X

New Macs rumoured for WWDC, iPad and iPhones unlikely

iOS 7 isn't the only thing we should expect from Apple's WWDC show next month, with all new MacBook Pros set to get retina displays.

Nick Hide Managing copy editor
Nick manages CNET's advice copy desk from Springfield, Virginia. He's worked at CNET since 2005.
Expertise Copy editing, football, Civilization and other old-man games, West Wing trivia
Nick Hide
2 min read

New Macs look set to be the order of the day at Apple's WWDC show on 10 June, as well as iOS 7, with one prominent Apple-watcher warning not to expect new iPhones or iPads.

The Loop's well-connected Apple blogger -- and former CNET blogger -- Jim Dalrymple says, "These are Apple's flagship products and they demand separate events.

"Entire industries watch these products because they shape what will happen in the mobile space. They are that important. So, don't expect an iPhone or iPad at WWDC."

Macs, on the other hand, are a declining part of the Apple empire and perfect fodder for a developer event.

Coincidentally, Intel is due to launch its next-generation chips, codenamed Haswell, just before WWDC. Computers running Haswell are claimed to use 30 per cent less power than ones packing Intel Core i5s, and a staggering 20x better standby time.

Rumours from manufacturing sources doing the rounds last month reckoned all the MacBook Pros will have retina screens this year, with only the MacBook Air lacking the eye-scorching option. They'll all pack Haswell, according to supply chain gossip blog DigiTimes.

This time last year at WWDC, Apple introduced the glorious retina display MacBook Pro, starting at an eye-watering £1,800, as well as refreshed MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros with boring screens that you can see the pixels on.

In Apple's latest financial results, the company told markets to expect new products this autumn, meaning it'd be less likely to make bumper profits in the quarters ending in June and September.

CEO Tim Cook was interviewed yesterday at the AllThingsD event, offering very little on future products except some vague noises about watches being "interesting". He did say big phablet-style screens were a "tradeoff" however, and said Google Glass didn't have much mainstream appeal.

Finally, Dalrymple has a little advice for us mere mortals tech bloggers: "If you write a story after WWDC stating that since there was no iPhone or iPad, the keynote was a bust, you are just stupid." Duly noted.

What are you hoping from new Macs? Are you waiting for a more affordable retina model? Is battery life still a major consideration when you're buying a laptop? Offer your considered opinions in the comments below, or over on our high-res Facebook page.

In the meantime, here's Luke with what we can expect from iOS 7:

Watch this: iOS 7: The features it needs