Apple may be preparing new motherboard configurations with Intel's Kaby Lake processors for the next-generation MacBook Pro models set to launch this year.
Less than four months since the launch of Apple's much-touted MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, the rumor mill is again churning in anticipation of the next MacBook models. The company's latest macOS 10.12.4 public beta holds precious hints in this regard, referencing an exciting change in the processing department.
The Pike's Universum blog spotted three motherboard identifiers that are not tied to any current MacBook Pro models, but use the same processing power management data as the existing 13- and 15-inch models released late last year. The files were not present in previous macOS versions, just the latest 10.12.4 beta.
MacBook Pro With Kaby Lake
The 2017 MacBook Pro laptops will most likely pack Intel Kaby Lake processors, adding some extra oomph. The faster Kaby Lake chips would make perfect sense, since Apple used Skylake processors for the MacBook Pro launched in late 2016.
MacBook Pro models with Kaby Lake under the hood would also fall in line with recent reports indicating that Apple was slightly bumping the processing power for the upcoming models. Kaby Lake would not offer a groundbreaking improvement over Skylake, but minor improvements would nonetheless be in tow.
New Identifiers Referenced In macOS 10.12.4
The Mac-B4831CEBD52A0C4C identifier likely refers to the two upcoming 13-inch MacBook Pro models with function keys, Apple-centric publication MacRumors points out. These models could feature Kaby Lake processors with a Turbo Boost speed of maximum 3,400 and 4,000 MHz, respectively.
Mac-CAD6701F7CEA0921 could be for three 13-inch models of the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. These models could have Kaby Lake processors with Turbo Boost of up to 3,500, 3,700 and 4,000, respectively.
Lastly, Mac-551B86E5744E2388 could be for three 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar variants. These models could have Kaby Lake processors with a Turbo Boost of up to 3,800, 3,900 and 4,100 MHz, respectively.
Pike's Universum also verified the performance bias setting that each motherboard had and said they're likely not for desktops such as the Mac Pro or iMac.
macOS 10.12.4
Apple first seeded the macOS 10.12.4 beta 1 to developers on Jan. 24 and released the first public beta of the software a few days later. The software update should bring a number of notable improvements over the previous version, including the Night Shift mode borrowed from iOS.
The new-generation MacBook pro models will most likely make their debut after the macOS update is final and official, which should occur by early March. It remains unclear for now just when Apple might choose to unveil the 2017 MacBook pro models, but the WWDC event in June might be a possibility. Other rumors, however, also hinted at a potentially later launch in the second half of this year.
As always, it is highly recommended to take all leaks and rumors with a hefty grain of salt until Apple officially confirms it. The references spotted in the macOS 10.12.4 beta offer valuable clues, but nothing is set in stone just yet.
