MacBook Pro 2016 release date, news and rumors

Apple's next generation of the Retina MacBook Pro is coming 

Update: Apple is apparently enlisting the services of Amphenol, which makes hinges for Microsoft's Surface Pro devices, to manufacture hinges for its rumored super-slim MacBooks.

Apple's MacBook Pro range hasn't been updated for some time: the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina was refreshed in March 2015 and the 15-inch in May. New MacBook Pros are clearly imminent.

The biggest change is likely to be in the Pros' processors, and while there are rumours of detachable touchscreens we'd take them with a hefty pinch of salt.

Let's sift through the river of rumors to find nuggets of knowledge: what can we really expect from the 2016 MacBook Pro refresh?

• Also check out our MacBook Air 2016 release date, news and rumors article.

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

http://kvors.com/click/?s=88377&c=89569&subid=21226

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next generation of Apple's professional notebook
• When is it out? WWDC in June is most likely, but Apple may launch early
• What will it cost? Likely £899 (around $1,264/AUS$1,670) upwards

MacBook Pro 2016 release date

We'd expect to see the new MacBook Pro 2016 at Apple's annual developer event, WWDC, this June.

It's possible that Apple might choose to unveil the Pros earlier, but with a new MacBook and possibly MacBook Airs to show off this spring/summer too it makes sense to keep the Pros for the pro event.

According to one report by DigiTimes, Apple is gearing up to release new 13- and 15-inch MacBooks in the second half of 2016. It reckons they will feature hinges produced using a mechanism called 'metal injection moulding'. Said to be inspired by Microsoft's Surface Pro line of devices, the hinges will apparently be manufactured by Ampenol, who makes hinges for Microsoft's convertible tablet.

That report says that the new slim MacBooks will feature a pair of USB-C ports, one on each side, and will be offered in colors including Rose and Rose Gold. Apple has already unveiled its refreshed 12-inch MacBooks, so it sounds like the upcoming twin-ported machines could be new MacBook Pro or MacBook Airmodels.

MacBook Pro 2016 price

The current MacBook Pro range starts at £899 ($1,099) for the 13-inch non-Retina model, rising to £999 ($1,119) for the entry-level 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro and topping out at £1,999 ($2,099) for the 2.5GHz 15-inch Retina.

The 13-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro, tucked away apologetically at the foot of Apple's product page, surely can't be long for this world; come the updates we'd expect it to vanish in favour of a Retina 13-inch model instead.

Apple tends to keep its pricing similar between generations, so an £899 entry-level Pro with Retina display is likely to be the baby of the range.

MacBook Pro 2016: what's so special about Skylake?

The MacBook Pro is trailing PC rivals in the processor stakes: Dell and Microsoft have already moved to the sixth-generation Intel processors, but Apple is still on Broadwell and Haswell chips.

The move to Skylake processors should be more significant than the move to Broadwell, as the latter was more about battery life and energy efficiency than performance. Moving the MacBook Pro to Skylake should deliver massive speed improvements across the range as well as better battery life.

Skylake has some other tricks up its silicon sleeve including support for WiGig and WiDi short-range, high speed data transfer as well as wireless charging. Don't expect those features to be enabled in this year's notebooks, but they're likely to turn up in future iterations.

MacBook Pro 2016: fitter, happier, more productive

Faster is a given, better battery is almost certain. What about design changes? The current MacBook Pro is fairly porky compared to Apple's other notebooks, especially the minimalist USB-C MacBook.

That's partly because it's an older design and partly because the current MacBook Pro boasts lots of ports: twin Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3, an HDMI socket and an SDXC card slot.

Apple isn't sentimental about removing supposedly must-have features it deems redundant - the MacBook Pro lost its SuperDrive years ago - so could those ports be for the bullet too in favour of one or two USB-C ports?

It's certainly possible, especially since Intel has combined USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 to deliver USB, Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, PCI Express and power in a single connection.

If the 2016 MacBook Pro doesn't have at least one USB-C port we'll eat an iPad - although it'll be interesting to see how much Apple prizes thinness over existing connectivity.

USB-C has the bandwidth for daisy-chaining even the most demanding devices, and of course Apple is always happy to sell reassuringly expensive adapters when it bins a previously popular port.

MacBook Pro 2016: Touch ID and next-gen SSDs?

The Pros are all about performance, so will they get next-generation SSDs? It's a nice thought, but while Intel's blazingly quick Optane SSDs are destined for Macs, they aren't likely to appear in any this side of 2017.

Another persistent rumour is TouchID fingerprint recognition, but that particular pundit also predicted TouchID in the recent Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad updates, which of course didn't happen.

MacBook Pro 2016: Detachable keyboard and screen?

One of the most interesting MacBook Pro rumours is that it's getting a touchscreen, and perhaps a detachable keyboard too. We think that's spectacularly unlikely, for several reasons. Those reasons are: iPad Pro, iPad Pro, iPad Pro, iPad Pro and iPad Pro. Apple already has a device with a touchscreen and detachable keyboard, and it isn't a MacBook.

There's another reason for our cynicism, and that's OS X. OS X 10.11 El Capitan'sinterface isn't optimised for touch because Apple already has a touch-optimised operating system, iOS. As Craig Federighi said about touch in late 2014, "We don't think it's the right interface" for the Mac; "Mac is sort of a sit-down experience… of course over the years we've experimented with all the technology, but we found it just wasn't good."

Of course Apple has a track record of saying it won't do something and then doing it a few years later, but with two sizes of iPad Pro offering touchscreens, optional keyboards and Apple Pencil there's no obvious need for a touchable MacBook Pro too.

What would you like to see in a 2016 MacBook Pro? Let us know in the comments.

Related product: Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina display (early 2015)

Our Verdict:

The 2014 13-inch MacBook Pro was arguably Apple's best laptop, and the 2015 model is better still. If your next MacBook needs to be reliable, powerful and practical, the newest MacBook Pro is the only way to go.

 FOR

• Retina Display
• Faster processor
• Superb battery life

 AGAINST

• Force Touch underdeveloped
• Unchanged design
• Base storage feels small

Read more ...

Tablet Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 inch WiFi SM-T530 Black - Samsung

It required entry proposal in the multitude of Android tablets launched by Samsung in recent months and the Galaxy Tab 4 series perfectly embodies. The slate 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 4 is out for some time and we can finally put fingers, eyes and sensors on the device.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Operating SystemAndroid
• OS tested version4.4 KitKat
• mobile chip
• Processor1.2 GHz
• Number of cores4
• integrated GPU (iGPU)

See more features ▸

Face to face 

PRESENTATION

Under his 10.1-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 px, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 integrates 4 mobile chip quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2 GHz - found in all smartphones playing the card the equipment money - accompanied by a RAM of 1.5 GB and a storage capacity of 16 GB expandable through the addition of a microSD card. Wi-Fi b / g / n and Bluetooth 4.0 are effective for wireless connectivity, while a micro USB port provides charging power and transferring data. A webcam of 1.2 megapixels fits front and a sensor 3.1 megapixel (720p video capture) is placed at the back. 

This is Android 4.4.2 KitKat that drives the device, but Samsung requires is the TouchWiz interface that the user will have to deal. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4 is sold at around € 270. Thank teaches Materiel.net who lent us a Galaxy Tab 4 for this test.

ERGONOMICS 

No surprise, Samsung is back with its new design "plasticuir" that is seen on almost all new mobile for 18 months now.The result is a very coarse effect on this tablet, with imitation leather that lacks class, partly because of a stupid plastic coating and not as sweet gum on the mid / high end (for the black version, white models are always hard plastic-leather finish). 

However, the Galaxy Tab 4 reflects the move upmarket in the Samsung family with a working version of air the final design of the Galaxy Tab Pro . We win and finishing Tab 4 still remains serious about its build quality. 

However, the screen frame to slim win on the top and bottom edges. Slate still retains a certain compactness and does not sound hollow. The upper edge houses the On / Off button, volume control and housing for the microSD card. The left edge hosts for its headphone jack. 

The reasonable weight (484 grams) and the minimum heating even during heavy physical activity, make the Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 a rather pleasant grip.

SCREEN 

Samsung retains its PLS slabs 2013 for this series entry. This does not mean, however, that is a recipe for disaster.Let us rather say that the Korean ensures minimum with good viewing angles, correct but very perfectible contrast (724: 1 and a black lacks depth) and a maximum brightness of 391 cd / m2 which allow an average visibility outdoors and very good indoors. Conversely tablets and smartphone mid / high end of the Korean, the Galaxy Tab 4 does not offer display modes (Video, Photo, or Adaptive Optimized ...). The color rendering is correct, with a Delta E average of 4.4 and particularly persuasive tones of gray and flesh, without being extraordinary. Recall that the Delta E quantifies the gap between perfect colors and those displayed by a screen and the result should be as close as possible to 0. The color temperature is itself almost perfect, with a result of 6680 constant K across the spectrum. Therefore, no color difference is to be met. 

Side responsiveness, the slab is doing more than adequately with a touch delay of 65 ms, is one of the best times of entry and midrange sector. Afterglow time getting hold however in the low average of IPS panels / PLS with 24 ms.What say the slightly smaller drag effect on some of the OS transitions, motion video and scrolling of pages on the web. The biggest shortcoming of this screen is ultimately its definition. On such a slab size, 1280 x 800 px are really stingy, especially when a large part of the market offer now accustomed us to ask the Full HD or more on screens from 4.5 to 10 inches. The display remains in good order, but the comfort of reading is here and less eyestrain than Full HD screens.

INTERFACE AND NAVIGATION 

For philistines for "samsungueries", here's a reminder: if the Korean company offers mostly products under Android is better there append his favorite interface, TouchWiz, who dressed the mobile OS from Google to toe and offers at the same time some applications, services and ergonomic home options. However, the Korean stake with the back of the spoon compared to the Galaxy Tab S , Tab Pro and Note Pro . No UX Magazine This page dedicated to the aggregation of information flow, no productivity apps offered, or subscription to Canal Play a few months. Samsung offers here as the minimum, but it is already well above most competitors who practice in the same price range.

Thus we find the dedicated video and audio players, with the possibility of the first to play a movie in window mode and then do something else while watching the video of the corner of his eye. The Galaxy Apps Store is also in the game and offers a selection of the Store and applications exclusive to the brand and its products. Some games and paid Android apps are also available with a discount on this store .

The small application component, which opens by sliding your finger to the right of the frame at the screen is also on the menu. It allows to draw in different favorite applications without going through the launcher or a folder. In addition, it is through this component that it manages multitasking that offers the ability to have two apps (in the selection) open simultaneously on a split screen then. Convenient. The shutters of shortcuts and notifications to the Samsung sauce (slip from the top to the center) are clear and intuitive, as always. 

But Samsung does not mean forgetting the fundamentals of any Android slate and also provided software suite of Google, namely the Drive, Gmail, Google+, the store Play Store apps, Hangouts, Play Games / Books / kiosk / Movies / Music, YouTube, Photos and Maps. 

Too bad few small hitches observed in navigation within the OS, especially in returns to home and transitions between pages Android (large recurring classic TouchWiz) because Snadragon 400 platform is generally turn this Galaxy Tab 4 perfectly. Admittedly, the slight definition of the screen helps a lot in the process.

MULTIMEDIA 

Web browsing is fast. The display density and few snags in the page scrolling are somewhat tarnish the experience, but it is very well made. 

Video playback, like all Samsung mobile product that respects, is a joy thanks to the dedicated app: compatibility of files, read SD, HD and Full HD without flinching, driven file management the options ... We have, as always with this brand, dealing with one of the best sets of viewing tools, personal film and video industry.

Side games, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 4 can count on a Snapdragon 400 platform, accompanied by her iGPU Adreno 305, offers a gaming experience of quality, without reaching retinal wonder heights. The graphics are more than correct, regardless of the type of game - even a gourmet title as Real Racing 3 has a made ​​honorable. We have not noticed any major slowdown on all parts and performed games.  The relatively low resolution of the screen allows course all this. 

4 Tab 10.1 offers a true audio output and good quality with proper power which will use most headphones and ear headphones, very low distortion and good dynamic. The stereo is just correct. 
The tablet has two distilled speakers on each side of it when it is held in landscape position, allowing to enjoy a good stereo. However, the rest of the performance is still poor with a pinched sound reproduction in the mid / upper mid-range and distortion pronounced at high volume.

AUTONOMY 

With a battery of 6800 mAh, Samsung seems to want to give wings to its Galaxy Tab 4. Between the energy efficient HD screen and a 400 bit chip Snadragon known for its energy gluttony, we have enough here to expect a very good performance for autonomy. And in practice this is true rather well. In video playback locally as streaming Wi-Fi via Netflix, the tablet gives birth to an average battery life of 10h. What appear in slate leading battalion, not far from high-end products like the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 , iPad Air or Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet .

PHOTO 

Lack of responsiveness, persistence, sound, detail and sharpness conspicuously absent, the photovideo sensors of this Tab 4 is a disappointment. The main camera can not even see themselves as a companion to last and last resort and shooting interface is more than summary.

However, the webcam at the front can be used for videoconferencing conversation, but we are far from the quality of rendering an iPad, the high-end Samsung or Sony. 

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 4 side keyboard side

Again, Samsung does not allow access to its product ultimate capacity of the mark entry term. If the Galaxy Tab and Tab Pro S have a tactile keyboard that monkey up to the sound part a mechanical keyboard, the Galaxy Tab 4 is satisfied with a classic touch keyboard, certainly, but very full. It has numbers and letters on one panel and accepts the quick pat garner without mistakes or big mistakes strikes.  We recommend adding an event supporting case of prolonged and recurrent seizure, which will avoid some acrobatics to hold and tap at the same time. The seizure by tracing the words is also present and is very effective, as always. In short, keyboard side, the Galaxy Tab 4 was perhaps not the last word of the Korean brand, but it ensures the job perfectly. 

Read more ...

The manufacturer Samsung is able to launch a foldable touchscreen tablet in 2017

The information was revealed by the website South Korean ETNews indicating that Samsung is considering launching a foldable touchscreen tablet from 2017. The foldable tablet is a subject that we talk since the launch of iLoveTablette in 2011 , that's how the subject is old!

This innovative project finally seems to be ready for sale to the general public. According to the website ETNews, Samsung's successful teams have to make a touchscreen tablet prototype whose screen would fold in half to transform into small 5-inch smartphone. The project, which has the code name "Project Valley" should offer 2 flexible OLED displays.

Samsung relies on innovation to stay ahead of competition

Also according to the site ETNews , this project, which is the fruit of a collaboration between Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display, would propose a smartphone with a 5 inch screen that déplierait in the manner of a wallet to transform in touchpad with a size of 7 inches . Samsung's factories are already in the starting block to start mass production of folding screens by the end of 2016.

The launch of a folding screen tablet is strategically very important to Samsung. Indeed touch smartphones and tablets being less innovative, the launch of such a product would allow Samsung to take some lead over its main competitor, Apple, which has lagged behind in this area.

Many rumors also mention the launch of this new technology via the future Samsung Galaxy S8 that would welcome these two folding screens. This would coincide with the launch of this smartphone which is traditionally at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year in March.

Read more ...