Apple May Processor Bump MacBook Pros in 2011

overview hero20110811
AppleInsider claims that Apple may be bumping the processors of the MacBook Pros before the end of this year, but will make no other changes to the notebooks.

According to people with proven insight into Apple's future product plans, the late-2011 MacBook Pro refresh will deliver marginal speed bumps to the notebooks' Core i-Series of Sandy Bridge processors but will otherwise introduce no material changes over the existing models.

Intel recently introduced 16 new Sandy Bridge processors, some of which could be used in the current generation MacBook Pros.

Last year, Apple quietly added a high end 2.8GHz Core i7 option to the MacBook Pros in late October. So, the move is not without precedent, though last year it was offered only as a built-to-order option and not an across the board upgrade.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...
tesla red orange bg feature

Tesla Could Be Planning to Support Apple Car Keys

Sunday December 28, 2025 4:24 am PST by
Support for Apple Car Keys may now be more likely to come to Tesla vehicles, amid new evidence that the automaker is embracing native, system-level digital car keys. According to Not a Tesla App, 4.52.0 of Tesla's mobile app contains multiple code references to Harmony Wallet Key Cards. The discovery is notable because it represents a shift in how Tesla appears to be approaching mobile...

Top Rated Comments

burnout8488 Avatar
187 months ago
Oh for gods sake Apple just hurry up and redesign it! it looks outdated now and plus the current models are crap :apple:

They really are quite terrible now, aren't they.




:rolleyes:
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wikus Avatar
187 months ago
Well, that kinda blows for the early 2011 MBP crowd... And yes, that includes me...

Its september now. I can't see how people can really complain so much or be annoyed. I also dont see this kind of crybaby behaviour on the PC side, and if Mac users were to be using custom built computers, they'd be depressed all year round; new technology emerges ALL the time.

I just got a 2011 MacBook Pro... this doesnt bother me much. It won't be a huge improvement anyway.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikhsub1 Avatar
187 months ago
So many illogical minds in this thread. It isn't Apple that is driving the latest and greatest, it is Intel. Imagine that the new CPU's out and Apple decides not to use them, so it doesn't upset people that bought a Laptop this year. How stupid would that be? Computer components are upgraded on a lightning fast pace, usually multiple times in a year, don't expect any laptop to be top dog for more than a few month. Seems to me most of you just need to grow up and learn that always needing the latest and greatest is a disease.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
amac4me Avatar
187 months ago
If Apple releases "Late 2011" MacBook Pro models that bump the processor specs, I would imagine that the machines would also bump the following to place them in line with the recently released MacBook Air and Mac mini:


* Bluetooth 4.0
* OS X Lion recovery partition
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ECUpirate44 Avatar
187 months ago
+$200 for a marginal speed boost never made sense to me.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cvaldes Avatar
187 months ago
So many illogical minds in this thread. It isn't Apple that is driving the latest and greatest, it is Intel. Imagine that the new CPU's out and Apple decides not to use them, so it doesn't upset people that bought a Laptop this year. How stupid would that be? Computer components are upgraded on a lightning fast pace, usually multiple times in a year, don't expect any laptop to be top dog for more than a few month. Seems to me most of you just need to grow up and learn that always needing the latest and greatest is a disease.
Really?!?

How dare you exhibit logic and a willingness to accept the realities of modern electronics design and manufacturing.

Why can't you live in a dreamworld where the laws of physics have been suspended like the majority of MR forum participants?

You should be ashamed to attract undue attention by showing a sensible knowledge of the forum topic at hand.

What kind of kid did your parents raise?!?

We are sending the authorities to your house. Please be prepared to surrender your fanboi membership card.

:D
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)