Apple to launch 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro by October: Report

One of the biggest talking points at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference was the announcement of the Retina Display MacBook Pro. When Apple announced the notebook, the model was available in only one size - 15-inches. But, if a report by Apple Insider is anything to go by, we can expect the brand to launch a 13-inch version of the notebook by October 2012.

A 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on its way?

As per the report, “Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI shared in a note with AppleInsider on Thursday that he expects Apple to ramp up production of a 13-inch next-generation MacBook Pro with Retina display in September. That would allow the product to hit stores in early October, in time for the holiday shopping season.” The track record of the analyst has been good thus far with Kuo predicting that Apple would discontinue its 17-inch MacBook Pro line up. Prior to the launch of the Retina Display MacBook Pro, Kuo also said that Apple would launch a 15-inch version of the same alongside an upgrade to the existing MacBook Pro notebooks.

The report goes on to state: “Apple has the "highest hopes" for the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, according to Kuo. But Apple was likely unable to unveil the new product at WWDC this week because of a low yield rate and greater assembly difficulty, he said. Like the next-generation Retina display MacBook Pro, the 13-inch variety is expected to lack an optical disc drive and rely solely on solid-state flash memory storage. Kuo expects the screen to have a resolution of 2,560 by 1,600 pixels, and he said the 13-inch model will be slightly thinner than the 15-inch model, at 18 millimeters.” As for the other specifications expected to feature on the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, the brand will use Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics and an Intel Ivy Bridge processor with a clock speed greater than 2GHz.

Kuo went on to add that Apple would release 300,000 units of the next-generation 15-inch MacBook Pro for sale this month.

Share your thoughts on the possibility of a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro in the comments below.