14 DAY TRIAL // KGI Securities doesn’t expect Apple to unveil any revolutionary new products at WWDC 2013, but the bank’s leading analyst on such matters says we should at least look out for some new MacBook announcements.
KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple’s developer-centric event, which is set to kick off on June 10, will most likely yield a pair of MacBook upgrades.
“We expect the new MacBook, featuring an upgrade to Intel’s (US) Haswell processor, will be in the spotlight for Apple at the upcoming WWDC from June 10,” writes the analyst.
In addition to the new processor, he anticipates several adjacent upgrades. The most interesting prospect is the fact that Apple will reduce the size of the MacBook Pro line.
“Retina MacBook Pro to be slimmer slightly, along with a camera upgrade,” reads Kuo’s research note.
“We expect the 13” Retina MacBook Pro will have a slightly slimmer form factor for increasing its portability,” he adds.
Kuo also expects the camera to be upgraded from HD to full HD “[which] will improve Facetime and video conference quality in the high resolution Retina display.”
Solid state storage is to become the “mainstream” solution for MacBooks, and optical drives may finally be phased out in the Pro lineup, which will ultimately enable Apple to reduce the heft (and the thickness) of the MacBook Pro considerably.
On the MacBook Air front, the upgrades are less exciting. Kuo’s research note suggests people are using the computers for video chatting quite a lot, which is why Apple will boost its audio capabilities.
“We forecast that this year’s new MacBook Air model will also have dual built-in microphones as a result of positive feedback on this feature in Retina MacBook Pro, which delivers clear voice quality on Facetime and VoIP service,” writes the analyst.
WWDC 2013 will also witness the unveiling of brand new iOS and OS X versions. That much has been confirmed by Apple.