Kuo: updated MacBook Pro and Air models with scissor keyboards arriving by the summer

Following positive market response to the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple’s first notebook ditching the problematic four-year-old butterfly keyboard in favor of the tried-and-tested scissor key mechanism, Apple should release new MacBook Pros and Airs with scissor keys by June.

Specifically, in a research note obtained by MacRumors the analyst predicts new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with scissor keyboards to arrive by the end of June of 2020.

A tidbit from the article:

Kuo did not comment on the size of the new MacBook Pro, but he is presumably referring to the 14-inch model that he has previously mentioned given that the 16-inch MacBook Pro was only released four months ago. The new 14-inch model would likely replace the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which would be discontinued.

Keep in mind that it’s unclear from the research note whether the analyst is referring to the 14.1-inch MacBook Pro that he had previously discussed — MacRumors is just speculating that Kuo meant the 14.1-incher. The report also doesn’t make it clear if these machines might include any other hardware refreshes beyond the scissor keyboard.

Also:

Kuo expects the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models to have various cost optimizations, but he said users will not notice any difference.

Hm, I wonder what that could be about…

9to5Mac adds:

Kuo says MacBook sales have been more resilient in the wake of coronavirus than other parts of its business. Although the supply was impacted from the temporary production halt, Kuo expects Apple to begin ordering parts at full capacity by the end of March.

In separate reports, the highly accurate Apple analyst called for a radical major Mac notebook chassis redesign in late 2021 following more than a decade of the current unibody aluminum design. He also accelerated his original predictions of Apple releasing an ARM-based Mac model in 12 to 18 months, now calling for a late 2020 or early 2021 launch.