Apple likely has several new MacBooks in the works, registration suggests

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By Mark Knapp
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Are new MacBook Air and Pro models incoming?

MacBook Pro
Image Credit: TechRadar

New entries into a Eurasian database of "portable personal computers" registered by Apple suggest there are several more MacBooks on the way, MacRumors reports.

Apple just recently released a refreshed Mac Pro and an 8-core MacBook Pro (2019), beefing up its lineup of computers, but this report suggests even more new models are in the works.

The registered notebooks don't have names like we'd typically see, with letter and number combinations instead. Apple has registered the A2141, A2147, A2158, A2159, A2179, A2182 and A2251 codenames.

While there are seven new product codes in all, this doesn't necessarily mean there will be seven distinct products coming, as these can sometimes indicate minor hardware variations in the same model. But, it does appear there will be some new MacBook products coming.

What can we expect to see?

Since Apple released the new 15-inch MacBook Pro just weeks ago, we'd expect it to be a little while before it launches another. But, the company may have some completely different models in store, such as a 16-inch MacBook Pro.

That new MacBook Pro would have an all new design, and could perhaps finally leave the blight that has been Apple's Butterfly keyboards in the past. While the 16-inch MacBook Pro isn't expected until 2020 or even 2021, that doesn't mean we won't see the other models sooner.

We're still waiting to see a new MacBook 2019, which was skipped entirely in 2018, and these registered products could include it. It's been since 2017 since we got a refresh of the line, and the inclusion of Intel Amber Lake processors would be a strong step up from the currently included chips.

Apple's MacBook Air line could also see an upgrade. The last MacBook Air came in November 2018, so it's unlikely that we'll see a 2019 MacBook Air too soon. But, given that Apple formerly refreshed the MacBook Air on a yearly basis from 2011 to 2015, it's possible we could see a new model late this year or early next year.

If you're on the hunt for a new MacBook, it may be worth waiting to see what new products are around the corner.

Mark Knapp
Mark Knapp

Over the last several years, Mark has been tasked as a writer, an editor, and a manager, interacting with published content from all angles. He is intimately familiar with the editorial process from the inception of an article idea, through the iterative process, past publishing, and down the road into performance analysis.