A smaller MacBook Pro with Retina display is on its way, with the device being assembled right now, according to one analyst.
Our American colleagues at CNET.com report the production gears have crunched into action on a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with a 2,560x1,600-pixel screen. That's what NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim says, anyway.
He seems to know the exact model as well, adding: "The supply chain indications are that it's for a MacBook Pro 13.3 -- not a MacBook Air." The screens are made by Samsung, LGD, and Sharp.
If Shim's figures are correct, Apple predicts this smaller model to be a big seller too, as the production run dwarfs that of its larger counterpart. "With 15.4 it's production of a few hundred thousand units versus one to two million for the 13.3," he said. Production started in the third quarter, so we could expect the 13.3-inch model hit the shelves around late autumn.
With a new iPhone and iPad also rumoured before Christmas (though on separate dates from the sound of things), it could be a very busy end of year indeed for Apple.
The Retina display is found on Apple's 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. That model has a resolution of 2,880x1,800-pixels, with 220 ppi. The iPad screen is 2,048x1,536 pixels, with a ppi of 264, which also makes it a Retina display. (Anything over 200ppi and you're in Retina territory.)
A 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro would likely fly off the shelves, thanks to being more portable than its larger counterpart. It'd also be cheaper than the 15.4-inch model, which sells for a whopping £1,799.
Would you buy a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display? How much would you be willing to pay? Let me know in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 12
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anonymous 27 August, 2012 10:35
I'd pay a grand
damien2501 27 August, 2012 12:47
nice, i bet the screen looks amazing!
anonymous 27 August, 2012 13:57
Yes Damian, I'm sure it looks amazing, good to see your not trolling this post too!
Peter Hudson 27 August, 2012 14:23
But what I really want to see is a 27" retina iMac
anonymous 27 August, 2012 18:03
So retina has dropped from 300+ ppi to 200+ ppi
anonymous 27 August, 2012 18:05
It looks a little like a samsung
Peter Hudson 27 August, 2012 21:39
The retina display on a laptop doesn't have to be as high a pixel density because you will typically look at the screen from a greater distance. The pixel density can drop to 200ppi and still satisfy the mathematics that make it a retina display.
anonymous 27 August, 2012 21:52
Thanx for that info #peter hudson in never thought about it like that
anonymous 27 August, 2012 23:08
more trash from apple. The trolls will be waiting around the block for 24 hours in the cold for this one.
Danyal 28 August, 2012 09:36
A question as a Mac noob over here..
If I were to wait for this 13" Macbook Pro with Retina Display, would the base model which currently costs £999, be the same price as the base model 13" Macbook Pro with Retina Display?
Have the older 15" and 17" had a price increase?
Peter Hudson 28 August, 2012 11:10
It's not likely Danyal, chances are the 13" retina macbook would sit along side the standard macbook models at a slightly higher price point for the time being. Looks like they are going to start phasing out the standard display macbooks and transition the entire laptop range to retina displays.
anonymous 28 August, 2012 17:15
It's nice I will probably buy it as long as it's lower than a grand. And about the new iPad?? Hmmm, I think it's very impossible..