Apple to launch new MacBooks next week, iMac and display in 2017

Apple won't release a new iMac or external display until the first half 2017, according to a reliable analyst. Apple will use its October event for a new MacBook and MacBook Pro.

Apple will use next week's media event to release a new 13-inch MacBook, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and 15-inch MacBook Pro, according to Ming-Chi Kuo at KGI Securities.

Likely the headliner of the event, the 15-inch MacBook Pro will feature a Retina display, Touch ID, an OLED function row above the keyboard, and upgraded internals, according to rumors. It's not clear what upgrades the 13-inch version of the MacBook Pro will see.

Kuo added some predictions for the MacBook Pro lineup:

    (1) Intel's (US) Skylake processor; (2) the same panel resolution but better display quality and energy efficiency thanks to an oxide panel; (3) a new option of 2TB SSD storage capacity; (4) adoption of a similar processor as Apple Watch to control the OLED touch bar more energy-efficiently in the new MacBook Pro models; and (5) a Type-C & MagSafe-like adapter rolled out by Apple or a third-party supplier, given positive reviews for the MagSafe charging design.
The often-reliable Apple analyst said the 13-inch MacBook will be a successor to the 12-inch Retina MacBook released in 2015 and upgraded in April 2016.