Apple's MacBook Pro 2016 line, which was unveiled amid much fanfare and excitement a few days ago, has left tech gurus unimpressed by its underwhelming alterations, the Touch Bar notwithstanding.
If you've been eyeing the new MacBook Pro and are confused as to whether you should snag one despite the pocket pinch, we suggest you pay heed to what one analyst is saying.
Buy A MacBook Pro Now Or Wait?
Well-known KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo advises consumers hold on a bit longer — until the second half of 2017, that is — to buy the new MacBook Pro since Apple generally follows the policy of undercutting the prices of its notebooks when the next-gen version is introduced.
By the time Apple launches the MacBook Pro 2017 line, the MacBook Pro 2016 will become slightly more affordable.
In a research note, the analyst suggests that Apple is already working on refreshing the MacBook Pro line, which will possibly occur in the latter half of 2017. The revamped MacBook Pro's 2017 version will likely house the next-gen Cannonlake processor from Intel.
That is not all: for those who have a grouse about the storage capacity of the MacBook Pro 2016, which is limited to 16 GB of RAM, the 2017 models will boast 32 GB.
"The new MacBook to be launched in 2H17 may support 32GB DRAM, eventually attracting more core users; this depends on whether or not Intel ships Cannonlake CPU on time in 2017, which features 15-25 percent less power consumption of LPDDR 4, versus the existing LPDDR 3," notes the analyst. "If Cannonlake doesn't enter mass production as expected, the new models launched in 2H17 will adopt Coffee Lake, which continues to adopt LPDDR 3, and maximum DRAM support will also remain unchanged at 16GB."
2016 MacBook Pro Specs
The fact that the 2016 MacBook Pro has only 16 GB of RAM, despite the hefty starting price of $1,799, has not gone down well with most people. The lack of ample memory space and configurations means that professionals will not find the laptop useful, especially in data and memory intensive fields.
Phil Schiller, marketing chief of the Cupertino company, justified its stance with the logic that putting in "more than 16GB of fast RAM into a notebook design at this time would require a memory system that consumes much more power and wouldn't be efficient enough for a notebook."
However, considering the notebook is targeted at professionals, the computing power of the MacBook Pro 2016 with its 16 GB of 2,333 MHz RAM falls short of expectations.
Apple's decision to trade off RAM for better battery life, rather than focusing on computing power, has made many tech gurus unhappy. Consumers may be hoping the better sense will prevail, and Apple will counter this flaw in the revamped MacBook Pro intended for 2017.
Unless you really need a MacBook Pro right away, we suggest you hold out until H2 2017 for the Apple laptop. You will either get double the RAM in an upcoming model or save some precious money buying the 2016 model at a reduced price. It's a win-win all the way.
