13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display may be launched on October 23

Apart from the iPad mini, one of the other products from Apple that has been surrounded by rumours is the 13-inch variant of the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. This notebook is reportedly being delayed due to low yield rates. However, going by a  9to5Mac report, the 13-inch MacBook Pro will make its first appearance at the same event as the iPad mini, which is scheduled to be held on October 23.

As per the 9 to 5 Mac report, “Alongside the smaller iPad, Apple will debut a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, according to a consistently reliable source at a high-profile U.S. retailer. This new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina Display is said to pick up the thinner and lighter enclosure of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display that was released in June. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro will be sold in two configurations, with differing processors and storage, and will be available for purchase soon after introduction. Like with the 15-inch MacBook Pro lines, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display will be sold (at a higher price) in addition to the current non-Retina display model.”

A 13-inch model coming soon

A recent report by Digitimes stated that shipments of Apple’s new products which are a Retina Display 13-inch MacBook Pro, 7.85-inch iPad and iMac – have reportedly been delayed from September to October The report goes on to state that with the year-end holidays approaching, the upstream supply chain is aggressively preparing for expected strong orders in both October and November. Their sources have informed them that the shipment delay is said to have been caused by weak yields of the Retina Display.

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Only the 15-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro variant is currently available in the market. The months preceding the latest report were filled with countless rumours surrounding the launch of the new variant. A report in August speculated that the 13-inch variant could be launched by October this year. However, this has not happened yet. At the time, Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had shared with Apple Insider that he expected Apple to ramp up production of a 13-inch next-generation MacBook Pro with Retina display in September. That would allow the product to hit stores in early October, in time for the holiday shopping season”.

As stated in our previous reports, like the next-generation Retina Display MacBook Pro, the 13-inch variety is expected to lack an optical disc drive and rely solely on solid-state flash memory storage.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display model will be slightly thinner than the 15-inch model, at 18 millimetres. As for the other specifications expected to feature on the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, the brand will use Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics and an Intel Ivy Bridge processor with a clock speed greater than 2GHz.
 
If you can’t wait for the 13-inch model, the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros are available in India at a starting price of Rs 1,52,900.

Here is a quick look at the highlighted features of the notebook:

• 15.4-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880 x 1800 resolution at 220ppi
• 2.3GHz  or 2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with 6MB shared L3 cache
• 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory
• 256GB or 512GB Flash Storage
• Intel HD Graphics 4000
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching
• 720p FaceTime HD camera
• MagSafe 2 power port
• Two Thunderbolt ports (up to 10Gbps)
• Two USB 3 ports (up to 5Gbps)
• HDMI port
• Headphone port
• SDXC card slot
• Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (sold separately)
• Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter
• 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
• Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
• Stereo speakers
• Dual microphones
• Headphone port