Thom Holwerda, managing editor of OSnews, heard from “people and sources who know their stuff” that Apple’s been working on additional MacBook Pro models without TouchBar. Sources claim the decision to develop new MacBook Pros sans Touch Bar was made because Apple was taken aback by harsh criticism that professional users leveled at the latest MacBook Pro models.
After the new MacBook Pros were unveiled, orders for refurbished previous-generation notebooks supposedly “went through the roof,” Thom writes. The orders shot up even higher after the initial batch of reviews came out, he continues.
“This response to the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar took Apple completely by surprise,” reads the article. Due to user backlash, Apple is said to be “exploring additional MacBook Pro models without Touch Bar”.
It’s unclear if the new Touch Bar-free machines might launch silently or as part of a major refresh of the whole lineup. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted a while ago that Apple might slash prices of the new MacBook Pro lineup in 2017 while introducing internal upgrades with support for up to 32GB of RAM.
Given the new 13-incher with its lower-than-expected specifications costs $500 more than its predecessor, we’re not surprised that Apple wants to widen the addressable market for these notebooks by potentially adding cheaper entry-level models to the mix.
As we reported yesterday, Thom also suspects we won’t see Apple’s high-powered modular Mac Pro before late 2018 or early 2019 given how long it takes to develop a new desktop like a Mac Pro.
Source: OSNews