Two different rumours indicate that Apple is planning to release a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro and a new, thinner iMac, alongside the all-but-certain
iPad mini launch on October 23.
9to5Mac is first up saying Apple is ready to release a 13-inch variant of the Retina MacBook Pro:
This new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina Display is said to pick up the thinner and lighter enclosure of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display that was released in June.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro will be sold in two configurations, with differing processors and storage, and will be available for purchase soon after introduction.
Like with the 15-inch MacBook Pro lines, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display will be sold (at a higher price) in addition to the current non-Retina display model.
The iMac rumour comes via
Macrumors who quote a Chinese website (
translation) that carried a purported photograph (
above) of the "thinner" iMac:
The authenticity of the photo can not be confirmed, but iFixit's Kyle Wiens tells us that it does appear to be plausible based on some similarities to current iMac components. One example is the silver disc located behind the main layer of components. This disc has been found in Apple's iMac models over the past several years, and it houses the Wi-Fi antenna directly behind the Apple logo on the rear of the iMac's body. The Apple logo is the only plastic portion of the iMac's otherwise aluminum rear shell, thus providing the best location for optimizing signal reception.
The redesigned iMac is said to be considerably thinner than the current form factor, with the machine's thickness almost impossible to gauge when viewed from the side. The curved rear shell is also said to appear more like a water droplet than the squared-off design seen in the current model.
Macrumors also quotes the report as suggesting that Apple may first update the 21.5-inch iMac and updates to the bigger 27-inch iMac may follow later.