr Shim believes that Apple will unveil the new model MacBook after revealing the iPad Mini later this month. With a lower price and smaller screen to account for, would you consider shelling out for one?
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Via: CNET