Apple could be about to launch new Haswell-based MacBook Pro and iMac models, according to new reports.
With Apple’s rumoured 10 September event just around the corner, speculation about a MacBook Pro refresh and an update to the iMac is hotting up, hinting that the new models could be shown off alongside the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C at the event.
Reports from Hong Kong-based supply chain monitor EMSOne say that Taiwanese manufacturers have begun shipping new MacBook Pro components based on Intel’s fourth-generation Haswell processors.
Apple’s current MacBook Pro models have Intel’s older Ivy Bridge chips, but the new Haswell chips could significantly improve the graphics performance and battery life of the laptops.
The iMac could also be getting a Haswell update on 10 September. Reseller price cuts and a dwindling supplies of the iMac suggest that Apple could be preparing for an imminent update.
On Thursday, Apple Insider highlighted numerous discounts across US Apple resellers including B&H, Best Buy, Amazon and MacMall.
This is not the first we’ve heard about a possible Haswell update for the iMac. In July, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the new Haswell iMac would be ready in August, but Apple may decide to hold off on the launch to ensure it doesn’t suffer from the same shortages as last year’s model.
Apple’s MacBook Air has already received a Haswell update, which was released following its unveiling at WWDC in June.